I don't care about the Oscars. And yet, like any film fan, I find myself talking endlessly about the Oscars. For me it pretty much comes down to the old and often brought up point of view that it's ridiculous to award something that is subjective. No one ever agrees unanimously on what is the best film, how can it be given an award which states that it is the best of the year then? I understand why people like giving or receiving awards, but I just can't wrap my mind around the process. I remember one year the two critics in Entertainment Weekly each did an article on their top 10 and bottom 10 picks of the year. One critic had a film on their top 10 list that was on the others bottom 10. To me, that really wraps up how silly critics and awards are.

Having said that, let me now talk about the Oscars some more! There's 10 films in the best picture category, I have seen five. I was neutral on 'Social Network' and 'Inception', thought '127 Hours' was good and that 'Winter's Bone' was pretty great. I missed seeing 'The Kids Are All Right' when we had it at the Mayfair, and will see 'The Fighter' (which kida' just looks like another 'Rocky' to me) and 'The King's Speech' in March, and I think we're getting 'Black Swan' (which I've heard conflicting reports that it is the best thing ever and horrible pretentious film school snobbery) later. I'm dieing to see 'True Grit', and only missed out on it 'cause I avoid those pesky multiplexes for the most part.

That leaves 'Toy Story 3'. Of the ten options, I think 'Toy Story 3' is hands down the best film on the list. Pixar just blows my mind. Any other franchise or studio would've dropped the ball by the time they get to part three in a series. And those mad geniuses at Pixar almost inexplicably makes another story about talking toys that manages to soar above any other offerings not only of the summer but the whole damn year. Yet, I think that most folks think 'Social Network' is gonna' win. And that movie being considered the best perplexes me to no end, but I'm in the minority there.

But none of it really matters because my favorite movie of the year was 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World', and it got zero nominations, and that doesn't make me care about it any more or less.

Though I don't care about the Oscars, I will kinda be watching them. In the capacity that we'll be again showing them on the big screen at the Mayfair. Likely I will be on ballot counting patrol again. Which last year came down to the very last award given before we had a winner, it was actually fairly action packed to keep track of. Plus, James Franco is co-hosting and he's pretty awesome.

Oh, and there's a slim chance that Banksy might do something awesome (again...don't care, won't think the film is any less great, but I really want him to win).

Tonight marks the end of the mini-bout of Black History Month done in true Mayfair style. To counter the horror Blaxploitation that was the genius of Blacula, last night we screened likely the most mainstream and critically praised film in Geek Night history with Do the Right Thing. Which might not seem like the most geeky of films at first thought, but any film with someone like Spike Lee in the lead role definitely holds a tinge of geek to it. Plus of course the packed cast holds none other than geek movie icon Samuel L. Jackson, amongst other talents.

But, that was last nights film. Tonight we showcase '1990: The Bronx Warriors' A knock-off grindhouse Italian picture that takes influence from (or rips off from depending on if you're looking at it negatively or positively) The Warriors, Escape from New York, and a lil' bit of Clockwork Orange. A moviegoers guilty pleasure calibre of a film, which although not quite Blaxploitation, holds a place alongside that type of movie thanks to the inclusion of actor Fred Williamson (star of Hammer, Black Caesar & Black Eye to name a Blaxploitation few).

Another chance to see a rare bad movie gem up on the big screen. One night only for Lost Marbles Geek Night - Friday February 18th at 11:30pm at the Mayfair.

I've been crewing on a new series from the creative mind of one of my frequent collaborators which premieres on the interwebs tomorrow, just in time for Valentine's Day. Be sure to tune in and check out the first episode of Sweet Tarts Takeaway and keep apprised of the production via various social network devices.

Early on yesterday, I got a text from a friend that left me confused. I replied with a question mark. She replied with a laugh, and information that it was an exact quote from a bit of an interview in regards to the Painted Lips and Lolly Licks fest at the Mayfair. Funny that is, 'cause I said nothing close to that in real life. I can deduce where the fake quote came from, and it doesn't surprise me, due to the fact that every single time I'm interviewed it ends in mis-quotes and embellished half-truths. I've had the belief for a while that many a journalist are really more paraphrasers than anything else. Anyhow, that's really more funny and annoying than anything else, not the end of the world.

The fest itself was another grand and amazing Mayfair of a night. We should have burlesque girls perform pre-show at every damn movie we show! Twas a packed house of heckling lustful film-goers, hepped up on alcohol and the anticipation of seeing some explicit short movies.

