It's real. It's atrocious. It's a pop culture gem. Take a look. Continue reading

Wow, 2011 right? We have only four years to go before Marty McFly lays his grubby hands on Grey's Sports Almanac and rolls out the welcome mat for the antichrist. But seriously, let's start simple. Reviews. Specifically, you're going to hear how this bookworm wrapped up 2010. The last time I posted a review was the end of October, and the subject matter wasn't exactly water-cooler friendly (thank you Bob Woodward and Naomi Klein.) That being the case I focused on fiction in November and December. Here's what went down: Continue reading

We were back in zombie heaven Sunday night as Rick Grimes attempted extricate himself from a tank in downtown Atlanta. Help came in the form of Glenn, one of the book's stalwart characters. Steven Yeun played Glenn to perfection. He was exactly what I expected without being a rip-off of... Continue reading

An hour and a half has passed since The Walking Dead premiered and I'm still thinking about it. To say this show is worth a view would be an understatement, it's a television event. Today is a red-letter day for the advancement of television culture in North America. Continue reading

It's Halloween and I'll forgive you for thinking that Ghostbusters is all about ghouls and gloriously sarcastic one-liners care of Bill Murray. Actually, it's about privatization and government interference. I've ruined it for 90% of the people who grew up this movie, haven't I? I don't care. This interpretation is... Continue reading

I recently devoured, back-to-back, Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine and Bob Woodward's Obama's Wars, and although the books focus on different topics they seem to warrant a joint review. First the information: The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism By Naomi Klein Holt, Henry & Company Inc., 2007 Obama's... Continue reading

Way back in 2006, prior to Christopher Nolan's blockbuster successes The Dark Knight and Inception, a relatively small film was released called The Prestige. The movie raked in approximately $53 million compared with an estimated $40 million budget, peanuts in Hollywood dollars. It was not considered a great success, despite a cast that included Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and even David Bowie. But The Prestige did accomplish something that none of Nolan's other films have – it told a complete story about obsession, the hallmark theme that dominates his work. Continue reading

Chetwynd, B.C. is the chainsaw capital of the... it used to be world, but according to their economic development office there's some new competition from other towns. Now, I'm from the Pacific Coast and I've seen my fare share of tree carving, lumberjack competitions and big trees, but I've never... Continue reading

On last week’s Frotcast, we were kicking around ideas, and one thing that came up was “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Inception.” I don’t think we ever made it past the title stage, and frankly, I liked my idea for a Food Network show called “Cakes on a Plane” better (We... Continue reading

I'm tired of our society's devotion to childishness. Not long ago, a friend and I debated the "problem with Hollywood". If you're anything like me you've probably had this conversation a time or two, or at least witnessed a similar one in action. It goes something like this: "Hollywood is... Continue reading

Ellroy takes a sledgehammer to 1960s glamour and leaves behind only grit and grime. Continue reading

You can begin to play the video by clicking on the triangle "play" image sitting in the middle of the video player on this page. via www.imdb.com The best graphic novel series in print today comes to AMC this fall. Check it out. Continue reading

A British man on Monday said he became the first person ever to walk the length of the Amazon, braving a 6,500-kilometer (4,000-mile) hike through mosquito- and snake-infested jungle over the past two years. via www.vancouversun.com Amazing story. I would love to interview this man. Continue reading

Strange Embrace By David Hine Image Comics, 2008 David Hine’s Strange Embrace is a twisted examination of sexual corruption, obsession and blood ties. This graphic novel is pigeonholed as a horror, but its complexity warrants a genre all its own. Like a mangled nightmare that warps and pivots with each... Continue reading

I don't often review soundtracks. In fact I never review soundtracks. I guess you've realized that I plan to make an exception in the next few sentences. I'll make it short. I was cruising around the iTunes store last night, which I'm often wont to do when I have money... Continue reading

It's been too long since the last installment. I hope to keep rolling these out with a little more regularity from now on. Here's the next piece. 8. Is it possible to die twice? The wound in his shoulder ached, but James tried to ignore it. When no one was... Continue reading

I've spent the last few weeks nose-deep in the first two books of George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire series. The first book, A Game of Thrones, came to my attention by accident. A family member thrust it upon me with that classic bookworm one-liner, "you... Continue reading

Fellow wordsmith and friend Lee Guille's new blog - check it out - http://perfectworldscifi.wordpress.com/ Continue reading

He thought about his street and he heard winter’s icy whisper. He felt its touch. He remembered the kitchen window. He looked through the tropical canopy at his new moon. It was still square. “So what then? I’m dead and this is hell?” Continue reading

6. The third arrival Pffft. The blade sang past his right ear. James ducked and found himself on the opposite side of the camp before Corsaire had a chance to recover. The Englishman composed himself and spun around to face James, sword ready. The fire lay between them. Logs crackled... Continue reading

Shamra Divided By Barry Hoffman Gauntlet Press, 2010 301 pages US$12.95 tdpb Barry Hoffman's Shamra Divided isn't my favourite book of all time, but it's definitely one of the more interesting reads to grace my stack over the last few months. This young adult fantasy weighs in at 300 pages,... Continue reading

The story goes that on Christmas Eve, yes another Dickens xmas classic, a party of haughty Victorian friends decide to spend the holiday at an allegedly haunted mansion in the countryside. Each of the friends is tasked with a challenge to stay in one of the haunted rooms alone and discover the source of the phantoms. The friends then reconvene on Twelfth Night and relay their tales. Continue reading

5. Of pork and puzzlement The fire crackled. The boar meat was thick and greasy. James sucked salty juice from his fingertips. Corsaire eyed James like a father would look upon a child at the dinner table. “Yes, I had heard things were done different in the Americas,” observed the... Continue reading

Professor Dumbledore is speaking to me in his study, the Hogwarts headmaster’s holographic projection so real that I feel I can touch it. The corridors of the school for wizards are lined with talking portraits, the final chamber filled with floating candles, and Harry Potter himself appears, urging me to... Continue reading

Unless you're busy writing jungle stories (it works), try this video for tips about how to get over your Lost addiction. Continue reading