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5 this entire film 14 Nobody will notice handled with ease 33 puppets dragon dicks 45

"There were violent clashes right around Tahrir Square and an enormous show of support."

" just how much is driven by an effort to recycle the first movie and make a ton of money off it."

"The used were stage was always alive with movement." "Yes, these are artist conceptions of

, and the

VUEWEEKLY #200, 11230 - 119 STREET, EDMONTON, AB T5G 2X3 | T: 780.426.1996 F: 780.426.2889 FOUNDING EDITOR / PUBLISHER RON GARTH ................................................................................................................................................................. ron@vueweekly.com PUBLISHER ROBERT W DOULL ............................................................................................................................................. rwdoull@vueweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / MANAGING EDITOR EDEN MUNRO .......................................................................................................................................................... eden@vueweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / SALES & MARKETING MANAGER ROB LIGHTFOOT......................................................................................................................................................... rob@vueweekly.com ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR / DISH EDITOR BRYAN BIRTLES ...................................bryan@vueweekly.com NEWS EDITOR SAMANTHA POWER .................. samantha@vueweekly.com ARTS & FILM EDITOR PAUL BLINOV ....................................... paul@vueweekly.com MUSIC EDITOR EDEN MUNRO ......................................eden@vueweekly.com SNOW ZONE EDITOR KATE IRWIN ...........................................kate@vueweekly.com LISTINGS GLENYS SWITZER .......................... listings@vueweekly.com PRODUCTION MANAGER MIKE SIEK .............................................mike@vueweekly.com PRODUCTION PETE NGUYEN...................................... pete@vueweekly.com CRAIG JANZEN .....................................craig@vueweekly.com PRODUCTION INTERN TYLER VAN BRABANT ......................... tyler@vueweekly.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES ERIN CAMPBELL ........................ ecampbell@vueweekly.com ANDY COOKSON ......................... acookson@vueweekly.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER MICHAEL GARTH ............................ michael@vueweekly.com

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Samantha Power

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// samantha@vueweekly.com

There is no pause button Politics can often be caught up in games. The complexity and forethought of chess is used to describe the maneuverings of oppositional parties to gain the advantage. Caught up in wordplay and whodunnits, the high stakes of political decision making can quickly devolve into a cat-and-mouse game of press releases and question period dodges and feints. But there should be some instances that clear the board, hit reset on the game and focus the players on the real questions. This past week, Amnesty International and the United Nations hit the reset button. Amnesty International called out the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Status of Women for failing to deliver on expectations into its inquiry on threats to Aboriginal women across the country. The committee had delivered an interim report earlier this year which had called for a comprehensive response to address violence against Aboriginal women. It indicated a need for a coordinated effort to address foster care, the shortage of emergency shelters and widespread impoverishment. Instead, the final report recommends no concrete steps to remove these barriers faced by Aboriginal women, and only states that government should work "within existing service models." The next day, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimina-

tion against Women announced it would follow up on calls from Aboriginal and feminist advocacy groups to investigate violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. An international agency—in which Canada should be a leading member in determining the standards of human rights and proper living conditions—is investigating this country's inability to provide safe living conditions for women. The statistics should make the situation clear enough. Aboriginal women are five times more likely to die of violence than non-Aboriginal women. The Native Women's Association of Canada has documented the disappearance of over 600 Aboriginal women and girls in 20 years. And those are just the ones that have been brought to light. Numbers and statistics cannot represent the women who have left behind families and lives and unrealized opportunities. For these women there is no pressing pause, no reset on the game. Until the Canadian government realizes it has a responsibility to act, the conditions of these women's lives will continue to pull them away from a potential every human being deserves to realize. Perhaps with the intervention of an international monitor the Canadian government will finally realize the stakes of the game they're playing. V

NewsRoundup

SAMANTHA POWER // samantha@vueweekly.com

INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION Both Amnesty International and the United Nations are taking action to assist Canada's Aboriginal women. The United Nations issued a statement earlier this week that an inquiry will be formed to investigate the cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women which the committee believes to be serious violations against the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Native Women's Association of Canada and the Canadian Feminist Alliance For International Action requested the inquiry due to the perceived failure of provincial and federal governments to investigate and prevent violence against Aboriginal women. "Aboriginal women in Canada experience rates of violence 3.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal women, and young Aboriginal women are five times more likely to die of violence," said Jeannette Corbiere Lavell of NWAC. "NWAC has documented the

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OCCUPY CONTINUED disappearances and murders of over 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada over about 20 years, and we believe that there may be many more. The response of law enforcement and other government officials has been slow, often dismissive of reports made by family members of missing women, uncoordinated and generally inadequate." NWAC and FAFIA are hopeful the committee's inquiry will follow a similar process to one undertaken in Mexico five years ago, where the final report spelled out specific action for governments to undertake. "Mexican women's groups say that the committee's intervention helped to spur Government action and we hope to see the same result here in Canada," said Sharon McIvor of FAFIA. The announcement by the UN committee came one day after Amnesty International condemned a parliamentary report from the Status of Women offering no real solutions

to the threats Aboriginal Canadian women face. Amnesty International calls the report a missed opportunity, particularly because an interim draft of the report called for a strategic and comprehensive approach to solving violence against women, while the final report simply reiterated government initiatives already underway. "The Committee is representing the report as forward looking, but it actually represents a troubling and regrettable step backward," said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International. "Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the committee has backtracked on its earlier commitment to a comprehensive response in order to avoid embarrassing the government over its inadequate response to this human rights crisis." The New Democrat members of the committee released their own report to more accurately reflect the testimony of women heard during the committee's inquiry.

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Occupy movements have diversified their tactics this week by starting an occupation of shipping ports on the West Coast. Occupy movements in Seattle, Oakland and San Diego, among others, are blockading ports to draw attention to the negative impacts of concentrated wealth due to the exploitation of workers globally. The group has said they are standing up for migrant workers' rights, increased benefits and pay as well as the health

and safety of port workers. Occupy Vancouver has joined the action in solidarity and in opposition to the growing income inequality in Canada. Additionally, Occupy Vancouver has stated its concern over the disregard for environmental standards surrounding the Port of Vancouver. Five activists were arrested in the action that included a rally earlier in the day. Over 1000 protesters joined the action from Alaska to California.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK "What this is really about is the fact that our government is abdicating its international obligations. It's like we're the kid who's failing the class so we have to drop it before that happens." —NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie on Canada's withdrawal from Kyoto Dec 12, 2011 cbc.ca

FRONT // EGYPT

Evolving revolution

Citizens fight for a democratic Egypt is not over

Egyptians celebrate President Mubarak's announcement that he will step down as leader of Egypt in February of this year.

year ago, on the streets of Tunisia, an educated young man turned street grocer, frozen with despair, lit himself on fire. That fire spread far beyond his corpse and, within the year that followed, NATO allied itself with Islamic fundamentalists and ethnic cleansers in Libya to overthrow the government, Syria fell to civil war, Tunisia chased out its despot and Egyptians mounted a revolution. What a difference a year makes. Or does it? "There were violent clashes right around Tahrir Square and an enormous show of support. Last Tuesday, there was a call for a million

person march and the square was full. People came out in very large numbers from across the city," said Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat on the show's December 1 broadcast, not from 2010, but 2011. Having reported from Egypt and later during much of the "Arab Spring" as an overt cheerleader for change, Kamat used her recent appearance on DN! to express just how little fruit the putative revolution had harvested. "Security forces [are] firing intense amounts of US-made tear gas on protesters and protesters fighting back with rocks and sometimes Molotov cocktails," said

Kamat, noting that such violence has led to the deaths of 42 people, and the injury of 3000 more. So why, if mainstream Western journalists got it right last year, is Egypt in roiling turmoil right now? What was missing or distorted in their story of fed-up citizens' major street protests that forced out the dictator Hosni Mubarak and completed a revolution? "Mubarak was an autocratic leader, but he was actually propped up by a number of sources, including for a very long time the United States," says Andy Knight, chair of the University of Alberta's Political Sci-

ence Department, speaking of the power behind the power behind the throne. "When you compare Egypt with the rest of the Middle East, Egypt had had a pretty secure relationship with Israel, and of course the United States wants to maintain that." Beyond US support, it was "a very strong military that shepherded [former officer] Mubarak into power in the first place," says Knight. Once one of Egypt's most vaunted social institutions, the Egyptian military has seen its reputation take a bloody nose—exactly when it was inflicting them, and far worse. Prior

to Mubarak's fall, Tahrir protesters chanted that the people and the military were one, apparently preferring the seemingly impartial military to police forces that many called vicious and politicized. But that support has cracked since revelations that, during the first occupation of Tahrir and since, the military has jailed 12 000 people, subjected other civilians to rape and torture, and may have killed many of the 846 people who died a year ago. According to DN! correspondent CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 >>

NEWS // FINANCE

Good debt versus bad

City council debates the budget and the future of Edmonton's debt

o describe Sharon Maclise as "livid" would probably be an understatement. Asked for her thoughts about Edmonton city council's 2012 budget deliberations, which wrapped up this week, the 60-year-old Glenora resident pulled no punches. "This city council and administration has mismanaged our budgeting for so long—placing wants ahead of needs—that they have backed us taxpayers into a corner." While concerned about impending property tax and fee increases (the exact amount of which had not been established at press time), Maclise is just as worried about the level of debt the city is carrying, which is "outrageous" in her view. According to a release issued by chief financial officer Lorna Rosen this week, Edmonton's total debt in 2012 will be $2.47 billion, which is 37 percent below the debt limit set by the province.

During this year's budget deliberations, Ward 1 Councillor Linda Sloan spoke out repeatedly about the city's rising debt levels. "I was particularly frustrated by the lack of clarity around the debt figures," she told Vue. After asking administration repeatedly about the compound costs of that debt, Sloan was less than pleased with the response she received. "At the end of 2012, the city will be spending $300 million each year just to service the debt, and that does not include the debt that will be incurred for the new arena," she says. It also does not include the costs of borrowing $56 million to purchase the land and to design the downtown arena, a borrowing bylaw for which council gave second reading on Wednesday. The text of that bylaw indicates the city expects to repay that loan over a period of up

to 35 years and that it will carry an interest rate no higher than nine percent per annum. Among projects the $2.47 billion figure does include are funding the Walterdale bridge replacement, a new police campus for the city's northwest and land for expansion of the LRT line to southeast and west Edmonton. To pay for these projects (with an additional $25M for projects not yet named), council has decided to borrow around $315 million dollars—a debt that council has chosen to service through tax increases over three years. Ten years ago, all of this would have been unheard of. In October, 2002, the city reversed a 20-year-old selfimposed policy against incurring debt with council agreeing to borrow up to $50 million a year for the following five years. At that time, the

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

city had a debt of just $25 million and was on track to be debt-free by 2004. The controversial policy had its critics, among them the EDLC. Edmonton & District Labour Council president Brian Henderson remembers the time well and agrees that being debt free isn't necessarily ideal if it creates different kinds of debts, like crumbling infrastructure. "I'm a big fan of the Neighbourhood Renewal Program, for example," he says. Henderson sees the merit in spending money on maintenance because deferring those expenses just ends up costing even more in the long run. He expressed surprise, however, that the city's debt had grown so large in such a short period of time. Professor Jim Lightbody, of the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta has an explanation. "This council wants to do all things; they can no longer either

prioritize or demonstrate any good sense of value for money spent," he observes. "The current idea of choice is 'something for everyone.'" Notwithstanding any increases in operating expenses and not including any costs associated with the arena, which some say could reach as high as three-quarter of a billion dollars, the three-year Capital Budget will increase property taxes by 0.75 percent in 2012, 0.70 percent in 2013 and 0.67 percent in 2014. Lightbody shares Sloan's concerns about debt servicing costs. "While it makes sense to borrow for needed infrastructure when interest rates are at historic lows, they are 'historic' for a reason," he explains. "They will return to normal levels." Like Councillor Sloan, he notes that debt servicing impacts programs and services. "Borrowing CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 >>

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COMMENT >> WOMEN AND RELIGION

Women and monotheism Why are fundamentalists so afraid of women?

One should not mock the sexual obsessions of whenever men listen to women singing, so of Islamic fundamentalists; it's like shooting fish course they had to leave. As for Christian funin a barrel. When a senior academic in Saudi damentalist attitudes toward women, here's Arabia, Professor Kamal Subhi, declares in a the Rev. Pat Robertson, one of the most influreport for the Shura Council, the kingdom's ential US television evangelists: legislative assembly, that allowing women to "The feminist agenda is not about equal rights drive would spell the end of virginity in for women. It is about a socialist, anti-famthe kingdom, it doesn't really require ily political movement that encourages further comment. But let's offer a women to leave their husbands, kill few comments anyway. their children, practise witchcraft, om eekly.c w e In the report, Subhi describes sitting destroy capitalism and become lesu v e@ gwynn e n in a coffee shop in an unnamed Arab n bians." Not to mention drive cars and y Gw state where "all the women were lookhang around in coffee shops making Dyer ing at me. One made a gesture that made come-hither eyes at ageing academics. it clear that she was available. This is what happens when women are allowed to drive." Where does all of this weirdness come from? I regret to report that this doesn't happen Other societies and other religions have been to me in coffee shops. In fact, it doesn't even just as patriarchal and disrespectful of women: happen to me in bars, although I am generally it wasn't much fun being a woman in traditional reckoned to be the most handsome man of Hindu, Buddhist or Confucian societies either. my generation. (The late Jurassic generation.) But nowhere else was there the same male It doesn't seem to happen to any of my male sexual panic, the profound, ingrained fear of friends either, although most of us live in the free women that infests all the Middle Eastern decadent, post-Christian West, where women monotheisms. Where does that come from? drive all the time. I started to write this next paragraph three Maybe it's just that none of us are as amaztimes, and then admitted to myself that I reingly good-looking and sexy as Prof Subhi, or ally do not know the answer. It's clear from the maybe Arab women are incredibly lascivious fragments of history that have come down to and immoral. But it seems more likely that he us from five thousand years ago that there was was just imagining it all, in which case another an intense struggle in the ancient Fertile Crespossible explanation presents itself. cent between the old female fertility cults and Perhaps he has a mentality so sex-obsessed the new male-centred religions, which celebratand so fearful of women that these feverish ed war, hierarchy and blind obedience. imaginings seem perfectly normal to him. And The male religions triumphed everywhere: by they are quite normal among Islamic fundathree and a half thousand years ago, male hiermentalists, like the Nour Party in Egypt that archies ruled everything, both in the heavens demands strict prohibitions against mixed and on the Earth. But why was the struggle so bathing, "fornication" and the appointment of much more intense in the Middle East, and the women to leadership roles—and got a quarter outcome so much more hostile to women, than of the votes in last week's election in Egypt. in most other places? Dunno. But the point is not that Muslims are weird; It doesn't matter, really. You can't unpick the they are all too normal. All the "Abrahamic" rehistory; you have to start from where you are, ligions, as Muslims call them, have traditionally even if you'd much rather start from somebeen sex-obsessed and terrified of women, and where else. And the fact is that people can the fundamentalists among them still are. Take overcome their history: most Jews, Christians the increasingly influential and importunate and Muslims today do not have extreme antiHaredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews of Israel. female attitudes. The reason we have a special US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, last name for those who still do is evidence enough week told an audience that included Israel's that they are a minority in the present populadeputy prime minister, Dan Meridor, and oppotions, if you actually needed it. sition leader Tzipi Livni that she was shocked Fundamentalists are a big minority in counby the growing discrimination against Israeli tries like the United States, Israel, Egypt and women. She even compared the separate seatIran, but a much smaller minority in countries ing for women on some Jerusalem buses to the like France, Turkey, and Russia. In some plachumiliation of Rosa Parks, the black American es their numbers are actually growing at the woman who made history in 1955 by refusing moment, but the long-term trend is sharply to give up her bus seat for white passengers. down. By today's standards, all Jews, ChrisClinton also compared the behaviour of some tians and Muslims were fundamentalists 500 Israeli soldiers who recently walked out on a years ago. V performance by female singers to the attitude Gwynne Dyer is a London-based journalist. His towards women in Iran. But God—at least, the column appears every week in Vue Weekly. God worshipped by the Haredim—is enraged

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<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

charges are against the operating budget," cautions Lightbody, "which will mean less room to expand operating programs when rates rise." "City council has worked hard with us to balance responsible fiscal management with the need to enhance the quality of life for citizens in a growing, and ageing [sic], city," chief financial office Lorna Rosen said in a statement on

the city's website. Sharon Maclise is not so sure about that. "They really need to stop spinning this. What are the costs to us—the taxpayers—going to be once we add in another $500 million for this arena? Our grandchildren will be paying for their mismanagement," she says before pausing for a moment. "Actually, our grandchildren's children will probably still be paying for it."

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COMMENT >> HOCKEY

The Revolution

EVOLVING REVOLUTION << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Oilers are still waiting to get some consistency in their game Last week the Oilers faced a team tom three in shots per game) and that robbed them of a Cup, a perenhave allowed too many five-on-five nial playoff foe from the '90s and the goals (bottom ten in the league). The biggest rivals ever. The Caropowerplay and penalty kill, hot lina Hurricanes, riding a sixout of the gate, have cooled game losing streak, came down lately. The Flames to Rexall and ravished the keep winning Battle of Ally.com eweek ox@vu b Oilers 5-3. The Colorado e berta games. The Maple th in oung & Dave Y s Avalanche were next; the Leafs are leading the league e tl Bir Bryan Oilers dispatched the Avs 4-1. (I know, it has nothing to do A quick trip down to Calgary folwith the Oilers but it bothers me). lowed. The Battle of Alberta, Hockey I haven't won the 50/50 yet. DY Night In Canada-style, was dull. It Let's Work started slowly, dragged on and ended Congratulations are in order for Edcrappy—3-0 Flames. monton Oil Kings' Mark Pysyk who Sign o' The Times made Team Canada's IIHF World JuWith 30 games behind us, here's a niors squad. The defencemen—who quick list of the things that seem to tried out but didn't make the team be working: last year—was a first-round draft pick Da Nuge and Jordan Eberle are of the Buffalo Sabres in 2010. Not playing as well as even the most only does Pysyk play hockey in Edoptimistic fans thought. Ryan Jones monton—in fact, he was the Oil Kings' is worth the raise he got on his last first ever draft pick—but he grew up contract. Laddy Smid is becoming a near here too. Hailing from Sherwood beast in front of the net (and has two Park, the 6-foot-1-inch, 190 pound, goals already!). It's really nice to see puck-moving defencemen will likely Smytty back. Theo Peckham's game get to play out the World Juniors in sense is sharpening. Ryan Whitney is front of friends and family. BB back from injury—that's about the extent of the positives with #6. I'm not wishing Nikolai Khabibulin would get injured until 2013 (when his contract expires) anymore. Sam Gagner is playing more like the player that made watching 2007-08 and 200809 more bearable. Colten Teubert has spark. The powerplay percentage is in the top 10. The Oilers are one point up on Calgary. There's an Oiler in the top 10 in points (RNH is up there with Jonathan Toews and Steven Stamkos), blocked shots (Smid) and shooting percentage (RNH again). Here's what's not working: Paajarvi-Hemsky-Whitney. The Oilers are not shooting enough (bot-

IN THE

BOX

Let's Go Crazy

The Oilers are plugging along and playing much, much better than the last place teams of yesteryear. The tantalizing promise of a playoff spot is not close to dead. This is not fair. I'm already visualizing a playoffs WITH the Oilers in it. This is known as setting oneself up for a fall. But think about it; it could be a fun summer. Oilers in a playoff round or two ... Euro 2012 football tourney in June ... Summer Olympics in July/August. Come on, Oilers! DY New Power Generation

Let's take a quick peek at the Oilers farm team in OK City and see how the prospects and castoffs are doing. The team has a tenuous lead in their division, in a dogfight with Houston and Abbotsford (the baby Flames). Fifthround 2008 draft pick Philippe Cornet is leading the team in goals and in the top three in the AHL. There are four more Ryans (O'Marra, Martindale, Keller and Lowery) hoping to join Jones, Nugent-Hopkins, Smyth and Whitney in the big club. DY

Oiler Player of the Week Sam Gagner: 2 goals, 2 assists last week. Involved in 4 of 7 Oiler goals in the last three games. DY Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Every time some jackass announcer says he's been invisible in a game, the Nuge scores a goal or gets an incredible assist. BB

Kamat, authoritarian military rule was the nature of the Egyptian system during Mubarak's time and, while that hasn't changed, the trust is gone. "We've seen repeated sitins in Tahrir," said Kamat, "repeated negotiations between different political parties and SCAF [Supreme Council of the Armed Forces] about how much power is the ruling military council actually willing to cede. The council ... receives $1.3 billion in US aid a year, has said repeatedly that it ... has no interest in holding onto power, but its actions have ... led many to question how true this is." Knight agrees the relationship between the Egyptian military and citizenry is "in a crisis," saying, "We're seeing a transition to the possibility that the military is going to be controlled by the politicians. This is not going to be a happy situation." Eleven months into their alleged revolution, Egyptian citizens have seen few improvements. But what about changes to foreign policy, especially during, arguably, the most stunning regional upsurge since the Arab Revolt of 1916 – 1918? Under the Supreme Council of the Armed Force's new direct rule, Egypt's new foreign minister, Nabil el-Araby, described his country’s collaboration with Israel to blockade Palestine's Rafah border crossing into Egypt "inhumane and shameful," saying Egypt would permanently open the Gaza gates to people and goods. Some claimed the opening as symbolic of a major relationship change between Egypt's government and the Palestinian people on the one side, and US/Israel on the other. But within days, Egypt shut the border completely. "I don't think many people within the military have any particular rea-

son not to support the people of Gaza and the Palestinians ... Egypt was still very much in limbo with a lack of direct leadership," explains Knight of the opening, saying that leading generals wanted to demonstrate that Egypt's Israel policy would be written not in Washington, but in Cairo. "However, there was a lot of pressure from the United States to put an end to that ... to control Egypt's relationship with Israel [regardless of] whichever group comes to power in Egypt," says Knight, adding that an unfettered Arab Spring will permanently change the Arab-Israel relationship in ways neither Israel nor the US will like. "The policies of previous administrations sometimes hamper the policies of an incoming president," says Knight, defending Obama's initial reluctance to (rhetorically) embrace last year's revolt. "It took a while for [Obama] to decide, 'We just can't support a leader who is going to attack his own people.'" Asked if Obama truly represents a more just American policy, despite having waged professional and mercenary wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya—an unprecedented six simultaneous wars, and by a Nobel Peace Laureate, no less—Knight sounds less certain of Obama's leadership: "You're brought in as leader, but you're really not in control ... You have people in the State Department and Pentagon who are going to push for the continuation of past policies." If Barack Obama actually is powerless against his own state, he shares that with the Egyptian people. Yet his fate and that of his billionaire funders on Wall Street is unlikely to resemble anything like that of the pro-democracy forces imprisoned, tortured, raped, or killed in Egypt. malcolm azania

// malcolm@vueweekly.com

8 CLASSIC WINDOW DISPLAYS That’s what people say. The only problem with Blundstone boots is that they never seem to wear out. Oh, people try. But after a few years of kicking the bejeez out of them, they’re more comfortable than ever and still going strong. Expensive? Nope, they get cheaper by the day.

WITH TONS OF HOLIDAY FUN INCLUDING LATE NIGHT SHOPPING AND HOLIDAY SPECIALS. ON SATURDAYS JOIN SANTA FOR FREE HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES. FIND SANTA’S HELPERS FOR CANDY CANES AND CLUES TO THE INTERACTIVE SCAVENGER HUNT. SANTA IS ON WHYTE NOVEMBER 26, DECEMBER 3, 10 AND 17 FROM NOON TO 3PM.

WWW.RETURNOFTHEMAGIC.COM

Gravity Pope 10442 Whyte Ave 439-1637 Kunitz Shoes 23rd Avenue & 114 Street 438-4259 Wener Shoes 10322 Jasper Avenue 422-2718 Campers Village 10951-170 Street NW 484-2700 Campers Village South Point 479-2267 Soft Moc West Edmonton Mall 489-5616

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

UP FRONT 9

EVENTS WEEKLY FAX YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO 780.426.2889 OR EMAIL LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3 PM

COMEDY Brixx Bar • 10030-102 St • 780.428.1099 • Troubadour Tuesdays with comedy and music Ceili's

• 10338-109 St • 780.426.5555 • Comedy Night: every Tue, 9:30pm • No cover

Century Casino

• 13103 Fort Rd • 780.481.9857 • Open amateur night every Thu, 7:30pm

Edmonton Needlecraft Guild • Avonmore United Church

Y TOASTMASTERS CLUB

Basement, 82 Ave, 79 St • edmNeedlecraftGuild.org • Classes/workshops, exhibitions, guest speakers, stitching groups for those interested in textile arts • Meet the 2nd Tue each month, 7:30pm

Comic Strip

FOOD ADDICTS

DRUID

• 11606 Jasper Ave • 780.710.2119 • Comedy night open stage hosted by Lars Callieou • Every Sun, 9pm

Filthy McNasty's • 1051182 • 780.996.1778 • Stand Up Sundays: Stand-up comedy night every Sun with a different headliner every week; 9pm; no cover laugh shop–Sherwood Park • 4 Blackfoot Road, Sherwood Park • 780.417.9777 • laughinthepark. ca • Open Wed-Sat • Scott Belford; Dec 15-17 • Ken Valgardson; Dec 22-23 • Tommy Savitt; Dec 29-31

Groups/CLUBS/meetings Aikikai Aikido Club • 1013987 Ave, Old Strathcona Community League • Japanese Martial Art of Aikido • Every Tue 7:30-9:30pm; Thu 6-8pm AWA 12-STEP SUPPORT GROUP • Braeside Presbyterian Church bsmt, N. door, 6 Bernard Dr, Bishop St, Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert • For adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional families • Every Mon 7:30pm

Brain Tumour Peer Support Group • Woodcroft Branch Library, 13420-114 Ave • braintumour.ca • 1.800.265.5106 ext 234 • Support group for brain tumour survivors and their families and caregivers. Must be 18 or over • 3rd Tue every month; 7-8:45pm • Free

Cha Island Tea Co •

1033281 Ave • Games Night: Board games, and card games • Every Mon, 7pm

Edmonton Bike Art Nights • BikeWorks, 10047-80 Ave, back alley entrance • Art Nights • Every Wed, 6-9pm

EDMONTON COUNCIL OF 10 UP FRONT

• Orange Hall, 10335-84 Ave or Pleasantview Hall, 10860-57 Ave • 780.604.7572 • Swing Dance at Sugar Foot Stomp: beginner lesson followed by dance every Sat, 8pm (door) at Orange Hall or Pleasantview Hall

• In Front of the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market • Silent vigil the 1st and 3rd Sat, 10-11am, each month, stand in silence for a world without violence

Fair Vote Alberta • Strathcona Library, Community Rm (upstairs), 104 St, 84 Ave • fairvotealberta.org • Monthly meeting • 2nd Thu each month; 7pm

• Bourbon St, WEM • 780.483.5999 • Wed-Fri, Sun 8pm; FriSat 10:30pm • Steve Rannazzisi Special Presentation; until Dec 18 • Hit or Miss Monday: Dec 19, 8pm; $7 • Stand Up Edmonton; Dec 20, 8pm; $12 • Mike Dambra; Dec 21-23 • Hit or Miss Monday: Dec 26, 8pm; $7 • Stand Up Edmonton; Dec 27, 8pm; $12 • Bret Ernst; Dec 28-30s • New Years Eve 2011: Dec 31, 7pm; $56/$30 • New Years Eve 2011: Dec 31,10pm; $68

Sugarswing Dance Club

CANADIANS • Allendale Community Hall, 6330-105A St • canadians.org • Open house/Xmas social: Video, circle of hope for the future • Sun, Dec 18, 7-10pm • Free

• Gateway Entertainment Centre, 34 Ave, Calgary Tr • Bob Angeli; Dec 15-17 • Brian Link; Dec 22-23

COMEDY FACTORY

the 1st Tue every month, 7pm

• St Luke's Anglican Church, 8424-95 Ave • 780.465.2019/780.634.5526 • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), free 12-Step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating, and bulimia • Meetings every Thu, 7pm

Great Expeditions

• St Luke’s Anglican Church, 8424-95 Ave • 780.454.6216 • 3rd Mon every month, 7:30pm • Christmas Potluck, 6:30pm. Bring drinks, potluck, dish and favourite photos or slides-for others to guess location • Dec 19 • $3

