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James Gartler

FILM

Magical Musical Mystery

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The Socalled Movie, Segal Centre

by James Gartler
08.06.2010

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Mile End resident or Montreal music-scene aficionado who hasn’t heard of Socalled, aka Josh Dolgin, and his crazy, klezmer-meets-rap-meets-funk performances. For the rest of us, though, The Socalled Movie offers an insightful introduction to this curious artist and his world of magic tricks, both musical and sleight-of-hand.

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DVD

Froggie Feature Fun – Warts And All

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The Princess and the Frog

by James Gartler
02.04.2010

The Princess and the Frog is the most significant Disney film of the past decade. Not only does it mark the Mouse House’s return to traditional 2D animation some four years after Home on the Range‘s failure saw them abandoning the medium, it also features a multi-racial cast and African American lead – firsts for [...]

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ART

Flocking To Fashion

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Girls of a Feather, Headquarters

by James Gartler
18.03.2010

Ask anyone in the know and they’ll tell you spring is when fashion matters most. Between the bold runway reveals of fashion week and the promise of warmer weather, this is when the industry blossoms in a full-out frenzy of colour and clothes that no one can resist. That excitement has been captured in a [...]

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ART

Setting The Crappy Aside

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Live in the Lost, Warren G. Flowers Gallery

by James Gartler
18.02.2010

There’s something innately nerve-wracking about a homecoming. You end up judging the who-you-were against the who-you-are-now, and hoping the disparities amount to a much-improved, but no-less-promising self. For these reasons, Emily Shanahan and Corina Kennedy’s live in the lost is an interesting experience.

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DVD

In Search Of Happy Endings

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Ally McBeal, Complete Set

by James Gartler
29.12.2009

“To me, the true meaning of Christmas has always been Santa … you’re allowed to believe in something you know doesn’t exist.” Sad, but oh so true. Life is filled with a great many illusions. Thankfully, we’ve arrived at the one time of year when clinging to them isn’t only accepted, but celebrated. It also [...]

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EVENTS

Laughing Matters

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Improv Tuesday, Comedy Nest

by James Gartler
15.12.2009

It is often said there’s no better medicine than the healing power of laughter. The stars of Montreal Improv certainly agree. Tonight, they take the stage at Ernie Butler’s Comedy Nest for their final Improv Tuesday of 2009, with all proceeds benefitting Child’s Play – a charity that brings toys to hospitalized children. To help [...]

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FILM

A Toxic Addiction

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H2Oil, Excentris

by James Gartler
08.12.2009

With the holiday season now officially upon us, it would be easy to overlook H2Oil for more festive cinematic fare. This startling investigation of the far-reaching impact of the Alberta Oil Sands project is likely to leave you feeling decidedly less-than-jolly … but it couldn’t have come at a more vital time.

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FILM

Classic Fun Ghoul Night

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Trick ‘R Treat, DVD

by James Gartler
30.10.2009

Halloween is the perfect night to drop by your local video store, rent something scary and cozy up with an easily-frightened loved one. The problem? By the time you read this, all the classic titles will have long since left the shelves. No Exorcist, Blair Witch or Poltergeist, and forget about Halloween – it’s not [...]

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FESTIVAL CITY

Queer Fest Spans Cinematic Rainbow

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Image+Nation

by James Gartler
24.10.2009

Though our beloved Mount Royal may be sporting a stunning array of leafy colours, the real eye-catching rainbow of diversity in town is Image+Nation, Montreal’s queer film fest – the biggest and longest-running in Canada. To celebrate its 22nd season, the fest has arrived a little earlier this year, bringing with it pics in a [...]

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FILM

Exclamation Point Not Quite Enough

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The Informant!

by James Gartler
21.10.2009

What do bored, pudgy businessmen fantasize about? Matt Damon knows. In his newest flick, The Informant!, he piles on 30 extra pounds and sports a moustache to portray real-life executive-turned-FBI informant Mark Whitacre – a character as deceitful as The Talented Mr. Ripley, but less than half as interesting, in a film nowhere nearly as [...]

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FILM

Beating Those Filmmaking Odds

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8000 Miles, Festival du nouveau cinéma

by James Gartler
18.10.2009

It can be hard to make a mark as a young filmmaker. Seems even when you have a decent idea, the funding drops out. Or, once you’ve finished your masterpiece, no one is interested in distributing it. It really does take a special kind of person to try and persevere against these odds. Yu Irie, [...]

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ART

Seducing The Unseen

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Cinq Photographies + ne pas être, Belgo Building

by James Gartler
14.10.2009

There may never be a shortage of interesting art shows to check out in Montreal, but jetting from one end of the city to the other just to get a glimpse of everything sure can leave you feeling exhausted. Solution? The Belgo Building – a veritable one-stop shop for artworks and inspiration.

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FESTIVAL CITY

A Candid Look at WFF

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Montreal World Film Festival

by James Gartler
07.09.2009

The 33rd Edition of the World Film Festival having drawn to a close, local director Geoff Uloth provides an honest look at the fest from the perspective of someone with an awful lot invested in it – a rising filmmaker.

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FESTIVAL CITY

It’s Lonely Out There

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Montreal World Film Fest

by James Gartler
27.08.2009

With summer winding down, brief as it was, Montrealers have a second chance to escape thanks to the 33rd Edition of the World Film Festival. Starting today, films from all over will converge upon local theatres (including the Imperial, NFB and Quartier Latin) hoping to inspire, thought-provoke, and – yes – provide a glimpse of [...]

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FESTIVAL CITY

Winged Panther Head Looks To 2010

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Zoofest Roundup

by James Gartler
03.08.2009

Near the end of her opening night performance of Playin’ With Micucci, the endearingly wide-eyed Kate Micucci went off-script, saying: “I look at it like a video game – if I get through it, there’s extra points.” One can only wonder if the same sentiment saw Zoofest organizer Lucy Eveleigh through the frantic five months [...]

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