'Kinda True' was very well received. Looking forward to either getting permission to use the music that we used, or getting some other equally cool music. And y'know, a rather famous porn star who has exploits with Charlie Sheen said it was "super sexy" evidently, so that doesn't happen every day.

The film that walked away with the Mayfair gold card getting it's director a year of free movies was Polar Bear Love. A well deserved accomplishment, there were a lot of films, but I have to say I'm pretty sure that it was my favorite. Click on the films title above, and you can watch it for yourself. I'll be busy contemplating another short for 2012.

I was reminded that on top of inappropriate lewd inciting fun that will be the Painted Lips & Lolly Licks sexy film film fest tomorrow night, the show also gets an opening act from the talented Sin Sisters. They will be presenting their burlesque, go-go & variety show in front of the new collection of new short films up on the big screen at the Mayfair.

If the promise of new erotic cinema offerings from a batch of diverse film-making talent wasn't enough to get you to attend instead of going to see the new Justin Bieber movie, this information has to win you over!

The line-up for this years Painted Lips & Lolly Licks is up on the interwebs. There are eighteen shorts from across the globe, with six of those coming from Ottawa filmmakers. Our short for the event is finally done, went through one final revamp when the editor made another pass over on the sound (and there may have been a typo in the credits too). Now it's finished again and passed off last night, which means that it was submitted only a full four days or so after the actual deadline.

I'm quite pleased with the final product. Since I've done so much horror and a bit of sci-fi type genre stuff, for my first Painted Lips short I didn't want to mix genres. I wanted to make a plain ole' sexy story offering. And I think that me and my small band of film-making compatriots have managed to make something pretty good. Only a couple of people have seen the finished product, but so far the reaction has been all positive and included a "fucking awesome!" (sorry for the crude language, but that's a direct quote).

This-afternoon I'll venture out to my friend / editor / cinematographer's place to finalize the cut for my latest directorial effort and first short for the Painted Lips & Lolly Licks sexy film fest at the Mayfair. Last year I was a mix of too sissy to participate and didn't have a really decent idea. Since all my other stuff has been horror or sci-fi themed in recent years, I didn't want to mix up genres, I didn't want it to be about vampires or in a zombie world or anything like that.

As luck would have it, late last year while sitting on a bus reading a Japanese comic book and minding my own business a quick little interaction happened that made not only a great lil' story that I'll get to tell for the rest of my life, but inspired some film-making. That real life story adapted into a sexy short film idea, and as luck would have it one of my partners at the Mayfair holds the aforementioned sexy short film festival every year. So there you have it.

Now, what happened in real life and what happens in the short has gone through some rather drastic re-writes (well, I didn't actually write anything down for this one since it was a relatively easy chain of events with little in the way of dialog). It's about as close to a true story as 'Social Network' is I think. Hence my initial idea of calling it 'Based On A True Story' has switched titles to become 'Kinda True'. Due to the last minuteness of this whole thing and my rather insane schedule, I've dropped the ball on tracking down a piece of music needed for a rather integral scene. My editor made use of a song that we don't have permission to use, just to have something to pace the editing to. I'm insanely in love with the music that we can't use. And since the screening is in less than a week and the short isn't finished yet and the deadline was two days ago, I'm going to make use of the song for the screening. I'm relatively sure that it won't end with me serving out a jail term. After that, we'll replace the score with something equally cool but less law breaking.

So, for one night only (on Friday February 11th at 9:30pm), come on out and watch me break the laws of copyright infringement at the Mayfair Theatre. Please attend, just don't tell anyone what I just told you.

For a while now, I've had it in my head to see if we might program some Black History Month themed films at the Mayfair. There's a worry sometimes for that kind of thing that it might come across as poking fun at or being disrespectful of the significant event. More so in a case when one is involved with helping to run a theatre that at any given time is showing cannibal movies, exploitation fare or 'The Human Centipede'.

Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was to see what the likelihood was of showing some Blaxploitation Cinema. The thought of which corresponds with the previous statement of not wanting to make light of Black History Month. Though I don't think it would be too horribly offensive of a genre to screen, especially considering the number of interviews I've seen with actors and filmmakers of the genre discussing how proud they were of those films.

I thought it would be a good idea and film historical appropriate plan to counter with some more serious fare, and possibly something music related. Alas, like so often gets in the way of this kind of thing, many of the films weren't available to be screened. Not only other Blaxploitation fare, but the likes of 'When We Were Kings', 'Dave Chappelle's Block Party' or 'The Harder They Come' are all on the shelf for now.