Home–Energizing Spiritual Community for Passionate Living • Garneau/Ashbourne Assisted Living Place, 11148-84 Ave • Home: Blends music, drama, creativity and reflection on sacred texts to energize you for passionate living • Every Sun 3-5pm

WOMEN IN BLACK

• Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, 7103-105 St • ytoastmasterclub.ca • 1st and 3rd Tue, 7-9pm; every month

LECTURES/Presentations Edmonton Nature Club

• King's University College, Atrium, 912550 St (rear entrance) • Monthly meeting speaker series: Northern Saw-whet Owl Monitoring at Beaverhill Lake-lessons to be learned from the first decade, with Lisa and Chuck Priestley; Fri, Dec 16, 7pm (refreshments), 7:30pm (presentation) • The Edmonton Christmas Bird Count; Sun, Dec 18; admission by donation

QUEER AFFIRM SUNNYBROOK–Red Deer • Sunnybrook United Church, Red Deer • 403.347.6073 • Affirm welcome LGBTQ people and their friends, family, and allies meet the 2nd Tue, 7pm, each month

Bisexual Women's Coffee Group • A social group for bicurious and bisexual women every 2nd Tue each month, 8pm • groups.yahoo. com/group/bwedmonton

BUDDYS NITE CLUB

• Strathcona Library, 8331-104 St; meditationedmonton.org; Drop-in every Thu 7-8:30pm; Sherwood Park Library: Drop-in every Mon, 7-8:30pm

• 11725B Jasper Ave • 780.488.6636 • Tue with DJ Arrow Chaser, free pool all night; 9pm (door); no cover • Wed with DJ Dust’n Time; 9pm (door); no cover • Thu: Men’s Wet Underwear Contest, win prizes, hosted by Drag Queen DJ Phon3 Hom3; 9pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Fri Dance Party with DJ Arrow Chaser; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Sat: Feel the rhythm with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm

Northern Alberta Wood Carvers Association •

EDMONTON PRIME TIMERS (EPT) • Unitarian Church of Edmon-

Duggan Community Hall, 3728-106 St • 780.458.6352, 780.467.6093 • nawca.ca • Meet every Wed, 6:30pm

ton, 10804-119 St • A group of older gay men who have common interests meet the 2nd Sun, 2:30pm, for a social period, short meeting and guest speaker, discussion panel or potluck supper. Special interest groups meet for other social activities throughout the month. E: edmontonpt@yahoo.ca

Lotus Qigong

• 780.477.0683 • Downtown • Practice group meets every Thu

MEDITATION

Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorder (OBAD) • Grey Nuns Hospital, Rm 0651, 780.451.1755; Group meets every Thu 7-9pm • Free

Parkland Seasonal

• Parkland House, 11045 Saskatchewan Dr • parklandinstitute.ca • Open House • Fri, Dec 16, 5-9pm

Sherwood Park Walking Group + 50 • Meet inside Millennium Place, Sherwood Place • Weekly outdoor walking group; starts with a 10 min discussion, followed by a 30-40 minute walk through Centennial Park, a cool down and stretch • Every Tue, 8:30am • $2/session (goes to the Alzheimer’s Society of Alberta)

Society of Edmonton Atheists • Stanley Milner Library, Rm 6-7 • edmontonatheists.ca • Meet

EPLC Fellowship Pagan Study Group • Pride Centre of Edmonton • eplc.webs.com • Free year long course; Family circle 3rd Sat each month • Everyone welcome

FLASH Night Club

• 10018-105 St • 780.969.9965 • Thu Goth + Industrial Night: Indust:real Assembly with DJ Nanuck; 10pm (door); no cover • Triple Threat Fridays: DJ Thunder, Femcee DJ Eden Lixx • DJ Suco beats every Sat • E: vip@flashnightclub.com

G.L.B.T.Q. Christmas • Unitarian Church, 10908-119 St • Dinner, fun and friendship, games etc. Sponsored by Men Talking with Pride, and Edmonton PrimeTimers • Dec 25, 3-9pm • No cost, donations welcome VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

G.L.B.T.Q. (gay) African Group Drop-In) • Pride Centre, moving • 780.488.3234 • Group for gay refugees from all around the World, friends, and families • 1st and Last Sun every month • Info: E: fred@pridecentreofedmonton.org, jeff@pridecentreofedmonton.org

G.L.B.T.Q Sage bowling club • 780.474.8240, E: Tuff@shaw.ca • Every Wed, 1:30-3:30pm

GLBT sports and recreation • teamedmonton.ca • Badminton, Women's Drop-In Recreational: St Vincent School, 10530-138 St; E: badminton.women@teamedmonton. ca, every Wed 6-7:30pm, until Apr 25; $7 (drop-in fee) • Co-ed Bellydancing: bellydancing@teamedmonton.ca • Bootcamp: Garneau Elementary, 10925-87 Ave. at 7pm; bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca • Bowling: Ed's Rec Centre, West Edmonton Mall, Tue 6:45pm; bowling@ teamedmonton.ca • Curling: Granite Curling Club; 780.463.5942 • Running: Kinsmen; running@teamedmonton.ca • Spinning: MacEwan Centre, 109 Street and 104 Ave; spin@teamedmonton.ca • Swimming: NAIT pool, 11762-106 St; swimming@teamedmonton.ca • Volleyball: every Tue, 7-9pm; St. Catherine School, 10915-110 St; every Thu, 7:309:30pm at Amiskiwiciy Academy, 101 Airport Rd • Gay/Lesbian Yoga: at Lion's Breath Yoga Studio, 206, 10350-124 St; every Wed, 7:30-9pm; until Dec 21; yoga@teamedmonton.ca.

G.L.B.T.Q Seniors Group • S.A.G.E Bldg, Craftroom, 15 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.474.8240 • Meeting for gay seniors, and for any seniors who have gay family members and would like some guidance • Every Thu, 1-4:30pm • Info: T: Jeff Bovee 780.488.3234, E: tuff @shaw.ca

Illusions Social Club • The Junction, 10242-106 St • groups. yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions • 780.387.3343 • Crossdressers meet 2nd Fri every month, 8:30pm

INSIDE/OUT

• U of A Campus • Campus-based organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and queer (LGBTQ) faculty, graduate student, academic, straight allies and support staff • 3rd Thu each month (fall/winter terms): Speakers Series. E: kwells@ ualberta.ca

the junction bar • 10242106 St • 780.756.5667 • Free pool daily 4-8pm; Taco Tue: 5-9pm; Wing Wed: 5-9pm; Wed karaoke: 9pm-12; Thu 2-4-1 burgers: 5-9pm; Fri steak night: 5-9pm; DJs Fri and Sat at 10pm LIVING POSITIVE

• 404, 10408-124 St • edmlivingpositive.ca • 1.877.975.9448/780.488.5768 • Confidential peer support to people living with HIV • Tue, 7-9pm: Support group • Daily drop-in, peer counselling

MAKING WAVES SWIMMING CLUB • geocities.com/makingwaves_edm • Recreational/competitive swimming. Socializing after practices • Every Tue/Thu

Pride Centre of Edmonton • Moving • 780.488.3234 • Daily: YouthSpace (Youth Drop-in): Tue-Fri: 3-7pm; Sat: 2-6:30pm; jess@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Men Talking with Pride: Support group for gay, bisexual and transgendered men to discuss current issues; Sun: 7-9pm; robwells780@ hotmail.com • HIV Support Group: for people living with HIV/AIDS; 2nd Mon each month, 7-9pm; huges@shaw.ca

• TTIQ: Education and support group for transgender, transsexual, intersexed and questioning people, their friends, families and allies; 2nd Tue each month, 7:30-9:30pm; admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Community Potluck: For members of the LGBTQ community; last Tue each month, 6-9pm; tuff@ shaw.ca • Counselling: Free, short-term, solution-focused counselling, provided by professionally trained counsellorsevery Wed, 6-9pm; admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org • STD Testing: Last Thu every month, 3-6pm; free; admin@ pridecentreofedmonton.org • Youth Movie: Every Thu, 6:30-8:30pm; jess@ pridecentreofedmonton.org

PrimeTimers/sage Games • Unitarian Church, 10804-119 St • 780.474.8240 • Every 2nd and last Fri each Month, 7-10:30pm

St Paul's United Church • 11526-76 Ave • 780.436.1555 • People of all sexual orientations are welcome • Every Sun (10am worship)

WOMONSPACE • 780.482.1794 • womonspace.ca, womonspace@gmail.com • A Non-profit lesbian social organization for Edmonton and surrounding area. Monthly activities, newsletter, reduced rates included with membership. Confidentiality assured

Woodys Video Bar • 11723 Jasper Ave • 780.488.6557 • Mon: Amateur Strip Contest; prizes with Shawana • Tue: Kitchen 3-11pm • Wed: Karaoke with Tizzy 7pm-1am; Kitchen 3-11pm • Thu: Free pool all night; kitchen 3-11pm • Fri: Mocho Nacho Fri: 3pm (door), kitchen open 3-11pm SPECIAL EVENTS CAROLS AND CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE • First Baptist Church Edmonton, 10031-109 St • fbcedmonton.ca • 780.422.2214 • The First Baptist Church Choir • Dec 24, 11pm

Christmas Reflections • Fort Edmonton Park • A horse drawn wagon tour through Christmas displays and twinkling lights • Dec 15-17, 19-23; 6-10pm; Dec 18, 4-8pm

LONGEST NIGHT SERVICE OF PRAYER AND HOPE • First Baptist Church Edmonton, 10031-109 St • 780.422.2214 • fbcedmonton.ca • A service for anyone who finds Christmas a difficult season • Dec 19, 7pm

Marketplace at Callingwood • Lobby of Professional Centre, 6650-177 St • Santa's Workshop: Family holiday event with face-painting, balloons, carolers, crafts, hayrides • Dec 17

Metropolis • Churchill Square and the surrounding streets • Edmonton International Winter Festival: Featuring six free-standing, heated temporary structures made from Aluma Systems construction scaffolding covered with white shrink wrap, entertainment and fireworks at midnight • Dec 31-Feb 20, 2012 (Churchill Square) A Prairie Christmas festival • 56311 Lily Lake Rd, Bon Accord • 780.921.2272 • PrairieChristmas.ca • Hosted by Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm: family fun with traditional country Christmas activities • Weekends until Dec 18, 11am-4pm • $9.95/free (child 2 and under)

Singing Christmas Tree • Jubilee Auditorium • edmontonsingingchristmastree.com • Proceeds to Edmonton’s Santas Anonymous • Dec 16-18, Fri-Sun 7pm, Sat-Sun 3pm

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

UP FRONT 11

FILM

REVUE // JUDGMENT COMETH

Higher calling

Higher Ground finds affection and frustration in a religious community Fri, Dec 16 – Thu, Dec 29 Higher Ground Directed by Vera Farmiga Metro Cinema at the Garneau



his thing we've been calling the culture wars has, in recent years, aggregated at least one mighty bipartisan ethic: ambivalence is bad for you and your country; tolerance is a slippery slope; agnosticism is for wimps; which side are you on? Yet betweenness is a fundamental part of life; we are ever moving from one place or one absolute to another, most often learning the most we'll ever learn while en route. Betweenness is what story is made of. All this is just my way of contextualizing my strong feelings for the closing note struck by Higher Ground— something about which I feel no ambivalence at all. The directorial debut of Vera Farmiga, who also stars, is about living with religious values that remain fixed while one's life remains insistently fluid. The movie is elegant, intelligent, sensual and a little uneven—a few truly bum notes stand out against a predominantly careful and wise series of choices. But its closing moments sweep the central character up into a scene of un-showy yet immense bravery and still manage to leave us without firm resolution, and that absence is itself something meaningful. Farmiga plays Corrine, who, having already conveyed a deep curiosity about Jesus as a child and having survived a potentially catastrophic accident with

Taking the moral Higher Ground

herself, her husband and her infant child miraculously intact, becomes in adult life a member of some radical New Testament community nestled somewhere in rural New York. Based on Carolyn S Briggs' memoir This Dark World, Higher Ground begins with extended scenes depicting key moments in Corrine's youth before catching up with her in the present, a time of great tumult: Corrine's best friend (Dagmara Dominczyk), a vivacious, raven-haired fellow believer who has no problem leading a fulfilling erotic existence under God, becomes terrify-

ingly, senselessly ill; Corrine's fierce intellect becomes increasingly unsatisfied by the gender codes of her sect and the pastor whom she admires yet resents; and Corrine's unhappiness with her marriage to her high school sweetheart Ethan (Joshua Leonard) is about to overwhelm her normally unbreakable composure. Despite the repression, despite moments of alarming, sudden violence, there are no clearly marked villains in Higher Ground, and Corrine's heroism is a quiet one, rooted mainly in her

refusal to shut out the voices of desire or doubt or the longings of the spirit. Farmiga depicts the religious community with both affection and frustration, at times celebrating the camaraderie, at others reeling from its enforced naiveté. Her approach only goes astray in the few moments where she tries to slip fantasies into Corrine's waking life, and the story itself only feels awkward in a few scenes dealing with Corrine's immediate family, such as the one involving her sister and a bag of blow. As for her work as an actor in Higher Ground, I

can't say that Farmiga ever gets it anything but right. Her lack of judgement as a director carries over into her performance, so we see Corrine fully surrendered to the ecstasies of worship, mothering and fighting for her dignity in equal parts. The last seven or eight years has found Farmiga emerging as an interesting actress under the direction of Minghella and Scorsese, but we may just be seeing her at her very best here, taking on both roles, and directing herself.

to awake the mysterious Akira). Only animation can chill and thrill with fantastic images of melting stuffed animals streaming milk, or a wall crumbling into Lego pieces, or intestines tumbling out as the ground opens up. The radioactive awe and fear of nuclear power, crackling from the metaphor of Akira, holder of "ultimate energy" (a kind of spiritual and biological energy built up over eons), suffuses this Japanese dystopia. Arrogance only mutates the problem, as cocky Tetsuo's reckless power sprouts, veins, and sprawls into a horrifying mass of destruction. It's a nightmare that casts a darker shadow after this year's Fukushima meltdown.

sophisticated than the characters: guys jeer, yell, and fight while girls are often insulted or brutalized. The story's own sprawl can't be entirely contained. And the particularly Japanese fascination with technology, data, scientific readouts, and computer processes becomes a bit tedious. But the climax, a cataclysmic collision of birth and death, remains awfully fantastic. Flash-forward 23 years, to an era of comic-book flicks for fanboys, when Hollywood continues to profit from making comic-books brutally, blatantly literal. Little surprise, then, that plans are in the works for an American liveaction version of Akira. But it won't be able to reimagine the moments in the original that are so explosively anime.

Still, the movie lapses into prolonged battle sequences and the story's more

Brian Gibson

Josef Braun

// josef@vueweekly.com

REVUE // NEO-TOKYO

Akira

Tue, Dec 20 (9:15 pm) Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo Metro Cinema at the Garneau Originally released: 1988

apanese sci-fi epic Akira (1988), adapted by Katsuhiro Otomo from his cyberpunk manga, is generally credited with launching a wave of interest in anime overseas. Its story elements are familiar from live-action movies, though not blended together as they are here: biker gangs, labexperimentation, psychic children, mutants breaking free of their government captors' bonds and running riot, and impending apocalypse. It's the moments that can only be captured as animation that make Akira still worth watching: gusts of wind

12 FILM

Quite the bike

from chopper blades, ground shattering in blocks, ka-tooming bursts of fiery explosions, the strobes, lights, and neon of Neo-Tokyo in 2019, even the

rush and squeal of racing motorcycles. And there are the visions of Tetsuo (a biker whose psychic abilities explode after military testing until he threatens

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

// brian@vueweekly.com

FILM // MARY PICKFORD

Little Annie Rooney ries of action (the fight between kids' gangs as they throw plates, glasses, bricks and stones at each other). Sentiment, combined with a kind of broadly expressive pantomime-acting, flickers through family scenes.

Twelve years old, going on 33

Sat, Dec 17 – Sun, Dec 18 Starring: Mary Pickford Metro Cinema at the Garneau Originally released: 1925 "Arrah, sure, we all love little Anny Ruiny, or, we mean to say, lovelittle Anna Rayiny" — James Joyce, Finnegan's Wake

he domestic heroine of a popular music-hall song in the late 1800s, Little Annie Rooney was turned into a star vehicle for America's first silverscreen sweetheart, Mary Pickford (born in Toronto, where she began her acting career on stage). In the 1925 film, directed by William Beaudine and set in New York's Lower East Side, Annie Rooney (Pickford) is a 12-year-old girl who leads a gang of rag-tag immigrant kids and gets into fights on the streets, among the tenement buildings. (These moments seem inspired by the already popular Our Gang, later Little Rascals series, which made Alfalfa and Buckwheat famous troublemaking tykes.)

Soon, though, she's inside, the dutiful daughter-turned-housewife, cooking supper for her father and older brother. Annie falls for the older Joe Kelly but, after her police-officer father is killed, Joe's framed for the murder by the true shooter and Annie's brother Tim is set on revenge. In a conservative reaction to the more independent-minded, voting-empowered flappers of the day, Annie devolves from a fiery streetfighter to a loyal domestic girl to a bereaved daughter and then a sacrificing, would-be wife. Fighting Irish stereotypes abound. The neighbourhood's melting-pot often bubbles into ethnic typifying (a black boy dances as an African bushwoman; Annie obliviously feeds an Orthodox Jewish boy ham). Many sequences drag, lacking the comic choreography or more complex drama of '20s classics. But some moments in Little Annie Rooney showcase silent cinema's strengths. There are cartoonish flur-

And then there's the deceptively diminutive Pickford. She was 32 at the time, but this performance as a plucky, pig-tailed 12-year-old successfully shed her sweet, curly-haired waif image for the audience (though Annie/Mary's angelic innocence glows through by the end). Pickford's moment comes when Annie's told of her father's death. Before the distraught gestures and sobbing in her brother's arms, required of silent melodrama, the first long seconds of her close-up, as her awareness of the moment strikes her ("Is it Tim, or Dad?"), remain astounding today. (Pickford, a huge celebrity, may have been drawing on daily stress over a kidnap plot that police couldn't act on until the men tried to abduct her, so she was secretly guarded night and day.) As she's given the news, there's a slight gulp, the throat bracing for the heart's tightening. The bright smile is gone, replaced by lips parted just a little; doleful eyes have shimmered into a knowing, sad lustre. It's a quiet shattering, a faint, dreaded expectation realized. It's the reaction of a girl, growing up around poverty, crime, and death, who knew this day would come; it's the reaction of a woman, adapting her theatrical talents for the cinematic close-up, who's seized the star power that's alighted on her.

“ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

IN ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF 2011.”

“

★★★★★”

“CHARLIZE

THERON IS A COMIC FORCE OF NATURE.”

Mick LaSalle

Peter Travers

Brian Gibson

// brian@vueweekly.com

REVUE // PAINT BY NUMBERS

The Sitter Now playing Directed by David Gordon Green



roblem, plot twists, redemption: the elements of a screenplay are not difficult to summarize, and in this paint-by-numbers movie starring Jonah Hill, they're not difficult to spot either. A total screw-up, Noah Griffith (Hill) has been suspended from college, has never held a job for more than a few minutes, continues to be abused by his "girlfriend" Marisa (Ari Graynor), and disrespects his mother (Jessica Hecht) constantly. A chance to babysit a neighbour's children offers him a chance to redeem himself. The children each have their own problems—one is a psychopath, one a nervous wreck, the other consumed with outward appearance and celebrity—all of which Noah solves in the movie's short runtime. In the interim, he discovers his own resourcefulness, gets to the root of his shortcomings and confronts the

Ma, the babysitter's arrived

problems that plague his own life. Plus he gets chased by drug dealers through the streets of Manhattan and steals diamonds! The Sitter is not unlike Hill's breakthrough hit Superbad in that Hill's character chases the promise of sex through a number of humorous scenarios. Unlike Superbad, however, The Sitter approaches its plot twists by rote, every piece fitting into place too perfectly, the problems and solutions telegraphed from miles away—

and not even being of much interest anyway. It does contain moments of some poignancy—Hill's dealings with the children and his mother, his moment of satori on the side of the road where he realizes what needs to be done—but these are few and far between. Mostly, the movie is populated by cheap and easy gags, children saying bad words and Hill's unfortunate mugging. Bryan Birtles

// Bryan@vueweekly.com

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

STARTS FRIDAY

CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY FOR LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES

AIM_VUE_DEC15_QTR_YOUNG

Allied Integrated Marketing • EDMONTON VUE • 4” x 9”

FILM 13

FILM // CLASSIC

FILM // ANOTHER BAD DAY

It's a Wonderful Life Die Hard 2: Die Harder Sun, Dec 18 (4 pm) Directed by Frank Capra Metro Cinema at the Garneau Originally released: 1946

rudging altruism, ceaseless compromise, half-measures, a natural talent for holding down the fort, unfulfilled longings that, more harrowingly, perhaps never really could have been fulfilled: all of these things, accumulating over half a lifetime, drove George Bailey to get stinko, drive into an old tree, then stumble toward that snowcaked bridge over which he planned to tumble into the oblivion of river below. Suicide is painless when you've never once tasted what you truly craved, when the walls close in. And, for the third time in the movie, George does fall into the water. (Am I the only one that sees Vertigo when Jimmy Stewart makes the plunge?) Only it's to save a man from drowning, not to drown himself—yet again, George is a slave to self-sacrifice. That the drowning man is really a trickster guardian angel who proves to George that he's well-friended, even beloved, that his town would be a nastier place (though one with a far more bustling night life) without him, doesn't entirely remove the ache of it all, the fact that George Bailey still never got the hell out of Bedford Falls. And I think this is one of the enduring things about It's a Wonderful Life: the magical

consolation that ends the movie is, in the long run, in the years we imagine to come, only marginally consoling. Life will probably not get much easier for George Bailey. But, like some poor soul from Beckett, he'll go on. I'm only slightly embarrassed that I'd never seen It's a Wonderful Life until last night. Everyone I know has seen it on TV; I don't watch TV. But anyway what's especially interesting about the movie (which screens at Metro Cinema Sunday afternoon as a Food Bank benefit) is the way it actually seems designed/destined to be watched long after its making. It was a box office disappointment in its day, won none of its Oscars, and only became a holiday broadcast staple in the 1970s. It's a movie about everything that leads us up to our worst moments, the long march of our pasts and the hard work of accepting cold comforts. The movie was always meant to be a classic, which means to be loved sometime in the future, when everyone involved was dead or dying and nostalgia had wrapped itself tightly round the movie's breast. The sad truth: apparently George Bailey really is worth more to us dead than alive. Though while the screen is alight, he is, somehow, alive. And, as it turns out, he's in a pretty wonderful movie.

Wait, is this the right bad day?

Wed, Dec 21 (9:15 pm) Directed by Renny Harlin Metro Cinema at the Garneau Originally Released: 1990

he first Die Hard is pretty close to a perfect Christmas film: there's a family struggling through hard times, a bunch of terrorists, an off-duty cop having a bad day, and a whole bunch of explosions and gunfire, all in the name of love. Nothing says happy holidays like the effort involved in surviving a tower heist. The first movie was also a pretty popular film, so you can see why a studio would want to capitalize on it with a sequel. Unfortunately, the sequel in question, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, emerged during the period when followups were cast in the mould of the original, meant to top previous thrills rather than con-

tinue a character's story in any meaningful way. The result is clumsy editing, over-thetop music, horrendously brain-dead dialogue and a ridiculous, formulaic plot. You can practically hear the dialogue that generated this film: "That first movie was great. Let's do another, but make it bigger. Instead of a mostly deserted high rise, it'll happen in a busy airport." "Yeah, and let's have even more bad guys for John McClane to shoot. Audiences like gun fights." "And let's make these guys military. They'll be tougher then. Oh, and we've got to blow something big up." "It's an airport. How about a plane?" "Perfect. And people really laughed at that LA cop in the first one. Al. The one that loved the Twinkies." "Yeah, yeah. What if we have McClane

phone him, and when he answers he's eating–" "A Twinkie! Beautiful!" "And we've got to have McClane's wife back again." "Definitely. Let's put her on one of the planes. And why don't we get that annoying news reporter back in there, too?" "On the same plane!" "Yes. Wait, do you think people will buy that?" "That he just happens to be on the same plane as her? Hmm. You know, if we have enough gunfire and blow enough things up—" "Then nobody will notice just how much this entire film is driven by an effort to recycle the first movie and make a ton of money off it. Genius. Sheer genius." Sure, the filmmakers try to make light of the similarities between the films— "Another basement, another elevator. How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?" McClane asks at one point—and Bruce Willis does his best with the material—his repeat of the "Yipee ki-yay, motherfuckers" line from the first film is nearly epic—but that doesn't change the fact that you can practically hear a cash register dinging every time a gun fires in Die Hard 2. Eden Munro // eden@vueweekly.com

Josef Braun // josef@vueweekly.com

REVUE // FINAL COUNTDOWN

New Year's Eve Now playing Directed by Gary Marshall



couple years ago, Love, Actually introduced the idea that a big cast, big name, seasonal rom com could actually work out pretty well for itself. The blueprint's been ripe for rehashings ever since, particularly in the eyes of Gary Marshall; he who brought out last year's romantic clunker Valentine's Day returns to the formula to direct New Year's Eve, the cinematic equivalent of being bombarded with about a dozen different Hallmark sentiments for two full hours. The spirit of the season is grossly forced into everything here, right from the cloying opening voiceover: "Some people swear there's no beauty left in the world.

