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Searchers 3/5 Searchers (2016) gets its name from the 1956 John Ford picture The Searchers, one of the most influential films of all time. Attempting a semi-remake of a film with such status is as ambitious as it is intriguing, but Searchers finds itself locked into a plot structure that isn’t necessarily conducive to how […]

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki 4/5 The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (2016) is the story of a man caught between opposing forces—on one hand, the opportunity for greatness and to do right by his nation, and on the other, love, inopportune and unavoidable. It’s a film entrenched […]

The provincial crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women continues; here in Victoria, there will be a gathering and a memorial march on Sunday to remember those women. University of Victoria practicum student Jessica Dawn is an event organizer for the march; she says that governments need to be doing more about the situation, and […]

Old Stone 3.5/5 Old Stone (2016), directed by Johnny Ma, is fascinating (Ma has a keen eye for the little intricacies of life), intimately moving (we watch a man beaten down by the bureaucracy of the Chinese medical system, and his own moral fortitude), and beautifully shot (lush Chinese jungles and the busy, hustling cities […]

Going into Gracie at the Belfry Theatre, I didn’t expect a single actress to be capable of holding the attention of an audience for a full 90 minutes. However, Lili Beaudoin’s enthusiastic and believable performance of Gracie—a girl growing up in a polygamist society in Bountiful, BC—did just that, and more. The unique perspective of […]

If you’re in Criminal Justice at Camosun College, you’ve probably read Gordon Cruse’s Juvie, which is a mandatory text in the program. Good news for those who liked what they read: Cruse—a local author and former juvenile detention guard of 26 years—has a new book out, called Handcuffed by History. In this book, he delves […]

Vancouver experimental alternative band Brasstronaut are playing Victoria before they head off overseas for a UK tour with indie folk band Stornoway; for Brasstronaut member Sam Davidson, who plays the clarinet and EWI (electronic wind instrument), it’s just the latest stop in a life-long musical journey. “I grew up in a very musical family—musical instruments […]

Face it: everyone likes to have their pants off. At least that’s what the organizers of Pants off Dance Off are hoping. The fundraising event, now in its second year, is raising funds for travel scholarships for HIV- and Hepatitis-C-positive youth to attend the Youth Unleashing Power symposium, held here in Vancouver Island, in June. […]

Toronto’s Holy Fuck have more than just a very unconventional name: the band uses highly unconventional instruments to create their unique alternative sound. Brian Borcherdt, who plays the guitar and multiple keyboard instruments, says the band quickly went from messing around with music in their free time to performing shows all across the world. “We […]