Shockingly, one movie that was available was 'Blacula'. I always find it weird that we're not able to screen something mainstream like 'Gremlins'...but more obscure weird offerings are up for grabs no problem. 'Blacula' is so unbelievably cool, that a person or two that I told about this film of late actually didn't believe me. They thought I was making a movie up, that the title was about as unbelievable as 'Dr. Acula' (that title is stolen from 'Scrubs').

Brave the harsh weather to see a rare glimpse of 70's Blaxploitation vampire horror at the Mayfair for a late late Lost Marbles Geek Night, Friday February 4th at 11:30PM.

Monday nights screening of the impressive documentary 'Kings of Pastry' was excellent times all around. We got a great turnout, especially for a cold Monday night thanks to the power of the fan-base of Auntie Loo's. Even more-so impressive considering that the film recently played at a certain other Ottawa repertory theatre, and when that happens more-often than not we don't get the opportunity to screen the film as well. So when a great crowd comes out for a movie that played elsewhere recently, it of course makes us look like a viable option to film distributors (as also happened with 'Exit Through The Giftshop').

On top of the good film watched by a welcome and enjoying themselves audience, we also had not only cupcakes for sale from out friends at Auntie Loo's, we had free stuff from our friends at Auntie Loo's! You may have thought that you had a decent cupcake or two in your time, but if you haven't had one of these your life might be unknowingly sad and incomplete.

So make yourself a happier person and don't miss cupcakes and the encore Mayfair screening of 'Kings of Pastry' as presented by Autie Loo's Treats on Wednesday February 2nd at 7pm at the Mayfair Theatre.

Auntie Loo's Treats is presenting the acclaimed and excellent documentary (ok...I haven't seen it, but it looks great)'The Kings of Pastry' at the Mayfair on Monday January 31st & Wednesday February 2nd. So what does this mean exactly? It means that not only will you get to see an action packed documentary about the world of competitive cake making, but if yer really lucky and extra nice, you might just get some free samples! And failing that, you can buy some cupcakes! They are awesome. You will become addicted. You have been warned.



If that wasn't enough of a special occasion. Monday night also brings another Lost Marbles Geek Night and a special presentation of Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil'. One of many of his long line of commercial flops that were film-making brilliance. And if you don't snag a free cupcake, sticking around for the late show will give yah a shot at getting a kewl prize from Lost Marbles.

A midst telling a friend of mine my recent and upcoming schedule, she made me halt due to being knowledgeable of the hectic levels of my day to day activities was stressing her out. Between normal work gigs and Mayfair stuff, then add in the occasional social obligation, film crew participation, working on my own short at the moment and a friends web series, I don't have anything in the way of free time at the moment.

I've got a batch of backlogged TV to watch (Fringe! Clone Wars! 30 Rock!) and a ever increasing stack of comics and non-picture books that aren't going to just read themselves. I've vowed to even try to avoid the library this year just 'cause I'm so behind on reading my stuff / friends books. I had intended to write a comment on the long deserved and finally here death of the Comics Code, but haven't had much in the way of sitting at the computer time when I'm not busy computering something else. Even if that's just keeping the Mayfair Twitter page up to date, which might not seem like all that much work, but has become a constant never ending 140 character monkey on my back. I even dropped the ball on writing an entry on Lost Marbles Geek Night presentation of 'Fifth Element' last Monday. It was great, and just to let you know, if you're ever introducing a Bruce Willis movie, do use the Asthton Kutcher's dad joke. It kills.




So, although kind of last minute, I didn't want to let pass a couple of very cool screenings happening at the Mayfair this-afternoon and tomorrow. Today at 1pm and tomorrow at 3pm we have a collection of some of the greatest Looney Tunes classics up on the big screen in all their 35mm glory. If that wasn't amazing and retro enough, on the very same Saturday and Sunday we have (at 3pm and 8:15pm respectively) 'Batman & Robin' serials from the late 1940's. A rare chance to see the mostly lost genre of the theatrical short animation (except for PIXAR and the occasional other offering) and the completely lost art of the short episodic serial up on the big screen (though I seem to remember hearing rumor that Marvel may to some live action shorts of their 2nd / 3rd tier characters in front of their upcoming films).

Bugs Bunny. Batman. Big Screen. Drop everything. Don't miss it.