Hallmark sentiment

No magic. Then how do you explain the entire world coming together on one night, to celebrate the hope of a new year?" How so many big-names signed off on this is beyond me—from Robert De Niro as a dying lonely father to Halle Berry as the faithful nurse, the yearning-for-adventure Michelle Pfeiffer and the businesslike Hilary Swank to the even-more-businesslike Matthew Brodrick (in a onescene cameo)—given that the sheer abundance of plot threads makes it difficult to invest in any of them. We have the overbearing mother (Sarah Jessica Parker), the dude who doesn't care about the holiday (Ashton

14 FILM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Kutcher), the spurned lover (Katherine Heigl) and the rockstar ex trying to win her back (Bon fucking Jovi), a young couple racing against another to deliver the first New Year's baby (admirably played by Seth Myers and Jessica Biel, in what's easily the best thread of the film). Ludacris is in there somewhere too, as a New York cop. There are some attempts to tie a couple of plotlines together, but none get enough time or are written with anything beyond syrupy sentiment to make New Year's Eve feel like anything but cheap confetti, ready to be swept away as soon as it's fallen. Paul Blinov // paul@vueweekly.com

FILM WEEKLY Fri, DEC 16, 2011 – Thu, DEC 22, 2011

CHABA THEATRE–JASPER 6094 Connaught Dr, Jasper, 780.852.4749

New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) FriSat 7:00, 9:10; Sat-Sun 8:00 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Fri-Sat 6:50, 9:10; Sun-Thu 8:00 DUGGAN CINEMA–CAMROSE 6601-48 Ave, Camrose, 780.608.2144

THE MUPPETS (G) Fri-Tue 7:05; Sat-Sun 2:00 Mission Impossible–Ghost Protocol (STC) Wed-Thu 6:45 9:25; Thu 12:40 3:15 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 7:10 9:10; Sat-Sun, Thu 1:00 2:45 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Daily 6:50 9:20; Sat, Sun, Thu 12:30 3:00 New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) Daily 7:00 9:15; Sat-Sun, Thu 2:05 The Sitter (14A course language, sexual content) Daily 7:15 9:05; Sat, Sun, Thu 2:15 CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12 5074-130 Ave, 780.472.9779

The Smurfs (G) Daily 1:55, 4:15, 6:40, 9:20 Footloose (PG coarse language) Daily 1:30, 4:05, 7:10, 9:45 The Three Musketeers 3d (PG violence) Daily 1:20, 3:45, 6:35, 9:30 Dolphin Tale 3d (G) Daily 1:10, 3:50, 6:30, 9:25 The Help (PG mature subject matter, language may offend) Daily 12:55, 4:20, 7:30 Paranormal Activity 3 (14A frightening scenes) Daily 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 9:40 Johnny English Reborn (PG) Daily 1:20, 4:35, 6:50, 9:15 Moneyball (PG coarse language) Daily 1:15, 4:40, 7:45 The Ides Of March (14A coarse language) Daily 1:35, 4:25, 7:25, 9:55 Drive (18A brutal violence) DaiLy 1:25, 4:50, 7:15, 9:35 Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl (PG) Hindi W/E.S.T. DaiLy 1:05, 4:30, 7:50 The Dirty Picture (14A) Hindi W/E.S.T. Daily 12:55, 4:45, 8:00 CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave, 780.732.2236

HAPPY FEET TWO (G) Digital Cinema FriSun 1:30, 4:10, 6:40, 9:10; Tue 1:30, 4:10 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Digital Cinema Daily 12:10 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Fri-Wed 2:30, 4:50, 7:25, 9:45; Thu 2:30, 4:50, 9:45 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema, No Passes Daily 12:00, 12:40, 2:10, 3:00, 4:30, 5:20, 6:40, 9:00 The Adventures Of Tintin 3d (PG violence) No Passes Wed-Thu 1:30, 4:10, 7:15, 9:50 IMMORTALS 3D (18A gory brutal violence) Fri-Sat 2:00, 5:00, 8:00, 10:35; Sun 5:00, 8:00, 10:35; Tue 2:00, 5:00 HUGO 3D (PG) Fri-Sun 1:00, 3:45, 7:15, 10:05; Mon 1:00, 3:45, 10:05; Tue 1:00, 3:45 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) Digital Cinema, No Passes Tue 7:30, 9:00, 10:30; Wed-Thu 12:30, 1:10, 3:30, 4:20, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10:30 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Fri-Sun 1:50, 4:15, 6:30, 8:30, 10:40; Digital Cinema: Mon-Tue 1:50, 4:15, 6:30, 8:30, 10:40; Wed-Thu 2:00, 5:00, 7:50, 10:45 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Daily 12:50, 3:40, 7:10, 10:00 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) No passes Digital Cinema: Fri-Mon 12:20, 3:20, 6:20, 9:20; Tue 1:40, 4:40, 6:30, 7:40, 9:30, 10:40; Wed 12:20, 3:10, 4:40, 6:20, 7:40, 9:20, 10:40; Thu 12:20, 1:40, 3:10, 4:40, 6:20, 7:40, 9:20, 10:40; Ultraavx: FriMon 1:40, 4:40, 7:40, 10:40; Tue 12:20, 3:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 THE MUPPETS (G) Fri-Sun 1:10, 3:50, 6:50, 9:30; Digital Cinema Mon-Tue 1:10, 3:50, 6:50, 9:30; Wed-Thu 1:00, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Daily 1:20, 4:00, 7:20, 10:10

TOWER HEIST (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri-Mon 7:40, 10:20 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) No Passes; Digital Cinema: Tue-Thu 8:15; Ultraavx: Tue 7:00, 10:30; Wed-Thu 12:00, 3:20, 6:45, 10:15 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Fri-Mon 12:30, 3:10, 7:00, 9:50 Young Adult (14A) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue, Thu 1:50, 4:45, 8:00, 10:20; Wed 4:45, 8:00, 10:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 The Nutcracker–Bolshoi Ballet Encore (Classification not available) Sun 1:00; Mon 6:30 CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St, 780.436.8585

HAPPY FEET TWO (G) Digital Cinema FriSat 12:05, 2:45, 5:20, 8:05, 10:40; Sun 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:35; Mon 1:25, 4:10, 6:45, 9:40; Tue 1:25, 4:10 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Digital Cinema FriSat 11:35, 1:55, 4:25, 7:30, 9:50; Sun 12:40, 3:00, 10:25; Mon 2:00, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55; Tue 2:00, 4:50

Young Adult (14A) Digital Cinema FriSat 12:40, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 10:40; Sun 12:00, 2:30, 5:10, 7:35, 10:00; Mon 1:30, 4:40, 7:30, 9:55; Tue 1:30, 4:40, 7:20, 9:55; Wed 1:20, 3:40, 7:30, 10:05; Thu 3:40, 7:30, 10:05; Star & Strollers Screening Thu 1:00 The Nutcracker–Bolshoi Ballet Encore (Classification not available) Sun 1:00; Mon 6:30 CITY CENTRE 9 10200-102 Ave, 780.421.7020

The Sitter (14A course language, sexual content) Daily 6:45, 8:50; Sat-Sun, Tue 12:45, 2:50

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes, Stadium Seating, Closed Captioned, FriMon 12:15, 3:15, 7:00, 10:00; Tue-Thu 12:15, 3:15, 6:45, 9:45

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) Closed Captioned, Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes Tue 8:00; Wed-Thu 12:30, 4:30, 8:00

HUGO 3D (PG) Fri-Sat 1:05, 4:00, 7:05, 10:00; Sun 12:15, 3:20, 6:10, 9:20; MonTue 12:35, 3:45, 7:05, 10:00; Wed-Thu 1:35, 4:25, 7:40, 10:30 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) No passes Ultraavx: Fri, Sun-Thu 1:15, 4:20, 7:25, 10:30; Sat 2:00, 5:00, 8:00, 11:00; Digital Cinema: Tue 7:05, 10:05; Wed-Thu 12:30, 3:45, 7:40, 10:45 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 1:30, 3:45, 6:00, 8:20, 10:25; Sun 12:10, 2:40, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15; Mon-Tue 2:15, 4:30, 6:50, 9:30; Wed-Thu 1:25, 4:05, 7:05, 9:45 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri 2:10, 5:15, 8:20, 11:15; Sat 1:25, 4:15, 7:20, 10:15; Sun 1:15, 4:30, 7:30, 10:20; Mon 12:50, 3:50, 7:20, 9:25; Tue 12:50, 3:50, 7:20, 10:30; Wed 1:40, 4:55, 7:45, 10:35; Thu 4:55, 7:45, 10:35; Star & Strollers Screening: Thu 1:00 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema, No passes Fri-Sat 1:40, 4:40, 7:00, 7:45, 10:10, 10:45; Sun 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 7:30, 10:05, 10:30; Mon-Tue 12:55, 4:00, 7:00, 7:20, 9:50, 10:20; Wed-Thu 12:55, 4:00, 6:45, 7:20, 9:50, 10:20 THE MUPPETS (G) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 11:40, 2:15, 5:00, 7:40, 10:20; Sun 12:50, 3:50, 6:30, 9:15; Mon-Tue 12:40, 3:50, 6:40, 9:20; Wed-Thu 12:15, 3:10, 6:50, 9:35 JACK AND JILL (PG) Digital Cinema FriSat 11:55, 2:30, 4:50, 7:15; Sun 12:05, 2:25, 4:45, 7:15; Mon-Tue 1:45, 4:45 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) Digital Cinema, No passes Tue 7:00, 7:10, 10:35, 10:40; Wed-Thu 11:30, 12:00, 3:00, 3:30, 6:30, 7:00, 10:00, 10:30 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 1:20, 4:15, 7:10, 10:05; Sun 12:35, 3:40, 6:40, 9:30; Mon-Tue 1:20, 4:15, 7:15, 10:05; Wed-Thu 1:45, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 TOWER HEIST (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat, Mon 9:45; Sun 9:40 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 11:30, 2:20, 5:10, 8:00, 10:50; Sun 1:10, 4:05, 7:20, 10:10; Mon-Tue 1:00, 3:55, 6:55, 9:45 The Metropolitan Opera: Don Giovanni–Encore (Classification not available) Sat 10:55

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 7:05, 9:05; Sat-Sun, Tue 1:05, 3:05

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTO-

The Adventures Of Tintin 3d (PG violence) Digital 3d, No passes Wed-Thu 1:00, 4:15, 7:15, 9:55

IMMORTALS 3D (18A gory brutal violence) Fri 1:25, 4:10, 7:15, 9:55; Sat 4:10, 7:15, 9:55; Sun 5:15, 8:00, 10:35; Mon 1:35, 4:35, 10:10; Tue 1:35, 4:35, 7:20, 10:10

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Daily 6:50, 9:25; Sat-Sun, Tue 12:50, 3:25

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) Closed Captioned, Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes, Stadium Seating Tue 7:05, 10:10; Wed-Thu 12:55, 4:00, 7:05, 10:10

HUGO 3D (PG) Digital 3d, Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Fri-Tue 12:20, 3:20, 6:40, 9:40; Wed-Thu 12:10, 3:10, 6:40, 9:40

IMMORTALS (18A gory brutal violence) Digital Cinema Wed-Thu 1:30, 4:30, 7:35, 10:25

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) No passes Fri 5:10, 7:40, 10:00; Sat-Sun 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:40, 10:00; Mon-Tue 7:40, 10:00; Wed-Thu 6:50, 9:30

130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove, 780.972.2332 (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain; Parkland County)

New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) Daily 7:05, 9:20; Sat-Sun, Tue 1:00, 3:20; Movies for Mommies: Tue 1:00

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Fri-Sun 2:55, 5:25, 7:55, 10:25; Mon-Tue 3:40, 7:40, 10:15; Wed-Thu 2:05, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40

Chairs (Classification not available) Sun 6:00

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Digital Cinema Sat-Sun 1:10

PARKLAND CINEMA 7

The Adventures Of Tintin 3d (PG violence) Digital 3d, No passes Wed-Thu 7:40, 10:20

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Digital Cinema Fri-Sun 12:25; Mon-Tue 12:45; Wed-Thu 11:35

Wwe Tlc: Tables, Ladders And

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Digital 3d Fri-Sun 3:50, 6:40, 9:20; Mon-Tue 6:40, 9:20; Wed-Thu 6:40, 9:40

YOUNG ADULT (14A) Closed Captioned, Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Daily 12:45, 3:45, 7:20, 10:20

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Closed Captioned, Fri 1:05, 3:00, 6:30, 9:30; Sat-Mon 1:05, 4:05, 7:30, 10:30; Tue 1:15, 4:15

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema, No passes Fri-Sat 11:30, 1:10, 2:05, 3:30, 4:30, 5:50, 8:15, 10:35; Sun 12:00, 12:30, 2:20, 2:50, 4:40, 5:20, 7:40, 9:50; Mon 12:30, 1:40, 2:50, 4:05, 7:10, 9:35; Tue 12:30, 1:40, 2:50, 4:05, 6:30, 9:15; Wed-Thu 12:25, 1:10, 3:00, 3:50, 5:20, 7:55, 10:15

Mon-Tue 6:30, 9:10

THE WAY (PG substance abuse) Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Fri 4:05, 7:30, 10:30; SatMon 12:00, 3:00, 6:30, 9:30; Tue 12:00, 3:00 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Closed Captioned, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Mon 1:00, 4:00, 7:25, 10:25; Tue 1:05, 4:05, 7:25, 10:25; Wed-Thu 1:15, 4:15, 7:35, 10:35 My Week With Marilyn (14A) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Closed Captioned Fri-Sun 1:15, 4:15, 7:35, 10:35; Mon 1:15, 4:15, 10:35; Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Tue 1:00, 4:00, 7:35, 10:35; Wed-Thu 1:00, 4:10, 7:25, 10:25 THE MUPPETS (G) Closed Captioned, Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Fri 1:00, 4:00, 7:30, 10:30; Sat-Tue 12:10, 3:10, 7:10, 10:10; Wed-Thu 12:00, 3:00, 7:10, 10:10 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Closed Captioned, Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes, Stadium Seating Fri-Mon 12:30, 3:30, 6:45, 9:45; Tue 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Wed-Thu 12:20, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 CLAREVIEW 10 4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600

COL (STC) Digital Cinema, No passes Tue 7:15, 10:35; Wed-Thu 7:10, 10:10 HUGO 3D (PG) Digital 3d Fri 3:45, 6:45, 9:30; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:45, 6:45, 9:30; Mon 6:45, 9:30 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Fri 4:30, 7:30, 9:40; Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:30, 7:30, 9:40; Mon-Tue 7:30, 9:40; WedThu 7:50, 10:00 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Fri 4:30, 7:20, 10:10; Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:30, 7:20, 10:10; Mon-Tue 7:20, 10:10; Wed-Thu 7:20, 10:15 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) No passes Fri 4:00, 7:10, 10:20; Sat-Sun 1:00, 4:00, 7:10, 10:20; Mon-Tue 7:10, 10:20; Wed-Thu 7:30, 10:40 THE MUPPETS (G) Fri 4:20, 7:00, 9:50; Sat-Sun 1:20, 4:20, 7:00, 9:50; Mon 7:00, 9:50; Tue 7:05, 9:50; Wed-Thu 6:30, 9:20 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) No passes Tue-Thu 7:00, 10:30 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Fri 3:40, 6:50, 9:45; Sat-Sun 12:40, 3:40, 6:50, 9:45; MonTue 6:50, 9:45; Wed-Thu 6:45, 9:50 TOWER HEIST (PG coarse language) Fri 4:50, 7:50, 10:30; Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:50, 7:50, 10:30; Mon 7:50, 10:30 GRANDIN THEATRE–St Albert Grandin Mall, Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert, 780.458.9822

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) No passes Fri-Tue 1:45, 4:30, 7:00, 9:20 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) No passes Fri-Tue 1:05, 3:00, 5:00, 6:55, 8:45 THE MUPPETS (G) FRI-TUE 1:10, 3:20, 5:20, 7:25, 9:25

JACK AND JILL (PG) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon-Thu 7:00, 9:15; Sat-Sun 1:50, 4:10, 7:00, 9:15

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) FRI-TUE 9:00

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon-Thu 6:40, 9:35; Sat-Sun 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:35

Arthur Christmas (G) FRI-TUE 12:45, 2:45, 4:50, 7:05

HAPPY FEET TWO (G) Digital Presentation Sat-Sun 1:00

New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) FRI-TUE 12:30, 2:50, 5:05, 7:15, 9:30 LEDUC CINEMAS Leduc, 780.352.3922

THE MUPPETS (G) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon 6:35, 9:10; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:45, 6:35, 9:10

New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) Fri-Tue 7:00, 9:30; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:30

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Fri, Mon-Thu 6:30, 9:00; Sat-Sun 3:20, 6:30, 9:00

Hugo (PG) Digital 3D FRI-TUE 6:50, 9:25

NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon-Thu 6:45, 9:30; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:40, 6:45, 9:30

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Thu, Dec 15 10:00; Daily 6:55, 9:35; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:35

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Digital Presentation Sat-Sun 12:50 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon-Thu 7:20, 9:40; Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:15, 7:20, 9:40 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Presentation Fri, Mon-Tue 6:40, 7:10, 9:00, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:15, 1:40, 3:30, 4:00, 6:40, 7:10, 9:00, 9:25; Wed-Thu 7:00, 9:20 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) Digital Presentation, No passes Tue 6:30, 9:40; Wed-Thu 6:40, 9:40 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) Digital Presentation, No passes Fri, Mon 6:30, 6:50, 9:20, 9:45; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:25, 3:50, 6:30, 6:50, 9:20, 9:45; Tue-Thu 6:50, 9:45 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) Digital Presentation, No passes Tue-Thu 8:00 THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN 3D (PG violence) Wed-Thu 6:30, 9:15 GALAXY–SHERWOOD PARK 2020 Sherwood Dr, Sherwood Park 780.416.0150

HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (G) Digital 3d Fri 3:30, 6:30, 9:10; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:30, 6:30, 9:10;

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

THE MUPPETS (G) Sat-Sun 1:05, 3:20

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 7:10, 9:20; Sat-Sun 1:10, 9:20 METRO CINEMA at the Garneau Metro at the Garneau: 8712-109 St, 780.425.9212

Cannibal! The Musical (STC) FRI 11:30 Saturday Morning All-You-CanEat-Cereal Cartoon Party! (STC) Sat 10:00 Pickford: Little Annie Rooney (STC) Sat 7:00; Sun 2:00 It's a Wonderful Life (Edm Food Bank Event) (STC) Sun 4:00 Santa's Cool Holiday Film Fest: w/Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (STC) Sat 4:00; FRI, Sun 9:15; MON 7:00 Graphic Content: Akira (STC) TUE 9:15 Higher Ground (14A) Sat 2:00; MON, Sat 9:15; Sun, FRI, TUE-THU 7:00 Cult Cinema: Die Hard 2 (STC) WED 9:15; THU 22 Turkey Shoot: Santa Claus: The Movie (STC) THU 9:30

Arthur Christmas 3d (G) FRI-TUE 6:55, 9:00; Sat-Sun, Tue 12:55, 3:00 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) FRI-TUE 6:40, 9:15 Happy Feet Two 3D (G) Sat-Sun, Tue 12:40, 3:15 The Muppets (G) THU-TUE 7:05, 9:10; SatSun, Tue 1:05, 3:10 PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728

The Descendants (14A) Daily 6:50 9:10; Sat-Sun 12:30 Margin Call (14A coarse language) Daily 7:00, 9:20; Sat-Sun 2:30 SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.444.2400

HAPPY FEET TWO (G) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat, Mon-Thu 11:30, 2:15, 4:50; Sun 11:35, 2:15 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Digital 3d FriMon 12:50, 3:50, 6:30, 9:15; Tue 12:50, 3:50 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema, No passes Fri-Sat, Mon-Tue, Thu 11:15, 12:00, 1:45, 2:30, 4:15, 5:00, 6:40, 9:10; Sun 11:20, 12:00, 1:45, 2:30, 4:15, 5:00, 6:40, 9:10; Wed 11:00, 12:00, 2:30, 4:15, 5:00, 6:40, 9:10; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 IMMORTALS 3D (18A gory brutal violence) Digital 3d Fri, Sun-Thu 1:30, 4:30, 7:40, 10:40; Sat 2:15, 5:00, 7:40, 10:40 The Adventures Of Tintin 3d (PG violence) Digital 3d, No passes Wed-Thu 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40 HUGO 3D (PG) Digital 3d Daily 12:20, 3:20, 6:30, 9:30 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) Digital Cinema, No passes Tue 7:00, 10:15; Wed-Thu 12:45, 4:00, 7:15, 10:30 THE SITTER (14A course language, sexual content) Digital Cinema Daily 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 7:50, 10:20 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue, Thu 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50; Wed 4:10, 7:10, 9:50; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence, not recommended for young children) No passes Digital Cinema: Daily 7:45, 10:45; Ultraavx: Daily 12:30, 3:40, 7:00, 10:15 THE MUPPETS (G) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue 1:00, 4:00, 6:45, 9:20; Wed-Thu 7:30, 10:00 JACK AND JILL (PG) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat, Mon-Tue 7:30, 10:00; Sun 10:00 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (18A brutal violence, sexual violence) Digital Cinema, No passes Tue 7:00, 10:30; WedThu 11:45, 3:15, 6:45, 10:30 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Daily 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:10 TOWER HEIST (PG coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri-Mon 12:40, 3:30, 6:50, 9:40; Tue 12:40, 3:30 Wwe Tlc: Tables, Ladders & Chairs–2011 (Classification not available) Sun 6:00 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (STC) No passes Daily 11:00, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00, 11:00 WETASKIWIN CINEMAS Wetaskiwin, 780.352.3922

New Year's Eve (PG coarse language) Daily 7:00, 9:35; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:35 Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (PG violence, not recmmended for young children) Daily 6:55, 9:35; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:35 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 7:10, 9:20; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:20 Hugo (PG) Digital 3D daily 6:50, 9:30 Arthur Christmas (G) Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:25

FILM 15

ARTS

PREVUE // WINTER THEATRE

'Rounding out the season's end Snow Globe Festival offers a trilogy of family friendly plays Tue, Dec 20 – Sat, Dec 24 The Snow Globe Festival of Children's Theatre Avenue Theatre, $8 – $10 per show, $18 – $24 evening pass, $20 – $26 festival pass

three of them. "I wanted the festival to be like a global festival, a holiday winter festival, not, 'This is just Christmas.'"

o hear her talk about the holidays, you might conclude that Ellen Chorley's too much of a festive spirit for her own good. "I find Christmas really, really stressful," she admits with a bright, bubbly laugh. But her idea of taking her mind off the usual Christmas quibbles is an unusually ambitious one: she's putting on a full, snow-blown winter theatre festival, The Snow Globe Festival of Children's Theatre, offering an inaugural escape from the cold up on 118 Ave: a trio of family-friendly plays that aren't specifically Yuletide in nature, but looking to replace the winter chill with a sense of wonder all the same. "This festival has been the best thing in the entire world—I wish I'd thought of it years ago," she says. "'Cause now I don't have to worry about Christmas, I just have to worry about the festival. I don't have time for any other scary Christmas stuff, like getting everyone the perfect present—I'm like that

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

kind of person." There's a staging of the beloved CS Lewis tale The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, taking the stage alongside The Fairy Catcher's Companion— a Chorley-penned production about a pair of sisters sent to live at their

Aunt's manor, and the feisty fairy they discover while there—and Miss Electricity, a kid-friendly work from the same playwright who penned Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen. "It was so different than what I've ever seen before. It was really

modern, Chorley says of the latter. "There's a whole dream sequence at the end where she meets Athena and rides an owl ... . It's a weird play, but I really liked it. "I also wanted things that weren't Christmas plays" she notes of the

Between each nightly production of the shows, Avenue Theatre will be fill with music as a half-time show takes over. In the same building, there'll be a forest in the lobby, constructed out of the christmas trees that Chorley's acquired over the last year, plus the iconic lamp-post of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe somewhere in among it all. Her company, Promise Productions has been producing well-received children's theatre for a few Fringes now, and this winter fest extention was born in part of a desire to produce more family-friendly work throughout the year. "The great thing about doing children's theatre is, usually there's someone in the audience who's never seen a play before, and this is the first play they've ever seen," she says. "I think there's something so exciting about telling stories to that kind of audience, or telling stories where magical things can happen." Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

REVUE // INTELLIGENT ART

// Craig Janzen

Hroses: An Affront to Reason

Two lovers and a Hrose

Until Sun, Dec 18 (8 pm; Sun matinees at 2 pm) Directed by Vanessa Sabourin TransAlta Arts Barns, PCL Studio, $12 – $15

wanted to meet you so badly. I wanted you to like me." Coming at a moment when their relationship's started to go from blossom

16 ARTS

to wilt, Lily's (Kristi Hansen) words to Ellerly (Sheldon Elter) seem desperate, and rightfully so: though the characters were certainly caught up in their passions, we're under no illusions that the love story of Jill Connell's Hroses is going to be a smooth one. On stage, the chronology of the story jumps around, with snippets of its ending disturb-

ing the beginnings, and its simple roots reappearing in the play's final moments. It's a cyclical story structure that gives glances of what's to come, and as presented here by both Azimuth Theatre and the Maggie Tree, Hroses is skillfully handled in its exploration of two lovers as the stars above them slowly cross. Lily comes from a paper farm.

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Ellerly, born underground in a sugar mine. In this world, those are two industries that can't quite come to terms with each other's proximity, finding reasons to infuriate the other. The meeting of these two, however, destabilizes both's preconceived notions; both seem ready to do away with those ageold disagreements in order to embrace a new future with the other. They start to argue against convention: Ellerly spells the horse's name wrong (hence the title), but then presses the point: this thing is theirs, nobody else's. Why should it have to conform to any previous standard? Then, they start to argue against each other, as little details emerge, and complicate things. If that all sounds a little abstract, well, it is. But Connell's a playwright with a good sense of how to ground stranger worlds than ours in very human emotions, and it's in good hands on just about every level of production. As it works through its cycle, Hroses proves an intelligent, compassionate work,

skillfully acted by Hansen and Elter. Grounded in performance, the script manages to feel personal in even its more abstract moments, or the movement-based storytelling, choreographed by Amber Borotsik that hints at the future. The beauty of the horse is ultimately metaphorical, but its given a shapely steel design by Tessa Stamp, allowing the actors something beautiful and strange to interact with. The extreme declarations made by the lovers play out with humour, perhaps more than could be expected; some, certainly is built into passion as blind as this, where lover's ideas can seem silly from the outside. But even if the tone occasionally seems askew, the production sells that earnestly. Like the relationship at its core, Hroses creates an entire world of its own, and what makes it work is that, at its core, it's grounded in the simple, universal troubles of the heart: boy and girl meet, then a harsher reality sinks in. Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

ARTS

CONTINUES ON PAGE 33 >>

REVUE // TAXIDERMY

Taxonomia/Working Order Until Sat, Dec 17 Taxonomia Works by Maria Whiteman Working Order Works by Karen Zalamea Latitude 53

sually my first reaction upon seeing taxidermy, or representations thereof, is to be creeped out. The posed, stuffed animal skins with their vacant glassy eyes are so transparently false in their imitation of living breathing things. Somehow Maria Whiteman's Taxonomia, Latitude 53's current Main Space exhibition, manages to create a space for intimate relationships with these and other preserved creatures. In the light wood frames that jut out from the gallery walls, translucent photos feature soft focus close-ups of sleepy taxidermy and fetal animals preserved in formaldehyde. Whiteman's subjects are otherworldly with their warm sepia or eerie yellow and blue colouration. The fetal creatures, like the closed-eyed horse, are unsettling reminders of an inaccessible potential to have what we understand as its intended life. This creates a conflict in meaning for the viewer: how does the awe of peering into a womb-like space to curiously inspect these forms of living things interact with the knowledge that they are dead? These creatures are disallowed decay and physical dissolution by their formaldehyde and taxidermy purgatories. How are we to understand what we see as dead when the live ideas about them are so active? Building upon that imposition of intimacy are the artist's video works, in which a hand gently caresses a taxi-

A trio in Taxonomia

dermied bear and busts of various furry wild creatures that hang on S hooks on a metal wire-covered wall. The camera slowly follows the disembodied hand as it tenderly strokes these animal's faces. Perhaps this is in actuality more of a sensory investigation of the texture and shape of these formerly living things, but it more than welcomes the understanding of this act of touch as one of tenderness, a comforting for the unknown that led

to each creature's end. My time with The ProjEx Room's Working Order, a series of performancebased videos by Karen Zalamea, was spent pondering the artist's faux motivational call for perfection in the guise of a cheerleader. As the artist calls for the audience to "B-E E-F-F-I-C-I-E-N-T" between quick, precise cuts mixing her pom pom moves, high kicks and syncopated clapping, one is left to wonder what more can be gained from this

video. Although it's easy to unpack the surface value of critiquing perfection through cheerleading, which has high expectations of just that, it's hard not to wonder what more could be done to increase the challenge and complexity of this provocation. The irony of the video was in the outcome of the demanding editing the work clearly required. Although often brilliantly on the mark, moments when the ever-so-slight disruption of the rhythm of movement

and sound were distracting. The flow of the video was not tight enough to not distract from the call for perfection. It would be interesting to see what happened if this sincere cheerleader persona rebelled against her message, squirmed free from her tight editing, and used this charge of energy and disruptive complexity to realize this work's full provocative potential. CAROLYN JERVIS // CAROLYN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Great gift ideas for all ages and celebrations. Art Rental & Sales | Shop AGA | Zinc Restaurant | AGA Gift Memberships Gift Memberships Give the gift of unlimited free Gallery admissions, exclusive invites, member pricing on classes and programs and discounts at Shop AGA and Zinc. Shop AGA Distinctive jewelry, home décor, art publications and products inspired by art, architecture and design.

