I attended a wonderful concert at Mel Lastman Square this Sunday to raise money for earthquake relief in Peru. The music ranged from jazz to contemporary, traditional to pop. Many performers were local, others flew into Toronto specifically for the benefit. The concert was arranged by unidos-por-peru.com/. There are articles about the concert in Spanish […]
Earthquake concert a success Read More »
I recently watched the musical We Will Rock You, and the opera Elektra. I know I won’t be getting any Brownie points for excellent taste when I tell you I loved the first and didn’t care much for the second. To be fair, I knew every song used in the Queen musical, right down to
I went to see the Rocky Horror Show on March 28. As a teen I was given the soundtrack by my parents but forbidden to see the movie itself. I have since watched it on DVD. My husband hadn’t seen any version of the Rocky Horror Show when I took him to see it. It
Rocky Horror Stage Show Read More »
As part of the ImagineNative festival, on Saturday I went to an excellent screenwriting seminar given by Elke Town of Storyworks, sponsored by the Harold Greenberg Fund. She was an excellent presenter and a good sport as well since she posed for this picture! Top tips: Study the films that you like the best and
Screenwriting, Opera, Kegger & Contest Read More »
There are two excellent, memorable short films in Short Cuts Programme 5, outstanding for their professional acting, production values and stories. The first is Aruba, directed by Academy Award nominee Hubert Davis. The gentle, lyrical pacing and soundscape are at odds with the events of the story. A boy is beaten at school during the
The Horror, the Glitter Read More »
Kurt Cobain About A Son, is a visually exciting documentary that uses animated drawings, landscapes and portraits of people from Cobain’s hometowns of Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle Washington. Director AJ Schnack has assembled the soundtrack around groups that Cobain listened to both as a child and later. The voice recordings for the film are taken
Suicide and Sex and Suicide Read More »
I just saw four films in less than twelve hours! What a smorgasbord for the eyes. Here are my impressions: The Journals of Knud Rasmussen is worth seeing but I recommend it with reservations. I loved the Camera D’Or winning Atanarjuat (the Fast Runner), also directed by Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn. While that film
Four films in less than twelve hours Read More »
The Magic Flute exceeded my expectations. I laughed and cried in turns. In the opening sequence, spring meadows and Mozart’s vivacious music are set against the falling shells and falling men of World War One. Bright colours, stunning CGI and odd juxtapositions, such as soldiers carrying band instruments, induct us into a magical realm. Mozart’s
The Magic Flute — Twisted Marvel Read More »
I’m looking forward to seeing The Magic Flute, directed by Kenneth Branagh. He has restaged the opera using an English libretto by the well-known actor and writer Stephen Fry. I’ve been a fan of Fry’s comic acting since I first saw him in the BBC’s Blackadder series. I also enjoyed the satirical humour in his
The Magic Flute — Kenneth Branagh’s Adaptation Read More »