At one point in recent history, a bunch of rappers had Oscars and Martin Scorsese did not. Hence, I really don't care about them or any awards all that much. People who can write better than I have ranted about the judging of art and foolishness of awarding film or music or plays, pitting them against each other. Although an arguable statement to say the least, I've always thought that films were subjective and not objective. I certainly hated 'Crash' (not the sex and car crashes one, the other one), but somebody must have liked it since it made a couple bucks and won a Best Picture Oscar. And as shocking as this might sound to any rational being, there are some people out there who don't love Bruce Campbell or 'Army of Darkness'. There's no way in hell that you're going to talk me out of thinking that that movie is incredible. Yet I remember that the Ottawa Citizen gave it one star, lowest possible rating.

Having just done the annual reading of the Oscar nominees, there are some choices I'd agree with (Toy Story 3 was awesome), some stuff I'd disagree with (I thought Social Network was meh at best), and some stuff that I think was robbed (Scott Pilgrim vs the World). Every year holds a few surprises, even for one like I who as previously stated thinks awards are meaningless.

This year...Banksy got an Oscar nomination!? What a strange world we're in the midst of. A lil while back this guy was a true underground artist running around the streets of London mysteriously leaving his street art mark on the land. Now he's got a Simpsons credit on imdb and he's nominated for an Academy Award! Madness. 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' was maybe my 2nd favorite movie of last year, and I'm intrigued by the nomination if only it means that wherever the Oscars are held in California that maybe this means it'll get tagged by some nifty new Banksy art. And if he wins he'll surely thank me for my tattoo tribute.

A couple days ago finished reading 'Nerd Do Well', the autobiographical story of a little geek who becomes a professional geek from one of my heterosexual guy crushes, Simon Pegg. Thought of it today as I saw a snippet of the 'Paul' trailer. Simon Pegg (along with his best of friends Nick Frost & Edgar Wright) are living the geek dream. The books through-line is all a geeks growing up evolution (with a few stories of the non-geek thread thrown in). What makes it shine is that he really seems like one of us...or to stand corrected he is one of us. With the difference that he gets to live out geek dreams that most of us will ever be lucky enough to partake in. Imagine being a kid who likes watching 'Star Trek' re-runs, and then one day going in to work and finding yourself acting alongside Leonard Nimoy while portraying Scotty. Or getting to be a villain on 'Doctor Who'. Or working with the guy who directed 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (on a project with two of your best friends). Or being a zombie in a Romero movie. Pretty amazing truth is stranger than fiction kindah stuff.

If you're a geek, that means you like Simon Pegg, that means you'll like this book. If you don't like Simon Pegg, that means you don't like 'Spaced' or 'Shaun of the Dead' or 'Hot Fuzz'...and that means that there is something wrong with you.

Just a quick post to remind one and all of Infra-Man, a great Lost Marbles Geek Night treat tonight at the Mayfair tonight at 9. I'm looking very forward to this Power Rangers looking 1970's sci-fi superhero vs giant monsters extravaganza. When we say we're the home of 'stuff you won't see anywhere else', we sure as damn well mean it.

I have not see the film yet, but from what I've researched, it seems to have demon princesses, witches, skeleton ghosts, a slew of monsters and front to back over the top martial arts action. We've got a bunch of Lost Marbles stuff to give away, and on top of all that it's a film that Roger Ebert thinks is extreme genius. That's the most respected film critic on the planet people!

Recently I got snippy with some friend of a friend as they were trashing Ottawa as a horrible place to live where there was nothing ever to do. I told them that if they thought there was nothing to ever do in this city they weren't trying very hard to find stuff. Not only do I think there's always something to do here, often I find the cool things overlap and you have to pick over two equally worthwhile events.

I thought of this glum hater of the city that I love so as a couple nights later I went to a hip indie lil' coffee shop tucked in beside the impressive Chinatown arch as I watched a great local band perform an intimate yet still rock & rolling show. The band used in this example, The Hilotrons, are on the cover of this weeks Ottawa XPress in promotion of their Saturday night show at Babylon.

So don't be one of those whiners who inexplicably say there's nothing to do in Ottawa. Unless you have other awesome plans, get yourself out to this show to see a truly impressive local band.

There have been many an awesome an amazing night at the Mayfair Theatre in the last couple years. Sure, every once and a while a Julia Roberts or Alvin & the Chipmunks movie slips through, but for the most part the diversity and quality of the programming is stellar. And where else do you get to watch stuff like Night of the Living Dead Live, classic silent films with live musical accompaniment, Troll 2 / Best Worst Movie, Hitchcock fests, Geek Nights, roller derby movie events, and the list goes on...