Give a gift of art this season! Kids Winter ArtBreak Camps Full Week Camps January 2-6, 2012 Saturday Art Classes: Session 1 begins January 21 Children create through painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, music and installation art! Camps and classes are filling up fast! Register online now at youraga.ca

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

AGA Holiday Hours Christmas Eve Christmas Day Boxing Day December 27-28 December 29 December 30 New Year’s Eve New Year’s Day

11 am-3 pm Closed Closed 11 am-7 pm 11 am-9 pm 11 am-7 pm 11 am-5 pm 11 am-5 pm

youraga.ca

ARTS 17

DISH

Find a restaurant

ONLINE AT DISHWEEKLY.CA

PROFILE // LIVING FOOD

Raw, healthy eating

// Bryan Birtles

Never too early to start thinking about your New Year's resolution

Sheniz and Ayaaz Kassam behind the counter at Noorish

Noorish Conscious Eatery 8440 - 109 St, 780.756.6880

lbertans may love their beef, but that hasn't stopped three siblings from introducing Edmonton to Noorish, a new vegetarian cafe featuring a menu with a raw food focus. Sheniz Kassam and her brothers Ayaaz and Adil have unveiled a gourmet culinary experience of the un-cooked variety at their healthconscious eatery that will have even a meat-loving mouth watering. By transitioning their lifestyles into a career opportunity, Sheniz Kassam and her brothers transformed the corner of 109 Street and 84 Avenue into a healthy-conscious space composed of a vegetarian eatery, an elixir smoothie bar, interactive teaching kitchen and a space for meditation

18 DISH

and yoga. In early October, Noorish opened its doors. "Raw food is becoming very popular on the West Coast," says Sheniz. "We know we're ahead of the curve in Edmonton, but at the same time we surveyed people on the streets and found that 92 percent of those asked said that this was a highly underserved market for healthy vegetarians." Raw food may sound boring and tasteless, but there is a fine art to its preparation. A raw food diet is primarily considered unheated food or food cooked to a temperature less than 40 C to 46 C. Over this temperature it is believed that nutrients are lost and enzymes are destroyed. It's time to check your perceptions of carrot and celery sticks at the door. "We want people to feel comfortable

ordering something familiar like a burger or nachos," explains Sheniz. '"But you can't expect a cheesy gooey piece of pizza. You need to be open and adventurous to try a new palate with live cuisine. It's very gourmet

and powerfully delicious ingredients. Preparation takes time: the pizza alone takes 48 hours to make and includes a sprouting process that adds nutrients to the final dish. "In our society, many people are

It's easier on the digestive system, you'll feel better, and the taste is incredible

and full of flavour—you probably won't miss the meat." Robyn Unrau, trained at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in California, journeyed to Edmonton from her raw food retreat in Fernie to help inspire and create the menu. Almost everything is made in-house from scratch and composed of living

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

overeating but are nutrient starved," explains Sheniz. "People are constantly eating so much cooked food there are so little nutrients left in their diets. A dish here may not look enormous, but it will leave your body feeling full because it is bursting with nutrients versus a meal that leaves you full from the bulk." An easy way in with skeptics is

through a sweet tooth. A display case filled with coconut key lime pie, cheesecake and brownies all look appetizing, but the price is slightly higher than your average dessert. "All the desserts are raw, the ingredients are pure and the taste is intense," explains Sheniz. "You won't be disappointed." A meal at Noorish is designed to leave you feeling great and full of energy. "We're not trying to get everyone to go raw, we're just trying to expose people to something that is good for their body, but in a form that tastes good," explains Sheniz. "It's easier on the digestive system, you'll feel better, and the taste is incredible." Don't be afraid to Noorish your body—your taste buds will thank you. Sharman Hnatiuk // sharman@vueweekly.com

PROVENANCE

BRYAN BIRTLES // BRYAN@vueweekly.com

// J. Annie Wang (cc)

Six facts about tourtière

Fill it up Tourtière is a meat pie enjoyed in Quebec and in some New England states. It is traditionally made with ground pork, but can be made with beef, wild game or a mix of the three. In areas where seafood is plentiful, it can even be made with fish.

Plus your mother's Though there are plenty of regional variations—the well-known cookbook A Taste of Quebec has 13 versions— tourtières can be divided into two main groups: the most widely known is the version with ground meat, but the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean version is much bigger, cooked in a deep dish and made up of potatoes and a mix of meats cut into cubes.

while more hot coals could be placed upon it. The pot would then be brought directly to the table and food would be served directly from it.

Late-night snack Traditionally, tourtière is enjoyed by French-Canadian families as part of the réveillon—the giant feast—which precedes Christmas or New Year's Day, though it is available all year round.

Odds and ends Originally, tourtière was a good way to use up leftover meat—in the same way English Canadians might make a shepherd's pie—but, over time, it became a delicacy created especially for the Christmas season.

Hot pot

Pronounced "catsup"

The word "tourtière" comes from 17thcentury France where it referred to the pot that it would be cooked in. The pot had a recessed lid and feet so it could be placed directly onto the fire's hot coals

Soy sauce, green tomato relish, pickled beats and mustard—all have been used as accompaniments, but everyone knows that ketchup is the traditional condiment for tourtière.

we make it

bake

we sell it

grow

Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market OPEN SATURDAYS YEAR ROUND 8 AM - 3 PM 10310 - 83 Ave, Edmonton

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

“A touch of the farm in the heart of the city”

DISH 19

WINE

Taming your tannins Decanting step by step

I poured the tannic, unfriendly wine slowly into the decanter and hoped it would fruit up and become more approachable. Mixing VIDI with oxygen often softens VENI, rough, bitter wine edges, m but it doesn't always work. ekly.co vuewe taylor@ Sometimes, the wine just Taylor sucks. But hell, it's a $50 Eason Napa cabernet, so it's destined to smack better than this astringent mess, right? Hmm ... Nothing happened. Yet. It still smelled of oak (vanilla), earthy greenness (fresh leaf tobacco) but absolutely no fruit. Wine without fruit is like going to a rub 'n' tug a mouthful of dirt and wood, but I and not getting a happy ending. need something to slip my tongue Of course, some oddballs prefer and taste buds into—and for $50,

// Tyler Van Brabant

VINO

I should feel the flavour in my toes too. Let's hope decanting improves this gnarly beast.

Decanting—the act of transferring wine from its bottle to another vessel—exists for two reasons. One is to introduce oxygen to tame monster tannins. It doesn't actually change the tannin level, just our perception of it. The air alters the wine's chemical makeup, moulding it into an easierto-drink beverage. It'll take an hour or two before the fruit will tell you it's ready to drink. Wines that benefit include cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, big Spanish (Rioja, Ribera del Duero), as well as Italian reds (Barolo, Brunello, Barbaresco), syrah and well-made merlots. Young, robust pinot noirs improve with a few sucks of air, but mostly you can leave them alone. And softer, delicate pinots, Chianti and

lighter-bodied reds—you can let 'em rip right out of the bottle. Only the lucky experience the second reason: to separate sediment from an older bottle. Reserved for the elite with cellars and restaurants with foresight (and for those with friends who give good gifts), aged wine can be a magnificent treat—but it can also be ugly. After eight or so years, the tannin in red wines starts to break down, releasing a flaky black morass into the bottle. Some only give off a few flecks, but others, like aged port, can amass a quarter inch of inky gook. Although completely harmless, a mouthful of this chewy, astringent mess is particularly nasty. Thirty minutes in, the beast hasn't changed. I continue my quest for fruit ... Before opening an old bottle, allow it to sit upright (assuming it has aged on its side) for at least two hours to force the suspended sediment to the bottom. Carefully pour the liquid into the decanter, but stop before the sludge arrives at the top; if necessary, use a candle or small flashlight to see through the neck of the bottle. The idea is to trap the black stuff in the bottle's shoulder. To wallow in luxury or laziness, buy a fine mesh strainer to lay across the mouth of the decanter. Once the wine is freed of its bog, pour it back into the rinsed original bottle, or leave it in its new home but consume within eight hours, or it will become really expensive vinegar. One word of caution: due to their delicate state, decanting older pinot noirs can kill the flavour, so pour straight from the bottle, being vigilant of the sediment. As for decanting vessels, skip the overpriced crystal. Although the more expensive ones look and feel decadent, their size and material are mostly hype and profit. Besides, any clean, wide-bottomed or fat glass pitcher or carafe will do. An hour later, the formerly shy Napa cab awakens from its shell. Aromas of black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, with a whiff of ripe plum. Mmm ... starting to smell like something I'd want to drink. Patience is a virtue I rarely possess, but this time, patience pays off. V

20 DISH

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

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It's seldom spoken of but, like surfers who are notoriously protective of their turf, some folks who live and work in ski towns feel entitled to the first and best lines. I once made the mistake of cutting a line on a powder day at Marmot Basin in front of one of the town's most famous locals. Pulling a fistful of seasons passes—dating back to the '80s—out of his pocket and shoving them in my face, he argued his right to first tracks over mine. Of my many experiences skiing in Jasper, that's one that has stuck with me, specifically because I can't reconcile it with my broader experiences of the place. I'm not a Jasper local, but in the last eight years I've spent literally hundreds of days there. I may not have property or voting rights but I feel as though I belong; above anywhere else, it's my home away from home. There are many reasons. One, as I've already stated, is familiarity; another is size—with just 5236 permanent residents living within the municipality , there's a closeness to the community. It doesn't take much to figure out where

// Marmot Basin

Symbiotic relations make town and resort feel like home in Jasper

Production Contact Numbers: 403 261 7161 403 261 7152

You guys here for the red jacket convention too?

everything is and before long, you start recognizing familiar faces on the chairlifts and streets of Jasper. Naturally, community is a factor in your choice of where to reside. Right at the heart of town, Whistlers Inn puts visitors in close proximity to everything, while the pulse of the town throbs at the Whistle Stop Pub—the kind of

place where everybody knows your name. But two floors up on the hotel patio, surrounded by mountain views, the hot tubs are reserved for guests alone. Visitors inhabit a cozy middle ground—both outside and part of the community fabric. Bridging that gap, and perhaps the single biggest factor in creating that

feeling of home, is local character. Jasper is an unpretentious, unassuming place where most people—with the exception of the odd territorial local in a surly mood on a powder day—are friendly, welcoming and earnest. Despite what you'll hear about transient work, drug use and sexual promiscuity in mountain communities,

the bedrock of these towns is mostly formed from decent, hardworking people who choose to live in the mountains because it suits their lifestyle and ideals. It's hard not to admire that. If, on the rare occasion, friction arises between visitors and locals, it's because the growth pressures that come with being a tourist destination often place a strain on the community. Yet despite over $25 million in improvements at Marmot Basin since the current ownership group took over in 2003, there have been very few, if any, growing pains. If anything, community sentiment towards the hill has improved apace. "The old owners were taking money out of the resort," explains Matt Doig, Marmot Basin communications. "The new shareholders have been reinvesting." That's meant only good things for skiers and boarders living in Jasper. This season, Marmot Basin opened two new lifts, substantially increasing CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 >>

Give the gift of Snow Valley this year! Purchase Snow Valley Gift Cards & Season Passes for your family & friends! Sign up N Beginn OW for Holida ing Dec y Camp ember s 27!

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

SNOW ZONE 21

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HART GOLBECK // HART@vueweekly.com

Canada kicks off freestyle ski season in style

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lodeau. Although Bilodeau has decided to be quite selective with the events he'll enter this season, he hopes this training over competing approach will prepare him to hit peak form when the Russian Winter Olympics roll around in 2014. The Canadian ladies did not fare quite as well last weekend, but we do have a local mogul skier who continues to compete on the World Cup circuit: Spruce Grove's Chelsea Henitiuk—who had an impressive 13th place finish. A good result considering that 33 women took to the slopes in Finland for the season's opening weekend. With legendary freestyler Jenn Heil's recent retirement, Chelsea is our local favourite for the mogul season. The team now heads to Meribel, France—which just received a nice dump of snow in preparation for the dual mogul competition.

While the "Canadian Air Force" may still be rebuilding, the ground unit continues to attack in style. Quebec freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury pounded the snow to oblivion in the inaugural mogul event of the season in Ruka, Finland on December 10. While navigating through massive moguls,

Kingsbury pulled off his trademark back-full-and-cork 720 jumps en route to the gold medal. He now wears the prestigious leader's yellow bib—which he says he plans to hang on to for the rest of the season. Along the way, Kingsbury will have to contend with Canadian Olympic champion, Alex Bi-

Resort event calendars shaping up nicely

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The same evening, at 9 pm, Castle Mountain Resort will host the opening night of another Judd brothers ski film, With The Flow. Matt and Bruce Judd are local ski heroes who've been videoing their wild and crazy slope experiences for several years. With free entry and a host of local faces, it's a fun way to celebrate some gnarly home-grown talent.

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I am also here to remind you that December 18 has been tagged World Snowboard Day, so check with your favourite resort to see if they'll be celebrating. Rabbit Hill is participating by hosting a junior jam with demos, lessons and product testing. If your local resort isn't celebrating, tell them to get on board for next year!

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On Sunday, December 17, Lake Louise will play host to the ninth-annual Heavy Metal Rail Jam. Competitors can go home with $2000 cash or plenty of product prizes. The rail jam costs $25 to enter, with many categories to choose from, and competitors will wind their way down a course of rails and boxes, set up on Lowest Wiwaxy.

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ALBERTA

.COM

ON NOW AT YOUR ALBERTA BUICK GMC DEALERS. Albertagmc.com 1-800-GM-DRIVE. GMC is a brand of General Motors of Canada. ††3.99% purchase financing offered on approved credit by TD Credit for 72 months on new or demonstrator 2012 GMC Acadia FWD. Rates from other lenders will vary. Down payment, trade and/or security deposit maybe required. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Example: $10,000 at 3.99% APR, the monthly payment is $156.41 for 72 months. Cost of borrowing is $1261.25, total obligation is $11,261.25. Offer is unconditionally interest-free. Freight ($1,495) included. License, insurance, registration, PPSA, applicable taxes and fees not included. Based on a purchase price of $34,995. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Offers apply to qualified retail customers only. Limited time offer which may not be combined with certain other offers. GMCL may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ¥† No purchase necessary. Contest open to Canadian residents with a valid driver’s license who have reached the age of majority in their province of residence. Contest runs from November 1, 2011 to January 16, 2012. Credit Awards include applicable taxes and can only be applied to the purchase or lease of a new 2011 or 2012 MY GM vehicle delivered from dealer stock, excluding Chevrolet Volt on or before January 16, 2012. 20 Vehicle Awards consist of either a 2012 GMC Terrain SLE2 FWD + 18” Machined Aluminum Wheels, Chrome Appearance Package and Rear Cargo Security Cover or a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox 2LT FWD + 18” Machined Aluminum Wheels. Factory order may be required for Vehicle Awards. Approximate retail value of each Vehicle Award is Equinox / Terrain [$32,775 MSRP / $32,480 MSRP] CDN, including freight. Not all awards have the same odds of winning. Correct answer to skill testing question required to claim an award. Some examples of odds are: to receive a $1,000 base award, 1 in 1; to receive a total award of $1,200, 1 in 30; to receive a total award of $10,000, 1 in 10,000; to receive a Vehicle Award, 1 in 20,000 (total awards and vehicle awards include the $1,000 base award). See your GM dealer, visit gm.ca or call 1-800-GM-DRIVE for full contest rules.

22 SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

CAP11175.SNOW.103.4C.VUE.indd

CAP11175.SNOW.103.4C

T:2.1”

ACADIA FWD

238

SKIING JUST GOT EASIER WITH OUR ROCKERED SKI TECHNOLOGY RENTAL SKIS

Make some Marmot Memories ! A great place to spend the holidays with family and friends.

2 NEW lifts for 2011-12 The NEW Paradise High Speed Quad and the School House Chair join the Canadian Rockies Express, the longest high speed quad in the rockies to give Marmot Basin a stunning 3 NEW lifts in 3 years.

Marmot Sales Centre

BearHillLodge.com

Get lift tickets, lessons and rentals all in advance at the Marmot Sales Centre located in downtown Jasper at 611 Patricia St. Marmot souvenirs, gift certificates and stocking stuffers are also available!

skimarmot.com 1-866-952-3816 VueWeekDec11.indd 1

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 21, 2011

12/11/2011 3:45:37 PM

SNOW ZONE 23

SNOW ZONE // REVIEW

Drift HD170

$300 – $350 driftcameracanada.com

ince the first head-mounted camera hit the market, the way we view skiing has changed. Headcam footage allows audiences to experience the action from the athletes' perspective, but more importantly it allows anyone—from amateurs to pros—to share those captivating, in-the-moment experiences. Pretty much every major outdoor action film has head-cam sequences now and the technology

has spawned countless amateurs and hobbyists on YouTube, Vimeo and beyond. For years, GoPro has dominated the industry but recently some other contenders are starting to rise to the challenge. Drift Camera appears to be GoPro's equal in every respect—the HD170 runs 30 frames per second at 1080p, for a comparable price—as well as adding several innovations of its own. With its narrow design and sleek profile, combined with an adjustable lens to get that angle just right, the Drift Cam lends itself well to side-mounting or handheld filming, unlike the boxier GoPro. The wireless wrist strap remote is a nice feature too, making it easier to start and stop sequences without the fumbling or unnecessary in-between shoot footage. But best of all is the playback screen. With the ability to immediately preview footage, you can tweak your setup and review on the go—so you're never left wondering whether or not you caught that perfect shot. At 138 grams, the HD170 is lightweight enough to stick in a pocket, yet rugged enough to withstand several thwacks from branches while skiing at high speed through narrow glades, as discovered during this review (although that's probably against manufacturer recommendations, so don't try it yourself!). With its plug-and-play set up—compatible with Windows 7, XP, Vista or Mac OS 10.7—watching and editing footage is simple enough for even the most technologically challenged (also confirmed during this review). Skiing is a rich storytelling medium, but bottom line, when the snow is fresh the last thing you want to be doing is fumbling with tech gadgetry. With the Drift Camera, you'll be able to capture the story without sacrificing the line. Jeremy Derksen

// jeremy@vueweekly.com

24 SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

SNOW ZONE // REMOVAL

No snow days

Edmonton's snow removers ease into the winter

dmonton's cross-country loppet scene got off to an inauspicious start this season. With a dearth of snow, Edmonton Nordic Ski Club was left scrambling to provide sufficient coverage for its first race, reports president Glenda Hanna. "We wouldn't have had enough if we hadn't had the snowblower," she says. With the newly acquired snowblower, volunteers were able to blast the white stuff onto the trail from either side, covering just enough for a fivekilometre loop. It's a far cry from last year's record conditions. Although winter recreationists were left delighted, last year's snowfall was more of a headache for many, including Edmonton's snow clearing staff. In all, the city hauled 3.4 million cubic metres of snow from roadways and sidewalks

last season—about triple the annual average. The last of the snow finally melted away from the city's collection facilities on September 9. One of life's cruel ironies for local winter sports enthusiasts is that lots of snow accumulates in places where it isn't needed, and not enough where it is. While the rest of the city curses, winter recreationists wish for more. It begs the question of whether there might be a way to solve two problems in one—take snow from where it's unwanted, and put it where it is. The problem, explains Councillor Ben Henderson (council's leader on the Winter City Strategy, designed to make Edmonton a thriving winter destination), is that snow cleared from major roads is filled with contaminants: salt

and sand used to grit icy surfaces and oil, exhaust and other pollutants from traffic and commercial use. Carting road snow off to the city's collection facilities also fills an important purpose, explains transportation spokesperson Laura McNabb. After collecting it, the city is able to recycle 80 per cent of its sanding material, and meltwater is treated before it is reintroduced into the water system. Snow clearing is a complex problem facing most cities during winter, divulges Henderson. After the unprecedented snowfall of 2010 – 2011, Edmonton reviewed its snow removal policy and developed plans to ensure enough capacity, adding 20 vehicles to its fleet and expanding the number of contractors

to call on during major precipitation. The city will likely revisit the strategy again this winter as it conducts public consultation on the Winter City Strategy in the new year. Despite public criticism, however, an independent review in June 2011 determined that the city's snow clearing strategy, "conforms to current best practices, meets the essential needs of service delivery and is a good strategic policy." It seems we just like to bitch, especially over a combination of three favourite topics: snow, weather and traffic. That still leaves the question of where to get more snow for recreation. While there are several designated venues and facilities within the valley, they remain relatively disconnected, says Hanna. "In Norway you see people skiing in their suits. You can hop off a train and ski for 10 kilometres between stops, then find a nice place for a hot drink or a meal," she says. "We're so far from that level of integration and active lifestyle here."

Down in the River Valley, the city clears nearly 50 kilometres of paved trails for commuters and recreationists, pushing snow off to the sides. This might seem a perfect opportunity to create a parallel snow trail, but as Doug Costigan, Edmonton's director of river valley forestry and environmental services, explains, the snow can't remain too close to the trail or it creates an ice hazard when it melts. Edmonton Nordic has been lobbying for several years to get snowmaking at its Gold Bar Park facility. The plan is closer to approval, Hanna says, but a final decision is still to come and the earliest it could be installed would be next winter—which is far from guaranteed. So, for now, snow-seeking recreationalists will have to keep looking to the sky and praying to the snow gods. Whether too much or too little, one thing is sure: snow is a certainty here—we just need to finally figure out how to handle it. JEREMY DERKSEN

// JEREMY@VUEWEEKLY.COM

EDMONTON SNOW REMOVAL FACTS • Snow removed in 2010 – 2011: 3.4 million cubic metres • Budget for 2011 – 2012 snow removal: $42.9 million • Total roadway inventory (for priority clearing): 3750 kilometres • City-owned/operated snow clearing vehicles: 233 (includes 131 sanders, 20 graders, 39 plows, 17 blowers, 20 sidewalk plows and six skid steers) • Privately owned/operated vehicles on call for city snow clearing: 196

A PIECE OF PARADISE

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

its lift capacity on the hill. The new Paradise Chair in particular enhances the skiing experience. It's a quicker ride to some of the best stashes on the mountain, and the extended length of the chair means longer runs between flips, improving that all-important liftto-ski ratio. The improvements represent a huge capital investment. Unlike most other resorts outside national parks, Marmot Basin doesn't draw any of its revenue from condo sales or accommodations;it has to rely solely on the day skier visit. Based on the standard resort model, it's pretty hard to recoup costs on major infrastructure projects through lift tickets alone. It's a long term investment, Doig admits, but one that should pay off for the owners because they are not only invested in the hill but in the town as well. While the ownership group remains largely anonymous, its primary shareholders also own prominent hotels in town. In this way, business on the ski hill and business in town feed off one another, unlike some other developments where the resort and neighbouring community compete fiercely for tourism dollars. "Winter is not nearly as busy for tourism as summer," says Doig. "The ski hill is a big draw. It keeps the community going in winter, providing the opportunity for year-round work. Without that, there wouldn't be that community." There will be those resistant to change in their community. Change can be scary. It's no different for skiers than

for the rest of the world. When the hill removed the old Kiefer T-Bar in 2009, several locals protested. On the last day of operations of the old T, one guy went so far as to chain himself to the first tower, wearing a sign reading, "You must be smoking more than reefer to be tearing down the Kiefer." Two seasons later, that incident has passed into ski lore and the old T-bar is largely forgotten, although it will live on in local and pseudo-local memories. But from the top of the new Paradise Chair, the mountain looks much the same. The contours and vegetation spread out in mostly the same pattern as before, with a minor variation along the east side where the towers of the new chair spring up. From this vantage point, what captures your interest isn't the long, gloried past, but a bold new future on the horizon. As Doig puts it, "We can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights now." That may be true. Certainly, over eight seasons the hill has improved dramatically. Following the Ridge Chair, snowmaking upgrades, the Canadian Rockies Express, lodge improvements and the School House chairlift, the opening of Paradise is like the final piece of a puzzle being slotted into place. The new lift layout creates a more efficient experience of the mountain, swiftly whisking skiers where they want to go, but to fully appreciate that you have to know what it was like back before the Ridge went in and the Tranquilizer and Kiefer T came out, before they decommissioned the 'Boo. Sure, there's been a lot of change over the years— but it still feels like home to me. V

DECE M 24 B ER 6 

JEREMY DERKSEN

// JEREMY@VUEWEEKLY.COM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

SNOW ZONE 25

Style editor: Bryan Birtles

Styling: Bryan Birtles & Sandy Joe Karpetz Photography: Eden Munro Drawing: Pete Nguyen Models: Ainsley & Nick Nick's hair: Mark Hayes of Barber Ha (barberha.com) Ainsley's hair: Nga My Makeup: Cara Rae Eden of Rogue Rae Makeup Artistry (roguerae.com)

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY GUIDE 2011-2012 artERY

• 9535 Jasper Avenue • 780.441.6966 • theartery.ca • New Year's Eve at the Artery: Farewell Michael Rault Featuring Michael Rault and his band (rock), Scenic Route To Alaska (folk), DJ Spook and a surprise DJ • Sat, Dec 31 8:30 pm • Tickets: $25 (adv)/$40(door)

Beer Hunter–WEM

• 7522 - 178 Street • 780.489.7877 • thebeerhunter.ca • dangerousguise.com • New Year's Eve with the Dangerous Guise • Tickets: $30 (dinner dance); $10 (after 9 pm) available at Beer Hunter

Beverly Hills BallRoom Fantasyland Hotel

• WEM • 780.486.9506 • edgala.com • Evening of Food, fun and entertainment in support of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation • Mike Bullard open mic comedy show (9:15 pm); dance (10:15pm - 3 am); silent auction (7 - 11 pm); formal dress • 7 pm (cocktails), 8pm (dinner) • Tickets: $135; available at Camelot Travel (cash); website

The Billiard Club

• 10505 - 82 Avenue • 780.432.0335 • thebilliardclub.com • NYE 2012 at The Billiard club with Flamingo Bay (rock); semi-formal dress • 2 pm - 2 am • Non-ticketed event

Bone Yard Ale House • 9210 - 34 Avenue • 780.437.2663 • New Year's Eve with Straight 88

Caffrey's in the Park

• 1-99 Wye Road, Sherwood Park • 780.449.7468 • caffreys.ca • Caffreys “Rocks” News Year's Eve 2012: Live on stage 2 bands: Chronic Rock and Bangkok Betty • 7 pm • Tickets: 7 pm start for dinner $30 (includes buffet dinner, personal Champagne bottle and party favours); 9pm start–just the party $15 (includes personal Champagne bottle and party favours)

Camrose Resort Casino

• 3201 - 48 Avenue, Camrose • 780.679.4950 • camrose.westerncanadaresorts.com • Cocktails at 6:30pm; buffet dinner at 6:30-8pm Live music with The Moondogs at 8:30pm • Tickets: $49.95; Party favours and champagne at 11:45pm

Casino–Edmonton

• 7055 Argylll Road • 780.463.9467 • casinoabs.com • Ring in the New Year with the Al Barrett Band – (classic rock); Dress code: Dressy, Semi Formal • Seating at 6 pm, Buffet 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Dance 9 - 1:30 pm • Tickets: $65 (includes prime rib dinner buffet)

Casino–Yellowhead BLack Dog Freehouse • 10425-82 Avenue

• 780.439.1082 • blackdog.ca • Hair Of The Dog presents: Ayla Brook; 4 - 6 pm; no cover • New Year's Eve featuring Concealer

• 12464 - 153 Street • 780.424.9467 • casinoabs.com • Ring in the New Year: Jersey Beat (tribute to the Jersey Boys); Dress code: Dressy, Semi Formal • Seating at 6 pm, Buffet 7 - 8:30 pm, Dance 9 - 2 am • Tickets: $85 (includes prime rib, baked ham and salmon dinner buffet)

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ

• 9624 - 76 Avenue • 780.989.2861 • bluechair.ca • New Year's Eve Dance: The Rault Brothers Soul Revue featuring Chloe Albert • 6:30 pm • Tickets: $110 (includes a six-course dinner)

BLUE PEAR

• 10643 - 123 Street • 780.482.7178 • thebluepear.com • New Year's Eve: Build Your Own Dining Experience • 6 pm and 9:30 pm seating • Tickets: $120 (food and beverage credit to use however you like)

Blues on Whyte

• 10329 - 82 Avenue • 780.439.3981 • bluesonwhyte.ca • Lucky Peterson, JK and the Statics On Nick Shoes: Boss (HR) Jeans: Seven for All Mankind (HR) Jacket: Paul Smith (HR) Shirt: Paul Smith (HR) Bowtie: Duchamp (HR)

26 NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE

On Ainsley: Shoes: Jimmy Choo (HR) Tights: Stylist's own Dress: Theory (HR) Purse: Vintage from Swish Vintage Necklace: Arielle de Pinto (GPTG) Earrings: Model's own

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Brittany's Lounge

• 10225 - 97 Street • 780.497.0011 • A Naughty Christmas: New Year's Eve featuring the Frolics with GoGo, burlesque, belly and shadow dancing

Century Casino

• 13103 Fort Road • 780.643.4000 • NNY Two Thousand & Twelve: Kenny Shields and Streetheart • December 31, 8:00 pm • Tickets $69.95

Comic Strip

• Bourbon St, WEM • 780.483.5999 • thecomicstrip.ca • New Year's Eve live comedy with Bret Ernst • Package 1: 7 pm show ticket & Hot buffet • Package 2: 7 pm show ticket only • Package 3: 10 pm show ticket, midnight appetizer buffet, after show party and party favours • Tickets: Package 1: $56; Package 2: $30; Package 3: $68

crown pub

• 10709-109 Street • 780.428.5618 • Close Your Eyes Its Gonna Happen! 2012: New Year's Eve party with DJ FUZE and Sleepless DJ with many guests and end of the world fun games, prizes for best rapture costume

