New book does fantastic job detailing Hitchcock’s controversies

Let’s talk books. My favourite kinds of book are biographies and autobiographies. From Tina Fey’s hilarious account of her days as an up-and-coming comedian in her book Bossypants to Sidney Poitier’s insightful look into his professional career in The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, biographies and autobiographies have always deeply influenced me in […]

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New Music Revue: Taraka delivers promising solo debut

Taraka Welcome to Paradise Lost (Rage Peace) 3.5/5 After the breakup of dance-pop two-piece Prince Rama, frontwoman Taraka has released her solo debut, Welcome to Paradise Lost, a grungy and varied punk album which makes her comeback from the Prince Rama breakup very promising. Welcome to Paradise Lost fills the listener with joy, entertainment, and […]

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New Music Revue: Jane Mathew drops beautiful indie-folk debut

Jane Mathew Such Perfect Lives (Independent) 4.5/5 Such Perfect Lives is a beautifully put together indie-folk album from Toronto-based Jane Mathew. The album—Mathew’s debut—mixes her hypnotic vocals with soft guitar and ukulele, and her songwriting makes you feel like you’re escaping to another world. Mathew writes all of her own music; each song is its […]

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Frankenstein comes to Craigdarroch Castle as solo performance

It’s alive! This October, actor Jason Stevens will be regaling audiences with a live rendition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at Craigdarroch Castle. Stevens has gained a reputation for his performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for the past 10 years, and he’s excited to be telling a different sort of story as frigid fog […]

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New book tells fascinating, if incomplete, history of Paramount Pictures

As a movie lover, I love stories about old and new Hollywood. To me, Hollywood has always been a very interesting place to learn about, as evidenced by films such as Billy Wilder’s intriguing Sunset Boulevard or Quentin Tarantino’s vivid take on the Sharon Tate murders in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. This fall, […]

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Jared uses creative measures to brew a success

Braving the rain last night, I went into Fernwood to see Jared. Directed by Clayton Jevne, Jared is a one act, 45-minute comedy (although I won’t hesitate to say there is some darkness thrown into it). Playwright and noted Canadian author Rachel Wyatt takes us through Jared’s story in this compelling and moving performance. Jared—played […]

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Victoria Festival of Authors back to showcase the power of the Canadian word

After a year of virtual events, the Victoria Festival of Authors is back for their sixth annual event, presenting a hybrid of in-person and online activities for those eager to leap into new literary adventures created by the imaginations of 33 wordsmiths and hosted in the expansive stadium of each reader’s mind. The contributors are […]

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New Music Revue: Post-rockers Starless drop essential album

Starless Hope Is Leaving You (Independent) 4.5/5 In need of a soundtrack for your return to school? Chicago-based atmospheric post-rock band Starless have a new release called Hope Is Leaving You. This album is a masterpiece of music that must be heard this fall. Hope Is Leaving You contains seven tracks, each presenting different styles […]

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New book deep dives into fascinating history of The Hollywood Ten

Ever since I can remember I’ve always been fascinated about the history of Hollywood. From the Manson Family Tate/LaBianca murders to the conviction of The Hollywood Ten, to me, Hollywood history has always stood out as one of the most vivid kinds of history we have. Now, Bernard F. Dick has given us another fine […]

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