Thursday January 13th though will wrap up the Charlie Chaplin film fest we've been showcasing. And not to sound too over the top hokey, but these kinds of thing are I think akin to magic. Seeing movies from the 20's, 30's and beyond in a theatre opened in 1932 almost seems like time travel. Especially impressive are these series of films considering they still hold up seamlessly. So if you're in town, are a movie fan, and haven't had a chance to catch any of these yet, do yourself a favour and get out Thursday night to participate in some true movie magic movie-watchin'

I got a letter published in the latest issue of Hellboy. Even at my advanced geek age, I still get thrilled by such things. It's one of the big reasons why I love the comic book community, for it's high level of reader / professional interaction (except for DC Comics, I don't think they have any letters columns at all in their books, they've gone completely to the web for such things). Sure there's something to be said for message-boards some would say, but getting your thoughts published on paper within an actual comic book that you're a fan of is so much more meaningful, and seems like a bit of an accomplishment. To get into a comic book (or magazine or newspaper) you have to be found interesting by an editor or writer or artist. Someone involved in the thing that you are fond enough of to comment on thought that you had something worthwhile to share with the masses. Message boards just seem to be anger and stupidity a good 90% of the time. Any idiot can ramble on about anything on the internet (y'know, like on blogs).

Wrapped up shooting on day three of Thunderstorm (which has more lovingly been dubbed Fake Thor by some...and by some I guess I mean me). I think that the title character kind of looks a bit more like Iron Man than Thor, but who am I to question the mockbuster making artistic community? I'm going to pitch one called Sam Pilgrim Vs The Universe...or maybe Night of the Dead Living.

I saw Flash Gordon initially at the Renfrew Drive-In when I was a little kid. My mum or dad would take me there frequently to see many a geeky film. The first two films I ever saw were Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, followed on other occasions by Superman II (which I'm pretty sure I saw before the original...but I'll have to verify that), The Legend of the Lone Ranger, Cannonball Run, Airplane! and various other late 70's early 80's offerings.

I have a distinct memory of being scared to death by at least one scene. Some plot plot point where Flash had to stick his hand in a hole and there was a killer spider in there or something like that (I haven't seen the movie forever, kind of blurry). I also remember thinking that it wasn't as cool as Star Wars. Which is funny, since now I know that the Flash Gordon serials and comic strips were a giant influence on George Lucas in the creation of the Star Wars saga. Not only that, evidently he initially wanted to do a big screen Flash Gordon after his successful turn on American Graffiti, but he couldn't get the rights to do so. The powers that be didn't think he was the right director for the job, considering that his previous science fiction directorial effort was the acclaimed but box office failure of a movie called THX 1138. There are many an article on the subject, but I found the one on Star Wars Origins fairly informative and comprehensive.

The most famous part of the film is of course not the script or behind the scenes talent or special effects or actors...but that it has a score from British rock and role icons Queen (one of only two films they did so for, the other being the original Highlander). A powerful over the top musical turn, accompanied by some pretty on the nose Saturday morning caliber lyrics along the lines of "Flash! He'll save every one of us!"

Find out if Flash Gordon can indeed save us pathetic earthlings at the first of four sci-fi themed Lost Marbles Geek Nights for the month of January, Monday the 10th at 9:15pm at the Mayfair Theatre

Home from work on the first night of shooting for Thunderstorm: Return of Thor. This is not of course the Thor film coming out in theatres later this year from Marvel Comics. This is what is commonly known in film geek circles as a mockbuster. Mockbusters are nothing new to the cinema world. The old monster films were ripped off over and over, in the 70's there were plenty of shark and space movies riding the coat-tails of Jaws and Star Wars. And in the 80's a plethora of wannabe Gremlins movies flooded out of the gates after its success.

This generation of mirror copy but low budget versions of Hollywood tent-pole releases are on quite the roll, so I guess someone must be watching them...or being tricked into watching them. There's one company called The Asylum that seems to hold the crown at the moment, they've done 18 in 6 years. Their fine library of titles include: The Da Vinci Treasure, The Termiators, Paranormal Entity and believe it or not, Snakes on a Train (you get one guess at what each of those were ripped off from).

It looks like the movie that I'm crewing on will even face some competition (besides for the competition of y'know, the actual theatrical release, big budget, directed by a four time Oscar nominee project). On the video store shelf, or more appropriately mayhaps to say on Netflix now-a-days, beside Thunderstorm: Return of Thor will sit The Asylum's Almighty Thor. And who said Hollywood was out of ideas?