DELTA EDMONTON SOUTH HOTEL

• 4404 Gateway Boulevard • 780.434.6415 • Top of the Inn: Jazz New Years with the Swing Kings (ballroom, swing and jazz) under a starlit ceiling with a panoramic view of Edmonton and the New Year's Eve Fireworks from downtown. A 4-course plate service dinner with noise makers; dress to impress • 5:30 pm (door); 6:30 pm (dinner) to 1:30 am • Tickets: $120; $105 per person (Early Bird Special expires Dec 16); $440 (Group Rate Option 1, Group of 4); $880 (Group Rate Option 2, Group of 8); Tickets available at TIX on the Square

DELTA EDMONTON SOUTH HOTEL

• 4404 Gateway Boulevard • 780.434.6415 • Grand Ballroom: Annual Latin New Year's Eve with Papo Medina International Orchestra, 4-course sit-down dinner; dress to impress • 6 pm (door); 7:30pm (dinner); 9 pm - 3 am (dance) • Tickets: Option 1: $89 (dinner/dance: includes 4-course plate service dinner, party favours and entertainment); Option 2: $50 (dance only adv)/$60 (door) includes dance, party favours, entertainment valid 9 pm - 3 am; Option 3: $450 (group rate for 10, dance only, includes dance, party favours, entertainment, 9 pm - 3 am. Tickets available at TIX on the Square

DV8

• 8307 - 99 Street • Tighten Up! Club New Year's Eve Bash: Reggae and soul

EARLY STAGE SALOON

• 4911- 52 Avenue, Stony Plain • 780.963.5998 • theearlystagesaloon.com • New Year's Eve Fun, Food and Friends: Party-up with the House Boys, Gary Claypool and Bernie Riegger and Band • Tickets: $20 (advance at club call 780.963.5998)

EDMONTON DOWNTOWN

• Sir Winston Churchill Square • eventsedmonton.ca • Metropolis: Bring in the New Year at this family event; featuring venues with activities and entertainment for all ages. Midnight pyrotechnic and fireworks display • Community Centre: New Year's Eve official light-up of the Metropolis pavilions at 6pm; followed by entertainment, New Year's Eve countdown, fireworks at midnight • Taste of Winter: Canadian Brew House • Children's Pavilion: Programs, performers, arts and crafts for children

• ﬁlthymcnastys.ca • Rockstar New Year's Eve All-Day Party: Fire Next Time, Red Ram, Viking Fell, the Mad Hatters, All the King's Men (rock Music); casual dress • 5 pm • Free

HAVEN SOCIAL CLUB

• 15120A (basement), Stony Plain Road • 780.756.6010 • thehavensocialclub.com • New Year's Eve with Striker (metal), Eternal Prophecy, Lockdown; no minors • 8 pm • Tickets: $25 (adv, $25 includes Champagne and party favours)

HELLENIC COMMUNITY HALL • 10450 - 116 Street • 780.454.2382 • edmontonhellenic.com • Lets Welcome 2012!!! 5-piece Greek band from Toronto • 6:30pm (cocktails), 8pm (dinner) • Tickets: $40 (adult)/$20 (child 6-12) at 780.454.2382; $20 (door after 12 am Jan 1 (no dinner)

HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH

• 10037-84 Avenue • The Great Game Show Showdown Shindig 2011: Presented by The ACME Theatre Company. Contestants are drawn from the audience to battle it out in a split second party game designed to test general knowledge of the year that was. Created by David Belke • 7 pm • Tickets: $16.75 (adv adult)/$13.75 (adv student/senior)/$9 (adv child under 12) at TIX on the Square

HOOLIGANZ

• 10704 - 124 Street • 780.995.7110 • Six String Loaded, Nobody Likes Dwight, Six String Loaded, Nobody Likes Dwight • 8 pm

JEKYLL AND HYDE PUB/THE HYDEAWAY

• 10209 - 100 Avenue • 780.426.5381 • jekyllandhydepub.com • Pub (main floor): Headwind's New Year's Eve Live Album Party with vintage rock & roll band Headwind; casual, informal dress; 6-9pm (dinner special), limited menu available all night; 9 pm - 1 am (Live music); tickets: $20 includes cover and dinner special; $5 • Hydeaway (downstairs): New Year's Eve with Marleigh and Mueller ( jazz, easy listening duo); casual, informal dress; limited menu service available all night; 9 pm - 1 am; tickets: $20 available at 780.488.2772; customers of all ages are welcome to participate

EDMONTON EVENT CENTRE

• WEM Phase III • 780.489.SHOW • edmontoneventcenter.ca • C O U N T D O W N NYE: Gareth Emery, W&W, Jochen Miller, Organ Donors, Jelo, with some of the world’s top electronic artists. 3 Stages • 8 pm - 5 am • Tickets: $82 (adv, batch 2)/$92 (adv, batch 3)/$117 (VIP front of line admission, VIP section with separate bar, NYE favours); tickets available at Foosh, Shadiﬁed, Restricted Elite, Occulist

EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE

• 7515 - 118 Avenue • thebigbangnye.ca • The Urban Metropolis Big Bang New Year's Eve • Tickets: $19.95 (pre-sale 1st 500)

L.B.’S PUB

• 23 Akins Drive, St Albert • 780.460.9100 • New Year's Eve Extravaganza with Mark Ammar, Willy James, Jim Donnett, Crawad (Dave), Scot Morgan; party favours and Champagne at midnight • 7 - 9 pm (buffet); 9:30 pm - 2 am (dance only) • Tickets: $40 (buffet and dance); $20 (dance only

FILTHY MCNASTY'S • 10511 - 82 Avenue • 780.432.5224

CANADIAN MADE POOL TABLES STARTING AT 2200.00; ALL TABLES INCLUDE A DELUXE 650.00 ACCESSORY PACKAGE. DELIVERED & INSTALLED JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS.

LAUGH IN THE PARK

• 4 Blackfoot Road, Sherwood Park • 780.417.9777 • laughinthepark.ca • NYE with Tommy Savitt • Supper for 6:30 pm and show; or 10 pm show with party favours and Champagne • Tickets: $50 (dinner); $30 (for 10 pm show)

FARGOS–CAPILANO

• 5804 Terrace Road • 780.466.7754 • Paradise pub crawl: 3 bars • December 31, registration at 5 pm; bus leaves at 7 • Tickets: $50 (3 bars, gift bag, party favours, champagne, a midnight munch); tickets call: 780.919.9811, 780.902.9868

#30, 580 St. Albert Trail, St. Albert AB • 780-460-4432 • innovationsmusic.com

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE

• 11607 Jasper Avenue • 780.447.4495 • Ring in the New Year with Marzetti, Groovy Cuvy, K-Stylez, Grizzlee Dubs, Damien Moor, Niklis C • 8-10 pm (door, wine and cheese); dance 'til 3 am • Tickets: $175 (4 guest entry, your own server, bottle of any Absolut Vodka); $150 (Table, VIP card holder) • Free Champagne and party favours

3 CONVENIENT

LOCATIONS

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Made in Canada

NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE 27

McDougall Church

• 10025 - 101 Street • 780.428.1818 • mcdougallunited.com • Fundraiser for the Edmonton food bank: concert, face painting, mask making, clowning and hooping with Netti. Performers: Maria Dunn Trio, Back Porch Swing, Celtara, Billy ZZ and the Gypsy Jive, Cam Boyce, Terry Morrison, John Gorham, Breezy Bian Gregg. Family Event • 7:30 - 10:30 pm • Free; donation or non perishable food item for the Food Bank

Muttart CONSERVATORY • 9626 - 96A Street • 780.496.8755

• muttartconservatory.ca • The Knight is Young–A Medieval New Year's: Celebrate the New Year Medieval style! Come out and partake in an evening of music, and family fun • 7 - 10 pm • Tickets: $45 (family)/$16 (adult)/$11 (child); call 311 to reserve

New City Legion

• 8130 Gateway Boulevard (Red Door) • Mung (Winnipeg), Cadaver Dog, Messiahlator, Raw Deal; no minors • 8 pm (door) • Tickets: $10 at door

NEW WEST HOTEL

• 15025 - 111 Avenue • 780.489.2511 • New Year's Eve with music by Silverado (country). Free hats, party favours and light snack • 9 pm • No cover ($60 overnight rooms available)

NYE Midnight Mix PUBCRAWL

• 6 Routes – 4 bars • 6 pm (check-in at first bar) • Route 1: Starts at Oil City Roadhouse Ends at Union Hall • Route 2: Starts at Union Hall - Ends at The Ranch Roadhouse

• Route 3: Starts at The Old Strathcona Rack - Ends at Vinyl • Route 4: Starts at Vinyl - Ends at Oil City • Route 5: Starts at The Ranch - Ends at Public House • Route 6: Starts at The Public House Ends at The Old Strathcona Rack • Tickets: $25 at ticketzone.com

Northlands Park

• Colours Restaurant, 73 Street and 116 Avenue • 780.491.3445/780.471.3380 • northlandspark.ca • New Year's Eve–The Prize is Right: Harness racing at 6 pm; dinner at Colours Resaurant, dancing in the Paddock Theatre at 9 pm; The Prize Is Right games played after 9 pm;

Champagne toast at midnight

Oil City Roadhouse • 10736 Jasper Avenue • 780.428.0099 • oilcityroadhouse.com • Catalina Wine Mixer

ON THE ROCKS

• 11730 Jasper Avenue • 780.482.4767 • ontherocksedmonton.com • NYE with The SuperBand • 9 pm • Tickets: $40 (dinner and show)/$25 (show only after 9 pm)

A VUE WEEKLY ADVERTISING FEATURE

Finally, the perfect gift. Brighten their eyes and tempt their appetite with Da Capo gift cards.

celebrating life for 5 years 8738 -109 street dacapocaffe.com

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is a highly talented and motivated master stylist. Her successful international career has spanned 20 plus years and covered every facet of the industry from employee to sub-contractor; from salon manager to salon owner, from technical trainer to business consultant. Her comprehensive experience coupled with her outstanding people skills are what makes her the edge you need to look your greatest.

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fashion forward ideas for cutting & colouring changes your style every 6 months advice on styles for your face shape problems solving cutting techniques for long lasting colour blow dry only haircuts, styles encouragement and instructions how to style your hair hours to suit professional women

HAIR F/X

21 Perron St, St. Albert 780.459.0003 11454 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB

Come and enjoy an unforgettable new years eve at CoCoDi restaurant! •Special holiday four course meal, just $35/per person. •Come check out our belly dancing show, and have the chance to win prizes throughout the evening. 780.429.0606 • www.itonica.com

28 NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE

Reservations recommended, call 780-425-1717 to make yours today. VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

On Nick: Shoes: Prada (HR) Trousers: Scotch & Soda Shirt: Boss (HR) Tie: Paul Smith (HR) Cardigan: Vintage from Swish Vintage Glasses: Model's own

PAWN SHOP

• 15120A (basement), Stony Plain Road • 780.756.6010 • pawnshoplive.ca • New Year's Eve Early Show: Preying Saints, Kurt West Express; 7 pm; tickets: $5; advance tickets at Blackbyrd • New Year's Eve Late show: Transmission Saturdays Black & White New Year's Eve Party: Indie rock, new wave, classic punk favourites with DJ Blue Jay and Eddie Lunchpail; Formal masquerade–dress-up; 9 pm (door); tickets: $5 (advance at Blackbyrd, Pawn Shop

REDNEX BAR–Morinville

• 10413-100 Ave, Morinville • 780.939.6955 • Two Bands For New Year's Eve: Chronic Rock and Bangkok Betty will be putting on an amazing show for New Year's Eve

RED PIANO

• Bourbon Street, WEM

On Ainsley: Shoes: Jimmy Choo (HR) Tights: Stylist's own Dress: Vintage from Swish Vintage Purse: Vintage from Swish Vintage Shawl: Vintage from Red Pony Necklace: Vintage from Red Pony Hair comb: Arielle de Pinto (GPTG)

• 780.486.7722 • theredpiano.ca • New Year's Eve Big Top Extravaganza Party: Contortionists, jugglers, magicians, cotton candy, popcorn and the dueling piano show; a circus inspired four course meal • Tickets: $125 (dinner and show, reservations start 6:30pm) Champagne and party favours; $50 (show only, reservations start at 8:30pm) Champagne and party favours

RENDEZVOUS PUB

• 10108 - 149 Street • 780.444.1822 • New Year's Eve hard rock and metal music with Whitemud, Boulderﬁst • 10 pm

RIVER CREE

• 300 East Lapotac Boulevard • 780.484.2121 • rivercreeresort.com • Sage: Dinner specials: 3-course dinner, 5:30pm, $19 each;

4-course dinner (incl 1 glass of Champagne each), 8pm, $125 each; reserve at 780.930.2582 • Tap25: New Year's Special: $35 each (incl dinner, 1 glass of house wine each); no reservations; ﬁrst come ﬁrst served (available 5-10pm)

SAWMILL BANQUET CENTRE • 3840 - 76 Avenue • 780.468.4115 • theclassics.ca • New Year's Eve Featuring The Classics: prime rib and seafood buffet dinner; dance to the music of the Classics • 6 pm (cocktails), 7 pm (dinner) 9 pm (music) - 1 am • Tickets: $67

SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE • 9797 Jasper Avenue • edmonton.com/shaw-conference-centre • New Year's Eve Bash with the Headstones • 8 pm • Tickets: $57 - $213 at TicketMaster

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE 29

30 NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

On Ainsley: Boots: Doc Martens (GP) Jeans: Diesel (HG) Shirt: Metallica (DV) Jacket: Stylist's own Hat: Stylist's own On Nick Shoes: Converse (GP) Jeans: Diesel (HG) Flannel shirt: Club Monaco Shirt: Cannibal Corpse (DV) Jacket: Vintage from Red Pony

GIVE KINGSWAY GIFT CARDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Kingsway Gift Cards are available in any amount, are accepted throughout the mall and never expire. Pick them up at Guest services.

kingswaymall.com

OPEN UNTIL 11PM ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16! * See kingswaymall.com for entry full per holiday shopping hours Enter in person only. †One person per code.

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

DATE: 28 Nov 2011

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NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE 31

Sherwood Park Broadmoor Lake Park

• Broadmoor Lake Park, Community Centre and Festival Place • 780.467.2211 • strathcona.ab.ca • New Year's Eve Festival: A mysterious evening of magic; family fireworks at Broadmoor Lake at 8 pm • 3 pm - 8 pm • Free

Starlite Room

• 10030 - 102 Street • 780.428.1099 • starliteroom.ca • The New Year's Eve Party: featuring Shout Out Out Out Out, Mad Bomber Society, Cygnets, No Problem, Degree and Gory; no minors • 7 pm • Tickets: $30 at primeboxoffice.com, Blackbyrd, Brixx

• 780.476.3388 • wildwestsaloon.ca • Kixxsin • 9:30 pm

Winspear Centre

• Churchill Square • Salute to Vienna: New Year's Concert 2012 • Welcome the New Year with “Salute to Vienna”, patterned after Vienna’s world famous “Neujahrskonzert”, returning to the Winspear Centre on January 1st for a glorious 15th season • Jan 1, 2012, 2:30 pm

World Waterpark

• Phase II, Level One, WEM • 780.444.5321 • wem.ca • Family Beach Ball: Ring in the new year at World Waterpark ending in an indoor firework display • 6 pm-midnight

Wunderbar

Tom Goodchild's Moose Factory

• 4810 Calgary Trail South • 780.437.5616 • sawmillrestaurant.com • New Year's Eve–The Roaring '20s Prime rib and seafood buffet, dinner and dance • Cocktails at 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm, band at 9 pm • Tickets: $60 Tom Goodchild's Moose Factory Single Day Event

Treasury

• 10004 Jasper Avenue • 780.990.1255 • thetreasury.ca • Champagne Dreams New Year's Eve Ball • Tickets: $30 (First 25)/$40 (next 75)/$50 (next 100); more at door

The Vault Pub

• 8214 - 175 Street • The New Year's Eve Mystic Jamboree with the Wizards • 8 pm

• 8120 - 101 Street • wunderbar-edmonton.com • 2012 Will Be Different: Featuring music by Whiskey Wagon, Jenny Woo, The Pezz Heads, Gary and the Quails, Industrial Arts, and much more; democratic dress code • 8 pm • Tickets available at the door

Y afterhours

• 10028 - 102 Street • 780.421.8446 • NYE 2012: DJ lineup • 10 pm - 10 am • Tickets: $40 (first 200 tickets)/$50 (next 100); tickets available at Foosh, The Occulist

Zinc

• 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square • 780.392.2501 • zincrestaurant.ca • Celebrate the New Year with a special menu created by Chef David Omar. First Seating: 5pm-8pm (must be seated by 5:30pm); Four Course Menu: $80 • Second Seating: 9pm-1am (must be seated by 10 pm); Five Course Menu $120; includes a Midnight toast. Wine pairing available starting at $30 Advanced bookings required 780.392.2501

Vinyl Retro Lounge • 10740 Jasper Avenue • 780.428.8655 • vinylretrolounge.com • Ice Palace New Year's Eve • 8:30 pm • Tickets: $10

Edmonton Transit

• takeETS.com • Edmontonians travelling to City Hall and Churchill Square to join the celebrations are encouraged to take public transit, which will be offered free of charge from Edmonton, St Albert and Strathcona Transit systems New Year’s Eve • 6 pm - 3:30 am • For more information or for bus routes visit takeets.com

WILD WEST SALOON • 12912 - 50 Street

Gravity Pope

2, 10442 - 82 Ave, 780.439.1637

Gravity Pope Tailored Goods 8222 Gateway Blvd, 780.988.1637

Holt Renfrew

10180 - 101 St, 780.425.5300

Red Pony

10139 - 82 Ave, 780.435.0655

Swish Vintage

On Ainsley: Boots: Marc Jacobs (HR) Skirt: Vince (HR) Coat: Club Monaco Purse: Scotch & Soda Gloves: Club Monaco Hat: Club Monaco

122, 10180 - 101 St, 780.479.8408

West Edmonton Mall

On Nick: Boots: Sorel (GP) Jeans: Seven for All Mankind (7M) Parka: Lifetime (HG) Gloves: Club Monaco Scarf: Club Monaco Toque: Paul Smith (HR)

(Club Monaco, Deja Vu, High Grade, Scotch & Soda, Seven for All Mankind) 1755, 8882 - 170 St, 780.444.5321

32 NYE STYLE AND PARTY GUIDE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

ARTS

<< CONTINUED from PAGE 17

REVUE // THINK OF THE CHILDREN

The Velveteen Rabbit

The strong cast gave a fine performance: Willow's flights of imagination had the kids in the audience giggling, and the father's nostalgic mini-monologues had the parents relating and engaged. Vacirca played both the young girl hearing the story

Fri, Dec 9 – Fri, Dec 23 Directed by Amanda Bergen Capitol Theatre, $7.50 – $25

f you're looking for new ideas for holiday outings with the kids this year, Chris Craddock's adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit is a great place to start. Housed in the charming Capitol Theatre, the classic is framed within a larger tale of a father (Chris Craddock) reading a bedtime story to his daughter Willow (Gianna Vacirca). This structure lent itself beautifully to some creative plot layers in the piece, and the boundaries of the two stories overlapped in delightful ways. Together, the two emotive storylines ensure that the audience gets a healthy dose of holiday cheese. The piece begins with Willow and her father, and weaves in and out of the book's story and theirs. While the father is dealing with his chil-

ARTIFACTS

// Craig Janzen

Dual layers at work

dren growing up too fast, The Velveteen Rabbit addresses, as it always has, the magic of childhood imagination. The depictions of the book will satisfy most long-time fans in terms of staying true to the story,

PAUL BLINOV // PAUL@vueweekly.com

Mostly Water Presents "A Ronnie Jimmie Christmas" Fri, Dec 16 – Sat, Dec 17 (8 pm)

and even when it diverts from the original (such as when Willow simply can't stand how sad the rabbit is becoming and demands an adorable plot detour) it is done smoothly and with purpose.

occasionally cluttered delivery, that very same high energy is what kept the audience involved. The use of a multimedia background added vibrant colours to the set, and allowed for some appealing technical liberties that caused the two kids

Craddock's writing is excellent, and while a few wonderful lines went unnoticed due to the cast's occasionally cluttered delivery, that very same high energy is what kept the audience involved.

and the young boy in the story, and these crossovers were some of the most entertaining aspects of the piece. The puppets used were handled with ease, and the stage was always alive with movement. Craddock's writing is excellent, and while a few wonderful lines went unnoticed due to the cast's

sitting in front of me to leap from their seats, engrossed and clutching the chairs in front of them. This play offers an enjoyable new take on a beloved book, and children and adults alike were smiling on their way out of the theatre. Saliha Chattoo

// saliha@vueweekly.com

REVUE // YEP ... STILL GOOD

A Christmas Carol

The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant ... Ever! Tue, Dec 20 – Fri, Dec 23 (7:30 pm) Whizgiggling Productions is reprising its Christmas offering from last year, of a little family-friendly theatre, for another couple of days. The play follows a frustrated teacher's dismay, when put in charge of a school's ho-hum Christmas pageant, that the "the worst kids in the world" manage to get themselves involved. Still, it turns out to be decidedly less ho-hum than she expected, and decidedly more festively warming; It's very likely several lessons will be learned. (Varscona Theatre, $19.75 – $21.75)

The Singing Christmas Tree Fri, Dec 16 – Sun, Dec 18 The Singing Christmas Tree's website dubs it, "A tree loud enough for the world to notice." Credit where it's due: it is pretty big, both in size of pine (a massive 35-foot tall faux-tree, that ornaments of which are, in fact, singers) and length of tradition: now in its 42nd year, The Singing Christmas Tree mixes music and drama to animate a tale of children discovering how a certain jolly old Nicholas got himself started. This year, it features Ruben Studdard—whom you may recall as the winner of American Idol's second season—adding his voice to the tree. (Jubilee Auditorium, $15 – $55)

// Ian Jackson, EPIC

Mostly Water Theatre's annual collection of festive sketch comedy returns, with added bonus: the group's YouTube trailer for the event claims, among other Christmas miracles, that someone is "going to give birth to the moon," which isn't so much festive as it is a spectacle I'd personally like to bear witness to. 'Tis the season for a little bit of excess, right? But moon or no, A Ronnie Jimmie Christmas promises old and new sketch offerings from the troupe, strung together by director Bradley Moss, and backed up by local folkers the Wheat Pool. (Roxy Theatre, $21)

12 years and counting

Until Fri, Dec 23 (7:30 pm) Directed by Bob Baker Citadel Theatre, $20 – $103.95

e've had 12 years of A Christmas Carol now, making it both a blessing and bane for journalists (what do you say after a dozen years? Or even a couple?). Not that anyone else seems be counting: its pull remains a strong one. Proof of that: to a (mostly full) Sunday night house, this incarnation of A Christmas Carol managed to earn itself somewhere in the neighbourhood of five spontaneous outbreaks of

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

applause throughout its runtime. From a bulk of people whom, given the intermission chatter, have seen it before, at least a couple of times. It's tradition now, pure and simple, and it's become that way because it's still a dazzling interpretation of the spirit of Dickens' beloved story. That story, of one well-named Scrooge transforming from festive grinch to holiday cheerleader is pretty flawless in its execution. McMillan's Scrooge, in his second year in the role, is a careful curmudgeon; he can shift from crotchety Mr Burns-

like man to a more invested, stonefaced figure being confronted with the ugly and beautiful details of his life, in a moment's turn. Backed by a passionate supporting cast and a well-constructed set and well-imagined scoring—and all kept moving by Bob Baker's direction—Scrooge's arc, and the sights and spectacle of it all still pull gasps from the people who know it well. It's far from broken, and proves that after 12 years, there's no hurry to alter any iota of this Carol. Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

ARTS 33

ARTS WEEKLY FAX YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO 780.426.2889 OR EMAIL LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3pm

careta/The indignant remove their mask: Exhibit of masks • Until Dec 22 during library hours

CENTRE D’ARTS VISUELS DE L’ALBERTA • 9103-95 Ave •

780.461.3427 • Miniatures and Plus: Miniatures and artworks by Ernest and Doreen Poitras, Deborah Lenihan • Until Dec 21

Crooked Pot Gallery–Stony Plain • 4912-51 Avenue, Stony Plain •

Dance

780.963.9573 • Sleigh Bells Ring: Holiday themed pottery and giftware • Until Dec 30

The Nutcracker broadcast

Daffodil Gallery • 10412-124 St,

• Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas • cineplex.com/ Events/BolshoiBallet/Home.aspx • From the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Russia • Sun, Dec 18, 1pm; Mon, Dec 19, 6:30pm • $19.95 (adult)/$17.95 (senior)/$9.95 (child)

FILM Cinema At the Centre • Library

Theatre, Stanley A. Milner Library basement, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.496.7000 • epl.ca • Centre for Reading and the Arts showcases little-known films every month

Downtown Docs • Stanley A.

Milner Library Theatre (basement level) • 780.944.5383 • Documentaries with attitude

From Books to Film series •

Stanley A. Milner Library, Main Fl, Audio Visual Rm • 780.944.5383 • Screenings of films adapted from books, presented by the Centre for Reading and the Arts

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS Agnes Bugera Gallery • 12310

Jasper Ave • 780.482.2854 • agnesbugeragallery.com • Winter's Eve: Artworks by Gallery Artists • Until Dec 22

ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY • 10186-106 St • 780.488.6611 • albertacraft.ab.ca • Natural Flow: Contemporary Alberta Glass: until Dec 24 • Discovery Gallery: SalTalk: Clayworks by Jim Etzkorn; until Dec 23

Art Beat Gallery • 26 St Anne St,

St Albert • 780.459.3679 • Christmas Around the World: Artworks by Angela McIntosh, guest artists and gallery artists • Through Dec

Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) • 2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq •

780.422.6223 • youraga.ca • BMO World of Creativity: Drawn Outside: especially for kids; until Jan 29 • 19th Century French Photographs: until Jan 29 • Prairie Life: Settlement and the Last Best West, 1930-1955: until Jan 29 • A Passion for Nature: Landscape Painting from 19th Century France: until Feb 20 • State of Nature: until Feb 20 • RBC New Works Gallery: Arlene Wasylynchuk: Saltus Illuminati: until Jan 15 • UP NORTH: Artworks by four contemporary artists from three circumpolar countries: Jacob Dahl Jürgensen, Simon Dybbroe Møller (Denmark), Ragnar Kjartansson (Iceland), and Kevin Schmidt (Canada); until Jan 8 • Art for Lunch: Last Best West: Thu, Dec 15, 12:10-12:50pm; free • All Day Sunday: The Space Between: Sun, Dec 18, 12-4pm; free with admission • Our Wilderness is Wisdom: Ledcor Theatre Lobby: Premiere of the most recent exhibition in the AGA’s Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX); until Jan 2 • Studio Y Youth Drop-in: Found: Text Collage: Thu, Dec 15, 3:30-5:30pm; $10 • Adult Drop-in: Cityscapes: Lino Cutting; Thu, Dec 15, 7-9pm; $15/$12 (member) • Studio Y Youth Drop-in: Tape: Large Scale Drawing; Thu, Dec 22, 3:30-5:30pm; $10 • Adult Drop-in: Stamp: Card-making; Thu, Dec 22, 7-9pm; $15/$12 (member)

Art Gallery Of St Albert (AGSA) • 19 Perron St, St Albert •

780.460.4310 • Lost and Found: Photos by Paul Burwell; drawings and sculptures by Cynthia Fuhrer; until Jan 28 • Artist at Heart: Winter White 3D Collage; Dec 17, 10am-12pm; $15, Preregister • Artventures: Drop-in art for ages 6-12 yrs; Buried Treasure: Dec 17, 1-4pm; $5

Bibliothèque Saint-Jean • 1-12,

Pavillon McMahon, 8406, rue MarieAnne Gaboury, 91 St • library.ualberta. ca • Los indignados se quitan la

34 ARTS

780.482-2854 • Twelve Days of Christmas • Until Dec 17

Expressionz Café • 9938-70 Ave• 780.437.3667 • expressionzcafe.com • Group show, admission by donation • Through Dec, Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm

FAB Gallery • Department of Art and

Design, U of A, Rm 3-98 Fine Arts Bldg • 780.492.2081 • Innovation Technology Design: Huiwen Hi Wen, for Master of Design in Industrial Design • Wilderness Homeland: Anna Gaby-Trotz: MFA Printmaking • Until Dec 22; Jan 3-14 • Reception: Thu, Dec 15, 7-10pm

Gallery at Milner • Stanley A.

Milner Library Main Fl, Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.944.5383 • epl. ca/art-gallery • The Light of the Lakeland: Watercolour landscapes by Patricia Coulter • In A Minute: Drawings by Charalene Denton in the display cases • Until Dec 31

Gallery IS–Red Deer • 5123-48 St,

Alexander Way, Red Deer • 403.341.4641 • Gallery closes Dec 24

Gallerie Pava • 9524-87 St,

780.461.3427 • second Regard II: Photos by Denise Parent • Until Jan 11

Haggerty Centre–Stollery Gallery • Nina Haggerty Centre for the

Arts, 9225-118 Ave • 780.474.7611 • ninahaggertyart.ca • Fruit off the Looms: Arworks by the NHCA Collective • Until Dec 23

Harcourt House • 3rd Fl, 10215-

112 St • 780.426.4180 • harcourthouse. ab.ca • Main Gallery: Mind Control Tricks: Paul Freeman • Front Room Gallery: forma: Wenda Salomons • Until Jan 21

Harris-Warke Gallery–Red Deer

• Sunworks Home and Garden Store, Ross St, Red Deer • 403.346.8937 • harriswarkegallery.com • firmamentum: Paintings by Paul Harris • Until Dec 23 • Closing reception: Fri, Dec 23, 6-8pm

Hub on Ross–Red Deer • 4936 Ross St, Red Deer • 403.340.4869 • hubpdd. com • Belonging: Group show from Art from the Streets • Through Dec Jeff Allen Art Gallery • Strath-

cona Seniors Centre, 10831 University Ave • 780.433.5807 • seniorcentre.org • Instructors and students Christmas show and sale • Until Dec 23

Jurassic Forest/Learning Centre • 15 mins N of Edmonton off Hwy

28A, Township Rd 564 • Education-rich entertainment facility for all ages

Kiwanis Gallery–Red Deer • Red

Deer Library • 25th Annual Celebration of the Arts Group show • Through Dec

Latitude 53 • 10248-106 St •

780.423.5353 • latitude53.org • ProjEx Room: taxonomia: Maria Whiteman’s Science-fantasy photographs • Both shows: until Dec 17

Loft Gallery • A. J. Ottewell Art

Centre, 590 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park • 780.922.6324 • artstrathcona.com • Art by local artists • Until Dec 24; Sat 10-4pm, Sun 12-4pm

McMULLEN GALLERY • U of A

Hospital, 8440-112 St • 780.407.7152 • Nature: Paintings inspired by poet Chon Sang-Pyon’s poem, Back to Heaven; artworks by Kyung Hee Hogg • Until Feb 5 • Opening reception: Thu, Dec 15, 7-9pm

Mezzanine Gallery • Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, 10230-111 Ave • Disappearing Sentinals–The Changing Alberta Landscape: Paintings by Kristina Steinbring • Until Dec 31 Michif Cultural and Métis Resource Institute • 9 Mission

Avenue, St Albert • 780.651.8176 • Aboriginal Veterans Display • Gift Shop • Finger weaving and sash display by

Celina Loyer • Ongoing

Mildwood Gallery • 426, 6655-178

St • Mel Heath, Joan Healey, Fran Heath, Larraine Oberg, Terry Kehoe, Darlene Adams, Sandy Cross and Victoria, Pottery by Naboro Kubo and Victor Harrison • Ongoing

Misericordia Community Hospital • 16940-87 Ave • Year End Show

and Sale: Artworks by members of the Edmonton Art Club • Until Jan 28

Multicultural Centre Public Art Gallery (MCPAG)–Stony Plain • 5411-51 St, Stony Plain •

780.963.9935 • Paintings by Marjan Assai • Until Jan 4

Musée Héritage Museum–St Albert • 5 St Anne St, St Albert •

780.459.1528 • St Albert History Gallery: Artifacts dating back 5,000 years • Take Your Best Shot: Photos by youth (818 yrs old) • Until Feb 5

Muttart Conservatory • The

Snow Queen’s Garden • Until Jan 9, weekdays 10am-5pm; weekends, holidays 11am–5pm, closed Christmas Day

Naess Gallery • Paint Spot, 1003281 Ave • 780.432.0240 • paintspot.ca • Artworks by Reece Schulte • Through Dec Peter Robertson Gallery •

12304 Jasper Ave • 780.455.7479 • tf: 1.877.826.3375 • probertsongallery.com • Winter Group Show: New artworks by gallery artists • Dec 17-Feb 4

Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery • 4525-47A Ave • reddeermu-

seum.com • Farm Show: Harvest: artworks; through Dec • For You the War is Over: Second World War POW Experiences; through Dec • Prisoner of War: Stories from Red Deer and District; through Dec

Royal Alberta Museum • 12845102 Ave • 780.453.9100 • A River Runs Through It: Until Feb 5 • Narrative Quest: Until Apr 29 SCOTT GALLERY 10411-124 St •

780.488.3619 • scottgallery.com • Scott Gallery’s 25th Anniversary Exhibition: Artworks by all gallery artists • Until Dec 23

SPRUCE GROVE ART GALLERY

• 35-5 Avenue, Spruce Grove • 780.962.0664 • alliedartscouncil.com • Christmas Store: Fine art, jewellery, clay works, and wood turnings • Until Dec 24

Strathcona County Gallery@501 • 501 Festival Avenue,

Sherwood Park • 780.410.8585 • strathcona.ca/artgallery • Half-Breed Mythology; until Dec 30 • Sitting Bull and the Moose Jaw Sioux by Dana Claxton; until Dec 30

TELUS World of Science •

11211-142 St • Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition: human stories told through artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the Titanic and extensive room re-creations; until Feb 20 • Discoveryland: Grand opening of new early childhood development gallery; Dec 16, 11am

VAAA Gallery • 3rd Fl, 10215-112 St • 780.421.1731 • Gallery A: Pictographs by Seka Owen; until Jan 21 • Gallery B: Perception-Life on Venus/Life on Mars: Photographs by Anne Marie Resta; until Jan 21 Velvet Olive–Red Deer • 4928

Ross St • Artworks by Sandy Proseillo • Through Dec

West End Gallery • 12308 Jasper Ave • 780.488.4892 • westendgalleryltd. com • 2011 Winter Collection • Until Dec 23

LITERARY Audreys Books • 10702 Jasper Ave • 780.423.3487 • CAA Writer in Residence Jannie Edwards in the store every Wed; Jan 18-Apr 25, 12-1:30pm

Blue Chair Café • 9624-76 Ave •

780.469.8755 • Story Slam: 2nd Wed each month

Haven Social Club • 15120 Stony

Plain Rd • 780.915.8869 • edmontonstoryslam.com/schedule.html • Edmonton Story Slam followed by a music jam; no minors; 7pm (sign-up), 7:30pm (show), 3rd Wed of every month • Dec 21, 7pm (sign-up); 7:30pm (show) • $5 (registration from writers to support the Society)

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Leva Cappucino Bar • 11053-86 Ave • olivereadingseries.wordpress.com • The Olive Poetry Reading Series: 2nd Tue each month; Sep-Apr, 7pm, open mic to follow Riverdale • 9917-87 St • Creative

Word Jam • Every 3rd Sun of the month, 6-10pm • facebook.com/group. php?gid=264777964410 E: creative.word. jam@gmail.com

Rouge Lounge • 10111-117 St • 780.902.5900 • Poetry every Tue with Edmonton's local poets T.A.L.E.S. MONTHLY STORYTELLING CIRCLE • Venue T.B.A. •

780.932.4409 • talesstorytelling.com • Tell stories or come to listen • 2nd Wed of the month; until Jun, 7-9pm • Free event

T.A.L.E.S. STORY CAFÉ SERIES •

Rosie’s Bar, 10475-80 Ave • 780.932.4409 • talesstorytelling.com • 1st Thu each month, open mic opportunity • Until Jun, 7-9pm • $6 (min)

T.A.L.E.S.–STRATHCONA • New Strath-

cona Library, 401 Festival Lane, Sherwood Park • 780.400.3547 • Monthly Tellaround: 4th Wed each month 7pm • Free

T.A.L.E.S. December Tellaround • Idylwylde Library , 8310-88 Ave • 780.496.1808 • Ghosts of Christmas Past: Traditional storytelling • Thu, Dec 15, 7-9pm • Free

Upper Crust Café • 10909-86 Ave • 780.422.8174 • strollofpoets.com • The Poets’ Haven Weekly Reading Series: every Mon, 7pm presented by the Stroll of Poets Society WunderBar on Whyte • 8120-101 St • 780.436.2286 • The poets of Nothing, For Now: poetry workshop and jam every Sun • No minors

THEATRE Amazing Kreskin • Arden Theatre, 5

St Anne Street, St Albert • 780.459.1542 • ardentheatre.com • Thu, Dec 15, 7:30pm • Tickets at Arden box office

The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant...Ever! • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • A fantastic family Christmas show presented by Whizgiggling Productions, with Spirit of Newfoundland Productions. Stars Kayla Gorman, Natalie Czar Gummer, Cheryl Jameson, Desmond Parenteau, Bob Rasko and Lindsey Walker; written by Barbara Robinson • Dec 20-23, 7:30pm • $20 (adult)/$18 (senior/student/child under 15) at door, advance at 780.433.3399, TIX on the Square

Chimprov • Varscona Theatre, 1032983 Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Rapid Fire Theatre’s longform comedy show: improv formats, intricate narratives, and one-act plays • First three Sat every month, 11pm, until Jul • $10/$5 (high school student)/$8 (RFT member at the door only)

Corner Gassed 2 • Jubilations Dinner Theatre, 2690, 8882-170 St, Phase II WEM Upper Level • 780.484.2424 • jubilations.ca • Brent and the rest of the town find themselves stuck in the middle when Owen and his best friend Frank both decide to run for Mayor of Cat Creek • Until Jan 21 A Christmas Carol • Citadel Maclab Theatre, 9828-101 A Ave • 780.428.2117 • citadeltheatre.com • Adapted by Tom Wood, directed by Bob Baker and Geoffrey Brumlik, starring Richard McMillan. Tom Wood’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale • Until Dec 23 The Christmas Carol Project

• TransAlta Arts Barns, Westbury Theatre, 10330-84 Ave • fringetheatre.ca • 780.409.1910 • Arts At The Barns: Brass Monkey Productions • Dec 28-29 • $30 (adv at fringetheatre.ca; 780.409.1910/$35 (door)

DIE-NASTY • Varscona Theatre, 1032983 Ave • 780.433.3399 • rapidfiretheatre. com • The live improvised soap opera featuring improvisors Dana Andersen, Matt Alden, Leona Brausen, Peter Brown, Belinda Cornish, Tom Edwards, Jeff Haslam, Kory Mathewson, Mark Meer, Sheri Somerville, Davina Stewart, Stephanie Wolfe, and Donovan Workun • Every Mon, until May, 7:30pm (subject to change) • Tickets at the box office

The Holiday Half-Time Show • Avenue Theatre, 9030 118 Ave • 780.477.2149 • Children's Theatre: Holiday Half-Time Singers perform

winter songs before and after every performance at the Snow Globe Festival of Children’s Theatre • Sat, Dec 24, 10:30am • $10 (adult)/$8 (child)

HRoses: An Affront to Reason • TransAlta Arts Barns, PCL Studio Theatre, 10330-84 Ave • 780.409.1910 • fringetheatre.ca • azimuththeatre.com • A timeless story about star-crossed lovers told through the kaleidoscope of magic realism • Until Dec 18 • Tickets at fringetheatre.ca; 780.409.1910

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe • Avenue Theatre, 9030-

118 Ave • 780.477.2149 • By C. S. Lewis, adapted by Joseph Robinette. Student Show • Dec 20-22 • $10 (adult)/$8 (child)

Miss Electricity • Avenue Theatre,

9030-118 Ave • 780.477.2149 • Children's theatre, student show. Comedy for all ages by Kathryn Walat. Violet is a fifth grader who would much rather be breaking a world record than studying for her geography test • Fri, Dec 23 • $10 (adult)/$8 (child)

A Ronnie Jimmie Christmas • Roxy, 10708-124 St • 780.453.2440 • attheroxy.com • Theatre Network • Mostly Water Xmas Special: Peter Brown, Mike and Rob Angus (Wheatpool), join Ronnie Jimmie for a Christmas comedy, directed by Bradley Moss • Dec 16-17 • Tickets at Theatre Network’s box office, 780.453.2440 OH SUSANNA! • Varscona Theatre • 10329-83 Ave • 780.433.3399 • varsconatheatre.com/ohsusanna • The Euro-style variety spectacle with Susanna Patchouli and her divine co-host Eros, God of Love! Laughs! Music! Cocktails! • Runs the last Sat each month, until Jul 2012, 11pm (subject to occasional change) The Snow Globe Festival of Children's Theatre • Avenue

Theatre, 9030-118 Ave • A new Edmonton Festival created and produced by Promise Productions featuring student matinees and evening shows of three full length plays • Dec 20-24

TheatreSports • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Improv runs every Fri, until Jul, 11pm (subsject to occasional change) • $10/$8 (member)

The Velveteen Rabbit • Capitol

Theatre, Fort Edmonton Park, Fox Dr, Whitemud Dr • fortedmontonpark. ca • This story comes to life on the Capitol Theatre stage • Until Dec 24 • Dec 19, 21: 12:30-2:15pm; Dec 17, 18, 23-24: 1:30pm; Dec 23: 7:30pm • $25 (adult)/$15 (post-secondary students)/$10 (child)

THE WEDDING SINGER • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109 Ave • 780.483.4051 • mayfieldtheatre.ca • With a brand-new score that pays homage to pop songs of the 1980's, The Wedding Singer takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up, and a wedding singer just might have been the coolest guy in the room • Until Feb 5 The Wizard of Oz • Festival Place,

100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park, 780.464.2852 • festivalplace.ab.ca • Written by L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, background music by Herbert Stothart, dance and vocal arrangements by Peter Howard, orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company • Dec 16-23, Dec 26-30, 7:30pm; 2pm matinées Dec 17, Dec 18, Dec 26 • Meals are available for some shows of this production, for a separate additional charge • Dinner: Dec 16, Dec 23, 5:30pm; $32 (adult)/$16 (child 12 and under) • Brunch: Dec 18, Dec 26, 12:30pm; $28 (adult)/$14 (child 12 and under); to make meal arrangements contact the Festival Place box office at 780.449.3378 at least 48 hours before the date of the show • Tickets at Festival Place box office, and TicketMaster

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE • Devon

Community Centre, 20 Haven Avenue, Devon • 587.783.3760 • eastofsixty.com • Dinner Theatre: East of Sixty Productions (E60) bring the original 1940s radio play to the stage in Devon • Dec 16-17, 6pm: $35; Dec 18, 11.30am: $30

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE • Varscona

Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • teatroQ.com • 780.433.3399, vb 1 • Presentation of the live radio version • Dec 15-17; Thu-Sat: 7:30pm; Sat: 2pm • $25/$20 (for patrons purchasing/renewing subscriptions) at TIX on the Square

MUSIC

PREVUE // COVER BOYS

Make quick work

// Shannon Heather

The Sheepdogs' latest was recorded in only four days

The Sheepdogs have beards that are way better than Katie Holmes

Sat, Dec 17 (8 pm) The Sheepdogs With Monster Truck Starlite Room, sold out

ver since Saskatoon's the Sheepdogs were on the cover of Rolling Stone as winner's of the magazine's "Choose the Cover" contest, it seems the band is everywhere. Not that that's a bad thing of course—the group's neo-Allman Brothers vibe is a welcome distraction from all the crimes pop music has been perpetrating these past few years. Vocalist and guitarist Ewan Currie took the time to answer a few questions about the group's latest EP, Five Easy Pieces.

Vue Weekly: How long did it take to make Five Easy Pieces from the initial songwriting through to the end of the

recording? Tough to say. Their was no decision to specifically write, record and release an EP. Rather, it is a collection of songs that were recorded for the Rolling Stone "Choose the Cover" contest as well as an alternate radio version of "I Don't Know." Some of the songs were written more than a year before the recording of the album. The recording of the four songs that were for the competition ("Who?" / "How Late, How Long" / "The Middle Road" / "Learn My Lesson") were recorded in about four days. Ewan Currie:

VW: When you were writing the songs, did you come at them in a particular way? Lyrics first? Music first? EC: Usually I approach songwriting music first. Then I start to vocalize the melody into actual lyrics. Sometimes

there is a clear-cut concept right away like "The Middle Road." Other times it's more open ended. VW: Did the songs come from one person fully formed, or were they sketches that were then filled out as a group? EC: Depends on the song. Sometimes I write a song and it's apparent how the arrangement will be, what the rhythm section should do and all that. Other times it requires bringing just a rough idea to the rest of the fellas and having them provide their input to help flesh out the song. VW: What were the recording sessions like for this EP? Is this the kind of thing you recorded live or did you piece it together one track at a time? Why? EC: Typically we would all set up and

play together. Initially we started with a click track (metronome) and eventually determined we played better without it. By playing together it helps the parts really groove together. Afterwards we'd overdub the vocals and other parts like keyboards and extra guitar bits. I'm not opposed to piecing track by track either, it's how we made our Learn & Burn album. I think both methods can be effective.

VW: How did you decide which songs to include on the EP? Did you have an idea of what you wanted Five Easy Pieces to be when you started, or did the finished shape emerge as the writing and recording went along? EC: There was no concept of what the EP would be. It was just a collection of the tunes we did for the Rolling Stone competition. Still, its a short-length album we're proud to offer people. We like the way it sounds.

One of the songs on the EP, "I Don't Know," is from the previous album—what made you want to include that one again? EC: It was recorded for radio play so we figured we'd give it a home on the EP. It's probably our most popular tune so people don't seem to mind having it on two albums.

VW: If you were to trace the musical map that led you to Five Easy Pieces, what would it look like? EC: Listening to lots of rock 'n' roll with soul music followed by recording under tight time constraints in New York City. Not a bad recipe.

the songs I really liked are the ones that were really dancey."

with making it sound the way I want it to sound. And then afterwards, when I book a show, I go, 'Oh, I should figure out how to take this arranged thing and make it playable, so it isn't just me going into iTunes and pressing play. "There [was] this really popular trend a few years ago where electronic artists would get bands together: drummer, guitarist, keyboardist maybe a sample player and maybe a singer, and they would essentially take what was electronic and make it into indie rock," he says. "That's sort of what Jaded Hipster was—I had a strict 'No Laptop' policy—but now I want to embrace the divide more, of rock band versus solo electronic artist playing live."

VW:

Bryan Birtles // bryan@vueweekly.com

PREVUE // ART-HOUSE MUSIC

Ghibli Sat, Dec 17 (8:30 pm) With Secret Squares Wunderbar, $5

homas Michael wasn't immediately drawn to making dance music. His first band, Jaded Hipster Choir, was dialed into spaced-out artambience far more than being particularly propelled by rhythm and groove. But having jettisoned that moniker for now, his new one, Ghibli, marks a shift in sound toward house music that he notes to be a natural progression born of a growing interest in sampling. "On the first album, Pythia, I was just trying to see what I could do," Michael

Sampling the house

notes, hunkered down in a coffee spot on Whyte. "When I was making it, I was listening to a lot of Dilla, but also just browsing YouTube for hours on

end, just looking for classical music, and meshing them together. And because of that, some of the songs came out dancier, and listening back to it,

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

He's eyeing a spring release for a new full-length, entitled Rare Pleasures—a smattering of "house music, with classical samples and old disco/soul meshed together"—but while the mixing-mastering process awaits that LP, he's releasing the Snowclone EP to tide the time and offer a glimpse at the dancier stylings he's currently invested in. Michael also notes that, though the music's inevitable target is the dancefloor, live performance isn't something he dwells on. "It's a total afterthought," he says. "When I'm making a song, I'm never thinking of, 'I wonder how this is going to sound live.' I'm just concerned

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

MUSIC 35

NEWSOUNDS

Various Artists Another Old Ugly Christmas (Old Ugly) Free download at olduglyco.com 

Scott Weiland The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Softdrive) M

An Old Ugly Christmas screwballs the usual seasonal sentiment into an eclectic album of staples and originals. A more diverse mix than its previous Christmas release, the 24-tracks Old Ugly's strung together span from traditional fare (Tyler Butler's "Silent Night (In Edmonton)", Jesse Northey's slowburn building "O Holy Night") to more left-of-field songs inspired by the season—a wacky rockabilly jam in "The Christmas Rock!", the smooth soul bounce of Sugarglider's "All Alone on Christmas" or The Joe's "Boxing Day at WEM" a surreal, murderous narrative. As a whole, it collects the spirit of the season in kaleidoscopic splendour. Paul Blinov

There's nothing inherently terrible about the idea of Scott Weiland making a Christmas album. Bob Dylan pulled it off with flair, Twisted Sister hacked up a ridiculous metal take on the holdiay genre and Zakk Wylde has offered up a mellow Black Label vision of the season, so why shouldn't the guy who's fronted Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver have a go at it? Well, because it's about as far off base as he could get. His crooning Frank Sinatra/Bing Crosby approach to the material doesn't sit well at all; Weiland sings as though he's so bored that he can barely get the lyrics out. His heart may have been in the right place, but it sure doesn't sound like it here. Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

// paul@vueweekly.com

Black Label Society Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good (eOne)

Austrian Death Machine Jingle All the Way (Metal Blade)  Austrian Death Machine continues its tribute/parody of all things Arnold Schwarzenegger by pulling jokes from that Arnold Christmas "classic" Jingle All the Way. Like its predecessors Total Brutal and Double Brutal, each track on the album is introduced by Ahhnold and continues his demands for totally brutal guitar solos, which Tim Lambesis (vocalist for As I Lay Dying) dutifully delivers. In its third release this schtick could have become grating and forced by now—not unlike the majority of jokes in Jingle All the Way—but the use of Arnold impersonations, Schwarzenegger-isms and technically tight thrash and metalcore continues to be a winning combination. With only three songs, the EP won't fill your Christmas party with joy, but it's a good mix up to break the sentimentality of the season and demand, as Ahhnold does, another cookie.

The three instrumental tracks on this Christmas EP find guitarist Zakk Wylde balancing on a fine line: the basic progressions and melodies are subdued, but he hefts his electric guitar for the leads and here and there seems like he's about to throw restraint to the wind. Time after time, though, he pulls back after a brief flurry of notes, slipping once more into the background and letting the old standards breathe again. The EP is a slight diversion from the usual holiday fare, slightly awkward at moments but generally a fine fit for the season.

Samantha Power

Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

// samantha@vueweekly.com

LOONIE BIN Boxer the Horse "Material Xmas" Charlottetown’s Boxer the Horse channel the ghost of rock 'n' roll past to sling some dry sarcasm at the holiday season. "This December 25th / I'm not giving any gifts," goes the refrain over surfy guitar and a simple structure that's nothing if not worth bumping a knee along with. The Very Most "Wombling Merry Christmas" Twee swoops of boy-girl vocals and equally cute musical hooks warm the spirits of The Very Most's christmas cover—taken from an old Brit novelty act called the Wombles . Sleighbell percussion only perfects the falling-snow sentiment.

36 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011



PAUL BLINOV // PAUL@vueweekly.com

Damien Jurado "Christmas Time Is Here" Damien Jurado makes a a meandering march through the Charlie Brown Christmas theme. A mid-song horn solo hits the point home far more than the deployment of Jurado's falsetto here, which doesn't rise above a shruggish delivery. Like your sad uncle's fireside wimpers after a couple too many glasses of sherry.

The Civil Wars "Tracks in the Snow" Over acoustic plucks and spacious production that leaves plenty of room to breathe, a stilled, quiet harmony carries gorgeously evocative lines like "bend like a cathedral over me." A winter wonder.

10442 whyte ave 439.127310442 whyte ave 439.1273

PREVUE // LASERFLOYD

Blue Goat

THE ROOTS

Thu, Dec 22 (8 pm) Telus World of Science, $20

UNDUN

aser beams and progressive rock have what you might call a history together. They're the pb-and-j of aggrandized musical gestures: how or why they came together is irrelevant, just that they did, and that they compliment each other's epic sentiments. All of which to say, it simply seems intuitive that Blue Goat, an eclectic local rock outfit rooted in prog, would be heading to the Telus World of Science to pair its own sound with concentrated beams of light. On the winter solstice, no less. "We've been talking about it for years," Brent Ankrom, a member of Blue Goat explains. "We always talked about it, about how it'd be a trip to play a show at the space science theatre. "The laser set up they have is an actual gas-powered analogue laser system which is only one of two in Canada, which is pretty unreal," he notes. For all that pipe dreaming of a laser show to call its own, all the band had to do was ask; Blue Goat vocalist Dan Jaycock attended a show one evening, and questioned the guy running it. Now, they'll have not only lasers at their disposal, but also the full capabilities of the

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Prepared for lift off

science centre's dome. "They have a program called 'digital universe,' which can virtually blast you off the Earth, through different levels of atmosphere, and travel through space," Ankrom says. "Close up to the moon, and you can travel to the solar system. So a lot of that's going to be the visual backdrop, with a laser show on top of that." And on top of that, Blue Goat's show is split between the band's own songs and a second set paying homage to the grandaddy of all prog bands, Pink Floyd. That part will be covers of all pre-Dark Side of the Moon material—

MUSIC NOTES

Ankrom points out how countless numbers of The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon tributes are already out there, and that the older work, which he's just as big of a fan of, seemed to fit the evening just as well. "We've always been progressive music fans, influenced by prog rock. And we're all pretty much big Pink Floyd fans. Being one of our favourite bands, and always challenging ourselves to learn their music over time, we thought it'd be a neat thing to do with the visuals of our set." Paul Blinov

// PAUL@vueweekly.com

BRYAN BIRTLES // BIRTLES@vueweekly.com

EYE on Music Showcase / Thu, Dec 22 (7 pm) Commited to the furthering of music careers for young and emerging musicians, EYE on Music is holding its latest showcase next week—or this week, depending when you're reading this. It could even be last week if this paper's been hanging around at your place for awhile. What I'm getting at is that a showcase featuring a whole slew of commited musicians aged 5 – 20 will be tearing up the stage. (Blue Chair Café, $5)

The Hot Club of San Francisco / Sat, Dec 17 (7:30 pm) Even though it's been unseasonably warm lately, you'd hesitate to call it hot—which is why it'll be perfect when the Hot Club of San Francisco lives up to its name. Playing gypsy jazz versions of holiday songs, the Hot Club of San Francisco twists the holidays into something smoky and sensual. (The Arden, $45)

Hip Hop for Hunger / Thu, Dec 15 (9 pm) For nearly a decade, Edmonton's hip-hop community has been devoting its efforts toward Hip Hop for Hunger and, having raised over 7000 pounds of food for the Edmonton Food Bank in the past nine years, the goal is to raise 1500 this year alone. Featuring mainstays Politic Live, the clever rhyming of Mikey Maybe and an appearance by former host Kreesha Turner, Hip Hop for Hunger should be an excellent time—the only bummer here is that, with so much wealth in this province, an event like Hip Hop for Hunger continues to be necessary. (Brixx)

Occupy Yuletide / Fri, Dec 16 (7 pm) Though evicted from their camp in November, the Occupy movement still has much work to do, but first—a party! Featuring Tom Roschkov, Scott Cook, the Raging Grannies and more, Occupy Yuletide picks up where Occupy Edmonton left off, and adds booze. (The Artery, by donation)

A Lightly Classical Christmas / Wed, Dec 21 (7:30 pm) & Thu, Dec 22 (8 pm) For many, heading to the Winspear for some Christmas cheer is a yearly tradition. So if that's something you're into and you haven't been yet—what are you waiting for? In fact, these two concerts are your last chance before Christmas. You gotta get down here before you ruin Christmas again! (Winspear Centre)

LMFAO / Wed, Dec 21 (6 pm) If you're sexy and you know it, get on down to LMFAO's show here in town. (Rexall Place, $35 – $45)

The Chicken Snails / Sun, Dec 18 (8 pm) It's the 10-year reunion of Edmonton's hopped-up-punk-bluegrass band the Chicken Snails and they'd like to celebrate it with you. (The Artery)

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

MUSIC 37

MUSIC WEEKLY FAX YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO 780.426.2889 OR EMAIL LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM

DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

THU DEC 15 Accent Althea Cunningham and Sarah Bryn Mallandaine (singer-songwriter/jazz); 9:30pm-11:30pm; no minors; no cover Artery The Edmonton Food Bank Winter Benefit Show: Souvs with Joe Vickers, Erica Viegas, Oh Powerful, This Girl That Boy; $4 (adv) Blues on Whyte Funkafeelya Brittanys Lounge Kenny Hillaby hosts a jazz session night every Thu with Shadow Dancers, Maura and Jeanelle; no cover CARROT Zoomers Thu afternoon open mic; 1-4pm

drums, whatever and play some tunes; Swamp Monsters, Thy Demon's Jest

Early Stage–Stony Plain Harp Dog Brown Christmas Concert Haven Mad Shadow (blues, rock), guests; 8pm Jeffrey's Kira Hladun (acoustic pop, country,Christmas); $10 J R Bar Live Jam Thu; 9pm L.B.'s Pub Open jam with Kenny Skoreyko, Fred LaRose and Gordy Mathews (Shaved Posse) every Thu; 9pm-1am Level 2 Lounge Michelle C (calgary)

Chrome 123 Ko every Thu

Treasury Nadia Ali; 9pm; $25 Wild Bill’s–Red Deer TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close Wild West Cornerstone Wunderbar Snail Party, Audio Rocketry, Ben Sir; 8:30pm

Classical Legislature Strathcona Children's Choir, Archbishop Jordan High School Choir; 7pm

DJs

Marybeth's Coffee House–Beaumont Open mic every Thu; 7pm

Blackdog Freehouse Underdog: Underdog Sound Revue: garage, soul, blues with Stu Chel; Main Floor: Soul/ reggae/punk/funk/junk with DJ Jaime Del Norte; Wooftop Lounge: Various musical flavas including funk, indie dance/nu disco, breaks, drum and bass and house with DJ Gundam

New City Legion Bingo is Back every Thu starting 9pm; followed by Behind The Red Door at 10:30pm; no minors; no cover NOLA Creole Kitchen & Music House Every Thursday Night: Nick Martin; 10pm NORTH GLENORA HALL Jam by Wild Rose Old Time Fiddlers every Thu

Common Ain't Nothin But a C Thang; 8pm

Ric’s Grill Peter Belec (jazz); most Thursdays; 7-10pm

dv8 Acoustic Chaos Thursdays: bring your guitars, basses,

Thu; 7pm-close

That's Aroma Carrie Day and Kyler Schogen

Lit Italian Wine Bar Thea Neumann, Clint Pelletier; 8pm, no cover

Cha Island Tea Co Live on the Island: Rhea March hosts open mic and Songwriter's stage; starts with a jam session; 7pm

Druid DJ every Thu at 9pm

Stan Gallant

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Duane Allen Sherlock Holmes–WEM

180 Degrees DJ every Thu

Brixx Hip Hop For Hunger Returns: 10th anniversary: Kreesha Turner, Oozeela Politic Live, Gzus Murphy, Cashew, Red 3, Mikey Maybe, The Real Triple Crown Lee’ On, DJ Sonny Grimez, host: Sterling Scott; 8pm; $10 (with non-perishable food item)/$12 (without) Century Room Lucky 7: Retro '80s with house DJ every

every Thu; dance lessons at 8pm; salsa DJ to follow

Christmas Carolling; Live music by Lazy River Sextet; 6:30-9:30pm

Overtime–Downtown Thursdays at Eleven: Electronic Techno and Dub Step

CASINO EDMONTON Souled Out (pop/rock)

Common So Necessary: Hip hop, classic hip hop, funk, soul, r&b, '80s, oldies and everything in between with Sonny Grimezz, Shortround, Twist every Thu

rendezvous Metal night every Thu

Crown Breakdown @ the crown with This Side Up! hosted by Atomatik and Kalmplxx DJ

Sportsworld Roller Skating Disco: Thu Retro Nights; 7-10:30pm; sportsworld.ca

Druid Irish Pub DJ every Thu; 9pm

Taphouse–St Albert Eclectic mix every Thu with DJ Dusty Grooves

electric rodeo–Spruce Grove DJ every Thu FILTHY McNASTY’S Something Diffrent every Thursday with DJ Ryan Kill FLASH Night Club Indust:real Assembly: Goth and Industrial Night with DJ Nanuck; no minors; 10pm (door); no cover FLUID LOUNGE Thirsty Thursdays: Electro breaks Cup; no cover all night FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Requests every Thu with DJ Damian HALO Fo Sho: every Thu with Allout DJs DJ Degree, Junior Brown KAS BAR Urban House: every Thu with DJ Mark Stevens; 9pm Level 2 Funk Bunker Thursdays Lucky 13 Sin Thu with DJ Mike Tomas On The Rocks Salsaholic:

Union Hall 3 Four All Thursdays: rock, dance, retro, top 40 with DJ Johnny Infamous Wild Bill’s–Red Deer TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close

FRI DEC 16 ARTERY Occupy Yuletide Featuring Tom Roschkov, Quetzala Carson, Scott Cook, Key of H, Raging Grannies; 8pm Avenue Theatre Autopsy of an Icon (hard rock, rock, In the Midst of Murder, guests; 9pm; $10 (adv)/$15 (door) Blue Chair Harpdog Brown, Graham Guest; 8:30pm; $15 Blues on Whyte Funkafeelya Brixx Early Show: Sanagsara, Mad Young Darlings, Dirty City Hearts; 7pm (door); 8pm; $10 (adv) CARROT Live music every Fri; all ages; Carrot Jingle Jammin'

BUDDY’S DJ Arrow Chaser every Fri; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm

Sawmill Banquet Centre Friday Night dance: 8pm

Coast to Coast Open stage every Fri; 9:30pm

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Duane Allen

Devaney's Lyle Hobbs

Sherlock Holmes–WEM Stan Gallant

DV8 Clean Up Your Act: Hardcore for the Homeless: Ringleader, Die Daily, Mahria, Suicidal Cop, Aggresive Dementia; 9am Early Stage–Stony Plain Rocko (One Horse Blue) with Rocko’s new big-time band, Ron Vaugeous’s new project with Fred Larose Empire The Frigid Party FRESH START live music every Fri; Darrell Barr 7-10pm; $10 GAS PUMP The Uptown Jammers (house band); every Fri; 5:30-9pm

The Studio Music Foundation This is war, Netherward, Animal Men of the Northwest; 7-11pm; $5; all ages Treasury Andy Caldwell, DJs Wild Bill’s–Red Deer TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close Wild West Saloon Cornerstone Wunderbar Scenic Route To Alaska, Joe Nolan, Cliffs; 8:30pm

Classical

Haven Megan Lane (blues, jazz, rock), guests; 8pm

Jubilee Auditorium JOY: Singing Christmas Tree

Irish Club Jam session every Fri; 8pm; no cover

Legislature Dunluce Elementary School Choir at 121pm and 7pm; Polonia Choir, St. George Choral Group 8pm

Jeffrey's Café Helena Magerowski (jazz singer, Christmas concert); $15 Jekyll and Hyde Headwind (classic pop/rock); every Fri; 9pm; no cover

Winspear Christmas at Winspear: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Handel's Messiah: featuring the U of A Madrigal Singers, I Coristi Chamber Choir; 7:30 pm; $20-$75

John Walter Museum Candlelight Christmas: The McDades (Celtic); 7:30-9:30pm; $23 (adult)/$14 (child 2-14); tickets at T: 311

Winspear Centre Christmas Bureau Sing-along; noon-1pm; free

L.B.'s Rennie and the Blazers; 9:30pm-2am

DJs

Lizard Lounge Rock 'n' roll open mic every Fri; 8:30pm; no cover new city Road To The CMW, Band-Off; no minors NOLA Early Show: Dave Babcock Trio, 6-9pm; Late show: Jack Semple, 9:30pm-midnight On the Rocks Bad Judgement; 9pm; $5 PAWN SHOP Black Mastiff, Raptors, Hale Hale, Bad Acid; 8pm (door) Red Piano Bar Hottest dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Fri;

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

videos every Fri; 9pm; no cover

Rose and Crown The Salesmen

CASINO YELLOWHEAD X-Change (pop/rock)

Level 2 Lingere Dance Party

38 MUSIC

9pm-2am

180 Degrees DJ every Fri AZUCAR PICANTE DJ Papi and DJ Latin Sensation every Fri BANK ULTRA LOUNGE Connected Fri: 91.7 The Bounce, Nestor Delano, Luke Morrison every Fri BAR-B-BAR DJ James; every Fri; no cover BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Every Friday DJs spin on the main floor, Underdog and the Wooftop Blacksheep Pub Bash: DJ spinning retro to rock classics to current Boneyard Ale House The Rock Mash-up: DJ NAK spins

Buffalo Underground R U Aware Friday: Featuring Neon Nights CHROME LOUNGE Platinum VIP every Fri THE Common Boom The Box: every Fri; nu disco, hip hop, indie, electro, dance with weekly local and visiting DJs on rotation plus residents Echo and Shortround The Druid Irish Pub DJ every Fri; 9pm electric rodeo–Spruce Grove DJ every Fri Empress Ballroom The Frigid Party FILTHY McNASTY'S Shake yo ass every Fri with DJ SAWG FLUID LOUNGE Hip hop and dancehall; every Fri Funky Buddha–Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro with DJ Damian; every Fri GAS PUMP DJ Christian; every Fri; 9:30pm-2am junction LGBT Community: Rotating DJs Fri and Sat; 10pm Level 2 Ridaze Pres: Naughty and Nice Lingerie dance party; 9:30pm Newcastle PUB House, dance mix every Fri with DJ Donovan Overtime–Downtown Fridays at Eleven: Rock hip hop, country, top forty, techno Rednex–Morinville DJ Gravy from the Source 98.5 every Fri RED STAR Movin’ on Up: indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson; every Fri Sou Kawaii Zen Fuzzion Friday: with Crewshtopher, Tyler M, guests; no cover SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating Disco Fri Nights; 7-10:30pm; sports-world.ca Suede Lounge Juicy DJ spins every Fri Suite 69 Every Fri Sat with DJ Randall-A Temple Options with Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; every Fri

Treasury In Style Fri: DJ Tyco and Ernest Ledi; no line no cover for ladies all night long Union Hall Ladies Night every Fri Vinyl Dance Connected Las Vegas Fridays Y AFTERHOURS Foundation Fridays

SAT DEC 17 ALBERTA BEACH HOTEL Open stage with Trace Jordan 1st and 3rd Sat; 7pm-12 Arden Cool Yule: The Hot Club of San Francisco (Gypsy jazz); 7:30pm; $45 at Arden, TicketMaster Avenue Theatre Thy Demon's Jest, AMNW, Down the Hatch, Rebuild/Repair; 8:30pm; $15 (the door) Black Dog Freehouse Hair of the Dog: Tanyss Nixi (live acoustic music every Sat); 4-6pm; no cover Blue Chair Jim Hepler Quartet; 8:30pm; $10 Blues on Whyte Every Sat afternoon: Jam with Back Door Dan;Late show: Funkafeelya Brixx Early show: The Spins and guests Greg Wood; 7pm (door); $8 (adv) Bunker Sports Open Jam every Sat afternoon; hosted by the Recollection Blues Band; 3pm; Auditions at Sat jams for bookings in 2012 (blues, classic rock, country groups); 3-7pm CASINO EDMONTON Souled Out (pop/rock) CASINO YELLOWHEAD X-Change (pop/rock)

3-7pm

senior)/child 5 and under free (adv)

Starlite Room The Sheepdogs, Monster Truck; 9:30pm; sold out

Winspear Christmas at Winspear: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Handel's Messiah: featuring the U of A Madrigal Singers, I Coristi Chamber Choir; 7:30 pm; $20-$75

The Studio Music Foundation In The Details, guests; all ages; 7-11pm; $10 West Side West Side Pub Sat Afternoon: Dirty Jam: Tye Jones (host), all styles, 3-7pm Wild West Cornerstone Wunderbar Ghibli (EP release), Secret Squares, Dj Mad Mitch, DJ Maybe Mike, DJ Argue Job

Classical First Presbyterian Church A Merry Christmas Concordia Community Ensembles; 7:30pm; $12 (adult)/$10 (student/senior) at TIX on the Square, Concordia Student Accounts, door Jubilee Auditorium JOY: Singing Christmas Tree Legislature St Paul and District Ukrainian Catholic Choir, Edmonton Brass Band; 7pm Roberston Wesley United Church Festive Brass: Mill Creek Colliery Band; 7:30pm; $18 (adult)/$14 (student/senior)free (child 12 and under) at tixonthesquare.ca St Faith’s Church African Christmas Concert: Alberta Ave Choir; 6pm; $10 at the Carrot Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre Cosmopolitan Music Society Christmas Concert; 7:30-9:30pm; $10 (adult)/$7 (student/

Fluid Scene Saturday's Relaunch: Party; hip-hop, R&B and Dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro every Sat with DJ Damian GAS PUMP DJ Christian every Sat

DJs 180 Degrees Street VIBS: Reggae night every Sat

HALO For Those Who Know: house every Sat with DJ Junior Brown, Luke Morrison, Nestor Delano, Ari Rhodes

AZUCAR PICANTE DJ Touch It, hosted by DJ Papi; every Sat

junction LGBT Community: Rotating DJs Fri and Sat; 10pm

Bank Ultra Lounge Sold Out Sat: with DJ Russell James, Mike Tomas; 8pm (door); no line, no cover for ladies before 11pm

Newcastle Top 40 requests every Sat with DJ Sheri

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Saturday evenings feature DJs on three levels; Main Floor: The Menace Sessions: Alt rock/Electro/Trash with Miss Mannered; Wooftop: Sound It Up!; classic hip-hop and reggae with DJ Sonny Grimezz Blacksheep DJ every Sat Boneyard DJ Sinistra Saturdays: 9pm BUDDY'S Feel the rhythm every Sat with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm Buffalo Underground Head Mashed In Saturday: Mashup Night Druid DJ every Sat; 9pm electric rodeo–Spruce Grove DJ every Sat Empress Xmas customer appreciation party FILTHY McNASTY'S Fire up the night every Saturday with DJ SAWG

New City Polished Chrome: every Sat with DJs Blue Jay, The Gothfather, Dervish, Anonymouse; no minors; free (5-8pm)/$5 (ladies)/$8 (gents after 8pm) Overtime–Downtown Saturdays at Eleven: R'n'B, hip hop, reggae, Old School Palace Casino Show Lounge DJ every Sat PAWN SHOP Transmission Saturdays: Indie rock, new wave, classic punk with DJ Blue Jay and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); free (before 10pm)/$5 (after 10pm) RED STAR Indie rock, hip hop, and electro every Sat with DJ Hot Philly and guests ROUGE Rouge Saturdays: global sound and Cosmopolitan Style Lounging with DJ Rezzo, DJ Mkhai Sou Kawaii Zen Your Famous Saturday with Crewshtopher, Tyler M SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating Disco every Sat; 1pm-4:30pm and 7-10:30pm

Coast to Coast Live bands every Sat; 9:30pm The Common Foosh and Plush and Bamboo Ballroom X-Mas Bash; 9pm Crown Acoustic blues open stage with Marshall Lawrence, every Sat, 2-6pm; Late show: Harpdog Brown with Graham Guest, 8pm, $10 Devaney's Irish pub Lyle Hobbs THE DISH NEK Trio (jazz); every Sat, 6pm DV 8 Tavern No Problem, guests; 9pm Early Stage Saloon–Stony Plain Rocko (One Horse Blue) with Rocko’s new big-time band, Ron Vaugeous’s new project with Fred Larose Eddie Shorts Saucy Wenches every Sat EMPIRE Xmas Customer Appreciation Party Expressionz Café Open stage for original songs, hosted by Karyn Sterling and Randall Walsh; 2-5pm; admission by donation Gas Pump Blues jam/open stage every Sat 3:30-7pm Haven The Latitudes, Hunger Hush, guests; 8pm HillTop Sat afternoon roots jam with Pascal, Simon and Dan, 3:30-6:30pm; evening Hooliganz Live music every Sat Horizon Stage A Tom Jackson Christmas; 7:30pm; tickets at TicketMaster Iron Boar Pub Jazz in Wetaskiwin featuring jazz trios the 1st Sat each month; $10 John Walter Museum Candlelight Christmas: The McDades (Celtic); 2-4pm; 7:30-9:30pm; $23 (adult)/$14 (child 2-14); tickets at T: 311 l.b.'s pub Sat afternoon Jam with Gator and Friends, 5-9pm; Late show: HEidi Raye and Aaron Goodvin (singer songwriters); 9:30pm-2am; $5 Morinville’s Community Cultural Centre River City Big Band’s Jazzy Christmas, Chandelle Rimmer, Colin MacLean; 7:30pm; $30 (adult)/$25 (student/senior) at door, tixonthesquare.ca new city compound The Consonance, Freak Motif; no minors New West Hotel Country jam every Sat; 3-6pm NOLA Early Show: Dave Babcock Trio, 6-9pm; Late show: Jack Semple, 9:30pmmidnight O’byrne’s Live band every Sat, 3-7pm; DJ every Sat, 9:30pm On the Rocks Bad Judgement; 9pm; $5 Parish Church of St. Faith and St. Stephen the Martyr Alberta Avenue Choir, Okapi Jambo (African-fusion), African and Caribbean art presented by the Farafina African Culture Festival Society; $20 (adult)/$10 (student/ elder); kids 5 and under free pawn shop Early show: Featuring Mars and Venus, Bomb Squad Rookie (acoustic performance), 6pm, $5 Red Piano Bar Hottest dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Sat; 9pm-2am Rexall Place Coldplay Rose and Crown The Salesmen Sherlock Holmes–Downtown Duane Allen Sherlock Holmes–WEM Stan Gallant Sideliners Pub Sat open stage;

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

MUSIC 39

Suite 69 Every Fri Sat with DJ Randall-A

songwriter open stage with Jay Gilday; every Sun, 9pm-close

TEMPLE Oh Snap with Degree, Cobra Commander, Battery, Jake Roberts, Ten-O, Cool Beans, Hotspur Pop and P-Rex; every Sat

Wunderbar Jenny Thai, Lyra Brown, guests; 8:30pm

Union Hall Celebrity Saturdays: every Sat hosted by DJ Johnny Infamous

Classical

Vinyl Dance Lounge Signature Saturdays Y AFTERHOURS Release Saturdays

SUN DEC 18 Artery Reunion Show: Chicken Snails Roadshow; 8:30pm; $8 (adv at Blackbyrd)/$10 (door) Beer Hunter–St Albert Open stage/jam every Sun; 2-6pm Blackjack's Roadhouse–Nisku Open mic every Sun hosted by Tim Lovett Blue Chair Café Sunday Brunch: Farley Scott's Jazz Passages Trio; 10:30am2:30pm; donations Blue Pear Restaurant Jazz on the Side Sun: Don Berner; 6pm; $25 if not dining DEVANEY’S Celtic open stage every Sun with Keri-Lynne Zwicker; 5:30pm; no cover Double D's Open jam every Sun; 3-8pm Eddie Shorts Acoustic jam every Sun; 9pm EMPIRE Industry Christmas Party Flow Ultra Winter Strikes Back 2.....X-Mas Edition; 9pm Expressionz Songwriters Stage, various hosts; all ages; 7-11pm FILTHY McNASTY'S Rock and Soul Sundays with DJ Sadeeq Hogs Den Dirty Jam: hosted by Tye Jones; open jam every Sun, all styles welcome; 4-8pm Horizon Stage A Tom Jackson Christmas; 7:30pm; tickets at TicketMaster John Walter Museum Candlelight Christmas: The McDades (Celtic); 7:30-9:30pm; $23 (adult)/$14 (child 2-14) at T: 311 Newcastle Pub Sun Soul Service (acoustic jam): Willy James and Crawdad Cantera; 3-6:30pm NEW CITY DIY Sunday Afternoons: 4pm (door), 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm (bands) O’BYRNE’S Open mic every Sun; 9:30pm-1am On the Rocks Bissel Centre Fundraiser; 9pm; $5 ORLANDO'S 2 Open stage jam every Sun; 4pm Pourhouse Bier Singer-

Yellowhead Brewery Open Stage: Every Sun, 8pm

Jubilee Auditorium JOY: Singing Christmas Tree Legislature Horns a Plenty, Precious Gems; 7pm Winspear Early show: Family Christmas: ProCoro Canada Choir, John Brough (conductor), Da Camera Singers; 2:30pm; tickets at Winspear box office

DJs BACKSTAGE TAP AND GRILL Industry Night: every Sun with Atomic Improv, Jameoki and DJ Tim BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: Soul Sundays: A fantastic voyage through '60s and '70s funk, soul and R&B with DJ Zyppy. Dance parties have been known to erupt Empress Ballroom Industry Christmas Party FLOW Lounge Stylus Sun SAVOY Reggae on Whyte: RnR Sun with DJ IceMan; no minors; 9pm; no cover

MON DEC 19 BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE The Black Dog's annual customer appreciation X-Mas Party Blues on Whyte Harpocalypse Devaney's Singer/songwriter open stage every Mon; 8pm NOLA Clint Pelletier Trio; 6-9pm PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam every Mon; hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm Rose Bowl/Rouge Lounge Acoustic open stage every Mon; 9pm Wunderbar Strugglefucks, guests

Classical Legislature Crawford Plains School Choir, McLeod Elementary School Choir at 12pm; Cosmopolitan Music Society, Ukrainian Dnipro Ensemble at 8pm

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy Nest: mod, brit pop, new wave, British rock with DJ Blue Jay

Phoenix, 9pm

FILTHY McNASTY'S Metal Mondays with DJ Tyson Lucky 13 Industry Night every Mon with DJ Chad Cook NEW CITY LEGION Madhouse Mon: Punk/metal/ etc with DJ Smart Alex

TUE DEC 20 Blues on Whyte Harpocalypse Brixx Ruby Tuesdays: Long Shadows, Jordan Grant, Mark Feduk (host); 8pm Druid Open stage every Tue; with Chris Wynters, guest Brock Skywalker; 9pm HAVEN Blake Paul (Christian folk, singer-songwriter), guests; 8pm jeffreys Sandy Foster ( jazz and Christmas classics); $15 John Walter Museum Candlelight Christmas: The McDades (Celtic); 7:30-9:30pm; $23 (adult)/$14 (child 2-14); tickets at T: 311 L.B.’s Tue Blues Jam with Ammar; 9pm-1am NOLA Clint Pelletier Trio; 6-9pm O’BYRNE’S Celtic jam every Tue; with Shannon Johnson and friends; 9:30pm Padmanadi Open stage every Tue; with Mark Davis; all ages; 7:30-10:30pm R Pub Open stage jam every Tue; hosted by Gary and the Facemakers; 8pm red piano Christmas House Party: Cops + Robbers, Russ Dawson; 7pm (show); $10 (door) Second Cup– Summerwood Open stage/ open mic every Tue; 7:30pm; no cover Wunderbar Sean Nicholas Savage (Montreal), Dave Smith, Smokey, K. Stebner; (Calgary); 8:30pm

Classical Legislature Keheewin Elementary School Choir, J.A. Fife Elementary School at 12pm; Gateway Festival Fiddlers Wednesday at 8pm

Buddys DJ Arrow Chaser every CRown Pub Live hip hop and open mic with DJs Xaolin, Dirty Needlz, Frank Brown, and guests; no cover DV8 Creepy Tombsday: Psychobilly, Hallowe'en horrorpunk, deathrock with Abigail Asphixia and Mr Cadaver; every Tue NEW CITY High Anxiety Variety Society Bingo vs. karaoke with Ben Disaster, Anonymouse every Tue; no minors; 4pm-3am; no cover RED STAR Experimental Indie Rock, Hip Hop, Electro with DJ Hot Philly; every Tue

WED DEC 21 BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: Glitter Gulch: live music once a month Blues on Whyte Harpocalypse Cha Island Tea Co Whyte Noise Drum Circle: Join local drummers for a few hours of beats and fun; 6pm eddie shorts Acoustic jam every Wed, 9pm; no cover Elephant and Castle– Whyte Ave Open mic every Wed (unless there's an Oilers game); no cover Fiddler's Roost Little Flower Open Stage every Wed with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12 Good Earth Breezy Brian Gregg; every Wed; 12-1pm HAVEN Open stage every Wed with Jonny Mac, 8:30pm, free HOOLIGANZ Open stage every Wed with host Cody Nouta; 9pm jeffreys Sandy Foster (jazz and Christmas classics); $15 John Walter Museum Candlelight Christmas: The McDades (Celtic); 7:30-9:30pm; $23 (adult)/$14 (child 2-14); tickets at T: 311 Nisku Inn Troubadours and Tales: 1st Wed every month; with Tim Harwill, guests; 8-10pm NOLA Clint Pelletier Trio; 6-9pm Oil City Roadhouse LMFAO Official After Party

Winspear Edmonton Symphony: Overture; 12pm

pawn shop On the Brink, The Weekend Kids, Down The Hatch, Whiskey Wagon; 8pm (door); $5 (adv)

DJs

Playback Open Stage every Wed hosted by JTB; 9pm-1am

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: alternative retro and not-so-retro, electronic and Euro with Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: One Too Many Tuesdays with Rootbeard

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented.5 by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; Slow pitch for beginners on the 1st and 3rd Wed prior to regular jam every Wed, 6.30pm; $2 (member)/$4 (non-member)

Crown Pub Minefield Mondays/House/Breaks/ Trance and more with host DJ

Brixx Troubadour Tue: hosted by Mark Feduk; 9pm; $8

15277 Castledowns Rd, 780.472.7696 Crown 10709-109 St, 780.428.5618 Diesel 11845 Wayne Gretzky Drive, 780.704.CLUB Devaney’s 9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834 THE DISH 12417 Stony Plain Rd, 780.488.6641 DRUID 11606 Jasper Ave, 780.454.9928 DUSTER’S 6402-118 Ave, 780.474.5554 DV8 8307-99 St Early Stage 4911-52 Ave, Stony Plain Eddie Shorts 10713-124 St, 780.453.3663

15120A (basement), Stony Plain Rd, 780.756.6010 HillTop Pub 8220-106 Ave, 780.490.7359 HOOLIGANZ 10704-124 St, 780.995.7110 Hogs Den 9, 14220 Yellowhead Trail

NORTH GLENORA HALL

10037-84 Ave

Orlando's 1 15163-121 St Overtime–Downtown

Red Piano Wed Night Live: hosted by dueling piano players; 8pm-1am; $5 Rexall Place Lmfao, Far East Movement, Natalia Kills, Frankmusik, Kay Colette Carr; 7pm; tickets at TicketMaster Second Cup–89 Ave Rick Mogg (country) Wunderbar Ben Corno (Calgary, CD release), Liam Trimble, Jessica Jalbert, Doug Hoyer; 8:30pm

Classical Holy Trinity Anglican Amahl and the Night Visitors: Christmas Opera presented by A Little Opera Company; 7pm; $15 (adult)/$5 (child under 14) Legislature Monsignor Fee Otterson School Choir, École Father Leo Green Choir at 12pm Winspear Centre A Lightly Classical Christmas: Christmas at Winspear with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Chafetz (conductor), Nathan Berg (baritone), Richard Eaton Singers; 7:30pm; $20-$75

DJs BANK ULTRA Rev'd Up Wed: with DJ Mike Tomas upstairs; 8pm BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: RetroActive Radio: Alternative '80s and '90s, post punk, new wave, garage, Brit, mod, rock and roll with LL Cool Joe; Wooftop: Soul/ Breaks with Dr. Erick Brixx Really Good... Eats and Beats: every Wed with DJ Degree and Friends BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n' Time every Wed; 9pm (door); no cover The Common Treehouse Wednesdays Diesel Ultra "Intoxicated" Young Tox Mixtape Cd Release Party: DJ Invinceable, DJ Alize; special performance by Triple Crown; 9pm (door) FILTHY McNASTY'S Pint Night Wednesdays with DJ SAWG FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Latin and Salsa music every Tue; dance lessons 8-10pm LEGENDS Hip hop/R&B with DJ Spincycle NEW CITY LEGION Wed Pints 4 Punks: with DJ Nick; no minors; 4pm-3am; no cover NIKKI DIAMONDS Punk and ‘80s metal every Wed RED STAR Guest DJs every Wed TEMPLE Wild Style Wed: Hip hop open mic hosted by Kaz and Orv; $5

VENUE GUIDE 180 Degrees 10730-107 St, 780.414.0233 Accent 8223-104 St, 780.431.0179 ARTery 9535 Jasper Ave Avenue Theatre 9030118 Ave, 780.477.2149 BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

10765 Jasper Ave, 780.420.9098

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 10425-82 Ave, 780.439.1082

Blackjack's Roadhouse–Nisku

2110 Sparrow Drive, Nisku, 780.986.8522 Blacksheep 11026 Jasper Ave, 780.420.0448 BLUE CHAIR 9624-76 Ave, 780.989.2861 Blue Pear 10643-123 St, 780.482.7178 BLUES ON WHYTE 1032982 Ave, 780.439.3981 Boneyard 9216-34 Ave, 780.437.2663 Brittanys Lounge 1022597 St (behind Winspear stage door), 587.785.3044 Brixx 10030-102 St (downstairs), 780.428.1099 BUDDY’S 11725B Jasper Ave, 780.488.6636 Bunker Sports Pub 615 Hermitage Rd Casino Edmonton 7055 Argylll Rd, 780.463.9467

Casino Yellowhead

12464-153 St, 780 424 9467 Century grill 3975 Calgary Tr NW, 780.431.0303 Cha Island Tea Co 1033281 Ave, 780.757.2482 CHROME 132 Ave, Victoria Trail Coast to Coast 5552 Calgary Tr, 780.439.8675 Common 10124-124 St

Crown and Anchor

40 MUSIC

EDMONTON EVENTS CENTRE WEM Phase III,

780.489.SHOW ‎

Electric Rodeo–Spruce

Grove 121-1 Ave, Spruce Grove, 780.962.1411 Expressionz Café 993870 Ave, 780.437.3667 FIDDLER’S ROOST 890699 St FILTHY MCNASTY’S 1051182 Ave, 780.916.1557 First Presbyterian Church 10025-105 St FLASH Night Club 10018-

105 St, 780.996.1778 FLOW Lounge 11815 Wayne Gretzky Dr, 780.604. CLUB Fluid Lounge 10888 Jasper Ave, 780.429.0700 FUNKY BUDDHA 10341-82 Ave, 780.433.9676 GAS PUMP 10166-114 St, 780.488.4841 Good Earth 9942-108 St HALO 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.423.HALO

haven social club

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Holy Trinity Anglican Iron Boar 4911-51st St, Wetaskiwin

JAMMERS 11948-127 Ave,

780.451.8779 J AND R 4003-106 St, 780.436.4403 jeffrey’s 9640 142 St, 780.451.8890 JEKYLL AND HYDE 10209100 Ave, 780.426.5381 junction bar 10242-106 St, 780.756.5667 KAS BAR 10444-82 Ave, 780.433.6768 L.B.’s 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100 LEGENDS 6104-172 St, 780.481.2786 LEVEL 2 11607 Jasper Ave, 2nd Fl, 780.447.4495

Lit Italian Wine Bar 10132-104 St

Lizard Lounge 13160-

118 Ave

Marybeth's Coffee House–Beaumont 5001-30

Ave, Beaumont, 780.929.2203

Morinville’s Community Cultural Centre 9502-100 Ave,

13535-109A Ave

O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave, 780.414.6766

Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre 8426 Gateway Blvrd ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767

10304-111 St, 780.465.6800 Overtime Whitemud Crossing, 4211-106 St, 780.485.1717

Parish Church of St Faith/St Stephen the Martyr 11725-93 St PAWN SHOP 10551-82 Ave,

Upstairs, 780.432.0814 Playback 594 Hermitage Rd, 130 Ave, 40 St

Pleasantview Community Hall 10860-

57 Ave

Pourhouse Bier Bistro 10354 Whyte Ave

REDNEX–Morinville

10413-100 Ave, Morinville, 780.939.6955 Red Piano 1638 Bourbon St, WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.486.7722 RED STAR 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.428.0825 Rendezvous 10108-149 St Ric’s Grill 24 Perron Street, St Albert, 780.460.6602

Roberston Wesley United Church 10209-

Morinville

123 St

Ave, 780.490.1999

LOUNGE 10111-117 St, 780.482.5253 Rose and Crown 10235101 St R Pub 16753-100 St, 780.457.1266

Newcastle PuB 6108-90 New City Legion 8130

Gateway Boulevard (Red Door)

Nisku Inn 1101-4 St NOLA 11802-124 St,

780.451.1390

ROSEBOWL/ROUGE

St Faith’s Church 117

Ave, 93 St

Second Cup • 89 Ave: 8906149 St • Sherwood Park: 4005

Cloverbar Rd, Sherwood Park, 780.988.1929 • Summerwood Summerwood Centre, Sherwood Park, 780.988.1929 Sideliners 11018-127 St, 780.453.6006 Sou Kawaii Zen 12923-97 St, 780.758.5924 STARLITE ROOM 10030-102 St, 780.428.1099

STEEPS TEA LOUNGE– Whyte Ave 11116-82 Ave The Studio Music Foundation 10940-

166A St Suede Lounge 11806 Jasper Ave, 780.482.0707 Suite 69 2 Fl, 8232 Gateway Blvd, 780.439.6969 Taphouse 9020 McKenney Ave, St Albert, 780.458.0860 Treasury 10004 Jasper Ave, 7870.990.1255

Vinyl Dance Lounge

10740 Jasper Ave, 780.428.8655 Westside Pub 15135 Stony Plain Rd 780 758 2058

Wild Bill’s–Red Deer

Quality Inn North Hill, 715050 Ave, Red Deer, 403.343.8800

WILD WEST SALOON

12912-50 St, 780.476.3388 Winspear Centre 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square; 780.28.1414 WUNDERBAR 8120-101 St, 780.436.2286 Y AFTERHOURS 10028-102 St, 780.994.3256, yafterhours.com

Yellowhead Brewery

10229-105 St, 780.423.3333 Yesterdays Pub 112, 205 Carnegie Dr, St Albert, 780.459.0295

DOWNTOWN

Dec 15-17, DUANE ALLEN • Dec 20-23, DERINA HARVEY NEW HAPPY HOUR MENU • EDMONTONPUBS.COM

WEM

Dec 15-17, STAN GALLANT • Dec 19-23, JIMMY WHIFFEN SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE • FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

TICKETS ON SALE

NOW!

DEC 16 & 17

the salesmen

DEC 30 & 31

stuart bendall

In Sutton Place Hotel #195, 10235 101 Street, EDMONTONPUBS.COM

LIVE MUSIC

January 5 @ 8:00 PM Winspear Centre Tickets available at: Winspear Centre Box Office 780-428-1414 or 1-800-563-5081 winspearcentre.com

CONCERTS

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

DEC 16 & 17, LYLE HOBBS DEC 19, AJ GOODVIN DEC 21, DUFF ROBINSON edmontonpubs.com

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DAY OF THE WEEK? SATURDAY & SUNDAY, BREAKFAST UNTIL 4PM SUNDAY, CELTIC MUSIC MONDAY, SINGER SONG WRITER TUESDAY, WING NIGHT WEDNESDAY, OPEN STAGE, PIZZA w/ JUG NIGHT THURSDAY, CHEAP JUG NIGHT

MUSIC 41

JONESIN'CROSSWORD

MATT JONES // JONESINCROSSWORDS@vueweekly.com

"I'll Go Last"—you can thank me later

Across 1 Air kiss noise 5 Invoice no. 8 Flash a quick smile to 14 Hawaii's "Valley Isle" 15 ___ Tzu 16 Bela in old horror movies 17 They may get patronized 18 Prefix before -mance 19 Head of a bowling group 20 Phrase telling off a blood-sucking bug? 23 They stop the band to sing "Leonard Bernstein" 24 Letters on aircraft carriers 25 Stimpy's amigo 26 Lean-___ (makeshift shelters) 27 Montana neighbor 29 Donkey Kong, for one 31 "seaQuest ___" (1990s sci-fi TV series) 32 Turn a different way? 34 "Pardon," in Parma 37 Punishment of having to wear a paper sign on your back? 41 Org. with a common interest 42 Puts up 44 Obnoxious person

42 BACK

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

46 "___ died and made you king?" 48 "It's ___!" ("Easy!") 49 Toward the stern 50 Wilberforce University's affiliated denom. 52 Back-to-school mo. 54 ___ Khan 55 Time-sensitive demand on a dirty car? 59 "Here We Go Again" singer Demi 60 Dust cloth 61 Bring in 63 It's hardly four-part harmony 64 100% 65 Length times width 66 Takes the helm 67 Sault ___ Marie, Mich. 68 Word used in telling time Down 1 UFC fighting style 2 Got the audience started 3 Add machines and conveyer belts 4 Rattler's noise 5 Professor Dumbledore's first name 6 Actress Tomei 7 Make steam whistle noises

8 Ball in a classroom 9 Unpleasant interaction 10 "___ that a lot" 11 Stipulation of some leases 12 "The Solar System and Back" author Isaac 13 Fork pokers 21 Minimum goals to be met 22 Hoover competitor 23 Crater edge 28 Tennis star Mandlikova and namesakes 30 "You thought I'd give it to you, didn't you?" 31 Dutch blockers 33 Golf pro Ernie 35 Midstreet maneuver 36 Cancels 38 Record store whose physical locations closed in 2006 39 Former Secretary of Defense Robert 40 Shelves for knickknacks 43 Place for cardio and detox 44 Put on ___ (be phony) 45 Wonder or Nicks 47 Actor and stand-up comic Patton 49 Great grade 50 Early tycoon John Jacob ___ 51 Atomic particles 53 Two under par, on a golf hole 56 Enclosure inside an enclosure, for short 57 Bullpen numbers 58 Pile of laundry 62 The Naked Brothers Band singer Wolff ©2011 Jonesin' Crosswords

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

CLASSIFIEDS

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ROB BREZSNY // FREEWILL@vueweekly.com

To place an ad Phone: 780.426.1996 / Fax: 780.426.2889 Email: classifieds@vueweekly.com 0515.

Notices

The Following Individual has recorded their Secured Party Creditor documents at the Washington State UCC Office, Joseph Albert Moyah

1005.

Help Wanted

Personal Assistant needed to organize and help. Basic computer skills needed, good with organization. We are ready to pay $700 per week, interested parties should contact: lee.oliver35@yahoo.com

1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Bells will be ringing November 17th - December 24th for the 2011 Christmas Kettle Campaign. We are looking for volunteers to come out and ring in Christmas to help us reach our goal of $450,000. We have 9000 volunteer hours to fill. If you have some time we would love to have you out Call 780-423-2111 ext 241 or email: edmonton_kettles@can.salvation army.org "How you found out about your parent's divorce?" Family therapist Vikki Stark is conducting a study of the impact in children of how they learned about their parent's divorce. If you are an adult who was a child/teen when your parents were divorced or are currently a child/teen of divorce - help kids in the future through your participation! Visit: SurveyMonkey.com/s/ChildDivorce to access the Study questionnaire online P.A.L.S. Project Adult Literacy Society needs volunteers to work with adult students in: Literacy, English As A Second Language and Math Literacy. For more information please contact (780)424-5514 or email palsvolunteers2003@yahoo.ca The Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival is seeking volunteers for their annual festival (January 7 & 8, 2012). Become an ambassador for your community while sharing your talents,commitment and enthusiasm. A variety of positions are available, for more info please contact: deepfreezevolunteers@gmail.com

1005.

Help Wanted

2001.

Acting Classes

FILM AND TV ACTING Learn from the pros how to act in Film and TV Full Time Training 1-866-231-8232 www.vadastudios.com

2005.

Artist to Artist

Expressionz Cafe Art Gallery Show your work with us! Call 780-437-3667 Sculptor's Association of Alberta presents: Snow Sculpting Workshop at Snow Valley Ski Hill on Dec 17th from 10 am - 5pm. Cost is $40 and includes a free SAA membership, $10 for current members. For more information contact: info@sculptorsassociation.ca

2010.

Musicians Available

Drummer looking to join an already formed metal or hard rock band. Double kick, 12 yrs exp, 8 yrs in Edm indie band, 7 albums, 250 live shows, good stage presence, dedicated, catch on quick, no kids, hard drug free. 780.916.2155

2010.

Musicians Available

Vocalist rhythm player seeks other musicians for jamming. Interested parties please call Chris at 497-1097 after 6pm

2020.

Musicians Wanted

Guitarists, bassists, vocalists, pianists and drummers needed for good paying teaching jobs. Please call 780-901-7677 Professional seasoned keyboard player or blues harp player required for gigging Blues group, lead and harmony vocals a must, bookings only on weekends around Edmonton. Contact Dan at 780-988-6247 for details and audition

2190.

2200.

Massage Therapy

RELAX AND LET GO Therapeutic massage. Appointments only. Deena 780-999-7510

7205.

Psychics

Psychic Readings with Jason D. Kilsch Tarot, Psychic, Intuitive Medium $30/half-hour or $60/hour Reiki sessions Stress Reduction ($30/hr) Leave msg 780-292-4489

Writers

The Writers Guild Of Alberta (WGA) is gearing up for the 2012 Alberta Literary Awards. Writers form across Alberta are invited to check out and submit to this year's award categories. The deadline for submissions to the Alberta Literary Awards is December 31, 2011. For more info visit: www.writersguild.ab.ca

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING YOUR INTUITION? Intuition by Design is hosting an introductory class on December 17th from 5pm until 8:30 pm. Please call 780-264-4477 for registration/information. (Investment $49.00)

PsychicJason Readings D. Kilsch with

reiki teacher and practitioner

turning non-believers into believers Daily appointments at Mandolin Books (6419 - 112 Ave.) $30/half-hour - $60/hour • $30/hour for Reiki therapy Call (780) 479-4050 Or call Jason (780) 292-4489

ARIES (March 21 – April 19): Jim Moran (1908 – 1999) called himself a publicist, but I regard him as a pioneer performance artist. He led a bull through a china shop in New York City and looked for a needle in a haystack until he found it. You might want to draw inspiration from his work in the coming weeks. You will not only have a knack for mutating cliches and scrambling conventional wisdom. In doing so, you could also pull off feats that might seem improbable. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One way to tap into the current cosmic opportunities would be to seek out storegasms—the ecstatic feelings released while exercising one's buyological urges in consumer temples. But I advise you against doing that. It wouldn't be a very creative solution to your current epic yearnings. Instead, I offer a potentially far more satisfying recommendation: maneuver yourself into positions where your primal self will be filled up with sublime wonder, mysterious beauty and smart love. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20): I'm not an either-or type of person. I don't think that there are just two sides of every story. That's one reason why, as an American voter, I reject the idea that I must either sympathize with the goals of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It's also why I'm bored by the trumped-up squabble between the atheists and the fundamentalist Christians. I urge you to try my approach in the coming weeks. Find a third way between any two sides that tend to divide the world into Us against Them. CANCER (June 21 – July 22): No one actually looks like the retouched images of the seemingly perfect people in sexy ads. It's impossible to be that flawless. Acknowledging this fact, the iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford once said, "I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford." Our unconscious inclination to compare ourselves to such unrealistic ideals is the source of a lot of mischief in our lives. Your assignment is to divest yourself, as much as possible, of all standards of perfection that alienate you from yourself or cause you to feel shame about who you really are. LEO (July 23 – Aug 22): Barney Oldfield (1878 – 1946) was a pioneer car racer who was the first ever to run a 100-mile-per-hour lap at the Indianapolis 500. He was a much better driver while setting speed records and beating other cars on racetracks than he was at moseying through regular street traffic. Why? He said he couldn't think clearly if he was traveling at less than 100 miles per hour. I sus-

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

pect you may temporarily have a similar quirk—not in the way you drive but rather in the way you live and work and play. To achieve maximum lucidity, you may have to be moving pretty fast. VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22): Back in August 2010, there was an 11-day traffic snarl on a Chinese highway. At one point the stuck vehicles stretched for 60 miles and inched along at the rate of a mile per day. In that light, your current jam isn't so bad. It may be true that your progress has been glacial lately, but at least you've had a bed to sleep in and a bathroom to use. Plus I'm predicting that your own personal jam is going to disperse sometime in the next few days. Be prepped and ready to rumble on. LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22): Here's a joke from Woody Allen's movie Annie Hall: "Two elderly women are in a Catskills Mountain resort and one of them says: 'Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.' The other one says, 'Yeah, I know—and such small portions.'" Is it possible you're acting like the second woman, Libra? Are you being influenced to find fault with something that you actually kind of like? Are you ignoring your own preferences simply because you think it might help you to be close to those whose preferences are different? I urge you not to do that in the coming week. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it's very important that you know how you feel and stay true to your feelings. SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): The Los Angeles school district dramatically downgraded the role that homework plays in the life of its students. Beginning this fall, the assignments kids do after school account for only 10 percent of their final grade. As far as you're concerned, that's not a good trend to follow. In fact, you should go in the opposite direction. During the enhanced learning phase you're now entering, your homework will be more important than ever. In order to take full advantage of the rich educational opportunities that will be flowing your way, you should do lots of research, think hard about what it all means, and in general be very well prepared. The period between late 2011 and early 2012 is homework time for you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21): The Amazon is the second longest river in the world, and has such a voluminous flow that it comprises 20 percent of all river water in the world. And yet there is not a single bridge that crosses it. I love that fact. It comforts and inspires me to CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 >>

BACK 43

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know that humans have not conquered this natural wonder. Which leads me to my advice for you this week, Sagittarius. Please consider keeping the wild part of you wild. It's certainly not at all crucial for you to civilize it. CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19): Emotion is the resource we treasure when we're young, says poet Naomi Shihab Nye, but eventually what we thrive on even more is energy. "Energy is everything," she says. And where does energy come from? Often, from juxtaposition, says Nye. That's what she loves about being a poet. Her specialty is to conjure

44 BACK

magic through juxtaposition. "Our brains are desperate for that kind of energy," she concludes. I mention this because the coming weeks will be prime time for you to drum up the vigour that comes from mixing and merging, particularly in unexpected or uncommon ways. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18): Studies show that if you're sharing a meal with one other person you're likely to eat up to 35 percent more food than if you're dining alone. As I contemplate your horoscope, this fact gives me pause. While I do suspect you will benefit from socializing more intensely and prolifically, I also think it'll be important to raise your commitment to your own physical health. Can you figure out

a way to do both, please? PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20): "Were it not for the leaping and twinkling of the soul," said psychologist Carl Jung, "human beings would rot away in their greatest passion, idleness." To that edgy observation I would add this corollary: One of the greatest and most secret forms of idleness comes from being endlessly busy at unimportant tasks. If you are way too wrapped up in doing a thousand little things that have nothing to do with your life's primary mission, you are, in my opinion, profoundly idle. All the above is prelude for the climactic advice of this week's horoscope, which goes as follows: Give everything you have to stimulate the leaping and twinkling of your soul. V

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

COMMENT >> ALT SEX

A very merry Christmas

A gift guide for the people on your list who want a little kink It's gift-giving season yet again "Head of State" dildo is phthalate a long lustful licking she’ll never so I spent this week searching for free. And no, I'm not making this one forget." Sexy! gift ideas for all of you who are up either. For the fantasy geek, Bad Dragon stumped for something for that For the hard to buy for pet, why makes a range of dragon-inspired special, somewhat kinky, someone not their very own love doll? The dildos. Yes, these are artist concepwho has everything. If a gift hot doll is a soft and sturdy tions of dragon dicks. If dragons card just isn't going to make dog-shaped companion for aren't your thing, you can also get the lasting impression your faithful friend to hug whale or dolphin penises, and even you're hoping for, here and love and, well ... you masturbation sleeves in the shape m ekly.co e are a few things that defiget the picture. The hot of horse vaginas. While it may sound w e u @v brenda a nitely will. doll comes in a variety of a little out there, these toys are acd n Bre er b For the gadget lover, sizes from Yorkie to Golden tually beautiful, in a disturbed sort r e K there is the Little Rooster viRetriever. of way, and they are all made of 100 brating alarm clock. This tiny clock For the festive fashionista, 3 percent silicone. They are definitely actually fits right into your panties. Wishes has a variety of Christmas something the average dolphin-lovInstead of awakening to a loud obFor the fantasy geek, Bad Dragon makes a range noxious alarm, you'll feel a warm of dragon-inspired dildos. Yes, these are artist tingling between your legs. Press conceptions of dragon dicks. the snooze button and the vibration will continue just until your nineminute snooze is over. But somehow I'm thinking this would make you want to stay in bed rather than get up. themed lingerie. Choose from sexy er will not have in his or her collecFor the horror movie fanatic, check snowman with hat and plaid scarf, tion and it's much more useful than out the Fleshlight Freaks. This line naughty toy soldier or raunchy reina sea world snow globe. V of dildo and masturbation sleeves is deer complete with antler headband Brenda Kerber is a sexual health inspired by our favorite horror movie and jingle bell collar. educator who has worked with local creatures. There is the zombie with For the perfectionist, or perhaps not-for-profits since 1995. She is the decaying flesh and open wounds. the easily confused, Pipedreams has owner of the Edmonton-based, sexThe vampire sports a batwing vulva, finally solved the pesky problem of positive adult toy boutique the Travor you can choose the mouth verlosing your way when you're going eling Tickle Trunk. sion with sexy pointed fangs. The down. The Oral Sex Light looks like Frankenstein models looks like a microphone headset but instead they've been stitched together from of a mic, it holds a small light so many different body parts, and the you can see what you're doing while alien is blue with two heads instead you're down there. This one would of one. There is a female and male also be great for those with Rockversion for each monster. No, I am star fantasies or anyone who gets not making this up. turned on by the guy who demonFor the political junkie, why not strates the ShamWow at the mall. pick up a Barack Obama dildo? For a great gift set, why not pair Shaped in the likeness of the presithe Oral Sex Light with the Oral dent of the United States, these Sex Snorkel? This little gadget, dildos come in your choice of presiconsisting of a nose plug connected dential gold or democratic blue. to two long tubes, allows you to You'll be pleased to know that the "breathe normally while giving her

LUST E LIF

FOR

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

BACK 45

COMMENT >> SEX

'Bitchez be crazy'

Savage deals with your partner's other relationships I'm a man who recently started seenew girlfriend was comfortable ing a wonderful woman. Like me, exploring and capable of enjoying. she's divorced. While my ex-wife And you would have looked forward left me for another man, my girlto the day when she felt ready to friend's ex-husband was controlling enjoy sensuous, consensual and and abusive. Our relationship is the mutually pleasurable vaginal interopposite—emotionally, psychologicourse again. And if that day never cally and sexually. arrived, well, then perhaps you Here's the thing: his abusive would have been willing to E behaviour is my kink— forgo vaginal intercourse SAVAG spanking. In all my past for the rest of your life to ly.com be with her. relationships, spanking k e e w vue love@ was light, playful and con- savage But you wouldn't be Dan sensual; with her ex, it was sitting there feeling like e g a Sav about pain and humiliation to some sort of monster for the point of tears and bruising. She being aroused by—and for having knows about my kink (as a Savage enjoyed—consensual, vanilla, misLove reader, I knew to bring it up sionary, penis-in-vagina intercourse after a couple of weeks) and underwith other women. stands that my motivations around Your willingness to drop your harmspanking are completely different less kink is evidence that your priorifrom her ex's, but she has zero interties are in order, LACA, your heart is est in anything approaching fetish in the right place, your cowboy hat play—and that's fine, because I feel is white, etc. Any time you start feelso connected to her that I don't need ing bad about your kink, just remind my kink indulged to feel fulfilled. yourself that consensual kink isn't But I find myself feeling guilty for abuse for the same reason consenhaving the kink in the first place. sual vaginal intercourse isn't rape: The thought of her enduring what because it's consensual. You can she did brings me to tears. How do I love this woman, LACA, and make get past this? this relatively small sacrifice for LACKING A CLEVER ACRONYM this woman (spanking ain't vaginal), without having to shame yourself If your girlfriend's ex-husband had or retroactively define all your past manipulated or bullied her into vagspanking experiences as abusive. inal intercourse—if he had repeatedly and brutally raped her vagiMy boyfriend of five years had a nally during their terrible, awful, one-night stand with a much youngno good, very bad marriage—would er woman. In some ways, it's a good you feel guilty about an interest thing—we're having conversations in consensual, vanilla, missionary, we should have had a long time penis-in-vagina intercourse? No. ago, he's seeing a therapist to deal You would hopefully have reacted with his issues (his idea, not mine), in a similarly compassionate manand somehow I know more than ner, LACA, after learning about her ever that I want to be with him (I've sexual history. You would have been always been the one in every relawilling to stick to oral, mutual mastionship with one foot out the door). turbation and whatever else your Two questions:

LOVE

1) I recently hit the age where I've started to worry about looking older, and it's been devastating to know that not only did he cheat on me, but that he did so with a much younger woman. He assures me he's attracted to me, but how can I believe that now? 2) The younger woman sent me— and other people in our lives—an explicit, lengthy email detailing everything they did. (I hate to paint this as "bitchez be crazy," but sometimes bitchez be crazy.) It's not how I found out, but it certainly hasn't helped. Ironically, our sex life has only gotten better since I found out

of us all, SIP, it can strengthen a sexual connection even as sex itself becomes less important when weighed against everything else your LTR is or should be about. In the words of singer-songwriter Tim Minchin: "Love is made more powerful by the ongoing drama of shared experience and synergy and symbiotic empathy, or something like that." 2) Angry cheated partner: "You did what with that person? I would've done that with you! And I have kinks and fantasies, too, you know!" Contrite cheating partner: "I was afraid to ask you to do that! I was

Sometimes we're in bed, and I'll flash on something she wrote and the vivid mental images her letter cooked up in my head, and it sears me.

exactly what they did—it turns out that we are both far more GGG than the other ever knew. But sometimes we're in bed, and I'll flash on something she wrote and the vivid mental images her letter cooked up in my head, and it sears me. Dealing with that pain out of the bedroom has been hard enough. It's devastating that it's now with me in the bedroom as well. How can I deal with this? SALVE IT, PLEASE

1) LTRs are only possible if we're willing take "yes" for an answer. He says yes he loves you, and you will yourself to believe him; he says yes he's having sex with you because he's attracted to you, and you will yourself to believe him; he says he strayed and is sorry and swears he won't do it again ... and you will yourself to believe him. And while the passage of time makes monsters

afraid you would hate me—wait, you have kinks and fantasies? What are they?" Conversations like that one are why affairs—if the relationship survives the betrayal—sometimes kickstart a couple's sex life. With all the kink-and-whatever-else cards on the table, the couple starts going at it like they have nothing to lose—because in that moment when breaking up is on the table, they actually don't have anything to lose. As for those troubling mental images: the passage of time is your body's enemy on the physical-perfection front—and his, too—but it's your best friend on the searingmental-images front, SIP. The more time you two spend doing, enjoying and perfecting X, Y and Z sex acts, the more X, Y and Z becomes about you two and your connection. As you take ownership over X, Y and

Z, and over each other again, the mental images will come to you less often, they'll be less vivid, and gradually they'll cease. Give it time. A letter in a recent column was from a guy who's trying to figure out how to get into gay BDSM. You suggested some advice from a gay BDSM blogger—Ben In Leather Land (tinyurl.com/bensten)—and it was awesome. Do you have any suggestions of similar blogs for women into BDSM? LOOKING LADY

Sex writer, blogger, thinker and haver Tristan Taormino, who is publishing a new book about BDSM and kinky sex (The Ultimate Guide to Kink: BDSM, Role Play and the Erotic Edge), recommends fetish icon Midori's column in SexIs magazine (tinyurl.com/edenmidori) for women who are just beginning to explore kink. HEY, EVERYBODY: We're seeking sordid and tragic stories of holiday sex for an upcoming episode of the Savage Lovecast. Ever been caught having sex at Mom and Dad's over the holidays? Ever put a "For Grandma, from Santa!" card on a wrapped box that contained a sex toy you bought for someone else? Did your older brothers stick your vibrator in the tree before a Christmas party, and you had to leave it there because reaching into the tree to remove it would only attract attention to it? Call and record your story at 206.201.2720! Please keep it under three minutes, if at all possible! V Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

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BOB THE ANGRY FLOWER

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chelsea boos // chelsea@vueweekly.com

School's Out

Like this cry for help on a sign board at Strathcona Composite High School shows, exam season is upon us. While many people are thinking only of shopping and parties, the youth are consumed by studying and end-of-term projects. As Haruki Murakami wrote in Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, "School's a place where they take 16 years to wear down your brain." After weeks of finals, students will soon be able to escape the hallways of schools around the city and have the freedom to explore different ways to stimulate their minds.

VUEWEEKLY DEC 15 – DEC 21, 2011

Over the winter holiday, the schools will be empty and young people will be looking for a creative outlet. It's a good chance to take some time out to spend with a kid. Decorate cookies! Tell stories! Make a snow fort! Set off firecrackers! Show them that there is a whole wide world of possibilities beyond the classroom. V Chelsea Boos is a multidisciplinary visual artist and flâneur. Back words is a discussion of her dérives and a photographic diary of the local visual culture.

BACK 47

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