Sesame Street's Law and Order: Special Letters Unit.

Sesame Street turned in a little slice of brilliance in their funny version of Law & Order, Special Letters Unit. I expect this would explain if 3-year olds started imitating the ubiquitous Law & Order "chung-chung" sound.

Sesame Street's Law and Order: Special Letters Unit.

"Mommy, why is Elmo confessing to a double homicide?"

I can't help but laugh knowing that somewhere out there are muppet versions of Richard Belzer (Munch) & Chris Meloni (Stabler).

via ALOTT5MA

The Weakerthans coming on strong

Judging from the blogs and buzz, The Weakerthans will be the next Canadian band to take the US by storm. Following in the paths of Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire, and The New Pornographers, The Weakerthans are poised to be "discovered" by American indie-music hipsters. Their albums are critical hits, their live shows are infectious fun, and the fan following is strong and devoted. We've seen bands from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver embraced by the music bloggeratti, so it's about time these boys from the Canadian prairies got some attention.

I must have played their third album Reconstruction Site to death. I mean, how could you not love "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" (mp3 from Epitaph Records), a song written from the perspective of a depressed person’s cat? Or “I Hate Winnipeg”, about the city they simultaneously love and hate? They sing about the prairie winters, curling, hockey, sadness, and joy. You get that sense of national pride you used to have listening to 90s era Tragically Hip albums.

The Weakerthans have a sound that sets them apart from indie exports like Arcade Fire and BSS, covering all the bases from rock to punk to a touch of folk and country. There are ballads and power-chords and melodies. They make albums you want to listen to at the cottage or on the road. And the songs are really well written: I just like the stories they tell and the images they illicit. It’s as simple as that. With The Rheostatics more or less finished, The Weakerthans have my vote for “Canada’s National Band”. There’s this indescribable…. “Canadian-ness” to The their sound, that ability to connect with everyone spread out across this vast country. I listen to them and I remember how good it feels to love music, and I have that comfort of knowing someone in Calgary, Moncton, Dawson City or Victoria feels the same thing when they're listening to The Weakerthans.

They’ve just released their fourth album Reunion Tour to positive reviews, and they're making the rounds in the press. Minnesota Public Radio's the Current features the Weakerthans with an interview and in-studio performance, while NPR's All Things Considered profiles the band. (via Largehearted Boy) There’s also a good Q&A write-up in Exclaim and there is a great CBC Radio 3 Podcast that features The Weakerthans.

The Weakerthans play in Toronto on November 8 at The Phoenix

The Weakerthans (official site)
The Weakerthans (MySpace)
Epitaph Records – The Weakerthans (mp3s and album info)

Nerd Brawl 2007

It's a shame they don't broadcast competitions like this Saturday's Second Annual Klingons v. Furries Bowling Tournament in Atlanta. The after-party is presumably in somebody's mom's basement.

Anyone know how to say "I will own your furry behind with this 7-10 split"? in Klingon?

Via Boingboing.

"When the water sommelier comes over, I reach for my gun."

Be sure to check out Anthony Bourdain’s Overrated Menu from Radar magazine’s Hype Report. Chef Bourdain puts the pin to the pretension balloon by pointing out overrated items that you’ll find on the menu of many “fine dining” restaurants. Click on this link to read Chef Bourdain's explanation of each item. And yes, there are restaurants that have a Water Sommelier on staff.

For more fun and visceral Bourdain blogging, be sure to read Anthony's Blog, where he's covering this season of the reality TV competition "Top Chef", on which he appears as an occasional guest judge.

"Top Chef fans? Just as no one can say boo about the judging this week, no one -- NO ONE -- can complain about the challenges. No quirky, kooky, product-placing roach-coach stunts this time, my friends. No one had to make quesadillas over an open can of sterno in the back of a moving Rav 4. Or prepare a festive snack out of Froot Loops while wearing a Glad Family of Bags over their head. Tonight, the challenges were not only perfectly suited to the task of deciding who might someday be a "Top Chef", but were also perfectly matched to the judging panel."

Anthony's Blog

via Accordion Guy and ALOTT5MA

Hosers know how to rock

The A.V.Club has published a Primer on Canadian Indie-Rock that, for a U.S. website, is impressively thorough. Aside from the usual suspects like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, some great bands get name-checked including: The Weakerthans, The Sadies, The Rheostatics, The Constantines, and some bands without "The" in their names like Stars, Tegan & Sara and Wolf Parade. The one disappointing aspect is that the article lacks links to the various bands' websites so you can listen to some of the songs and check out some live dates. Good thing you came here than:

Links:

Sloan / Arcade Fire / New Pornographers / Broken Social Scene / Islands / Wolf Parade / The Weakerthans / The Rheostatics / Shapes and Sizes / Frog Eyes / Tokyo Police Club / Most Serene Republic / By Divine Right / Constantines / Hot Hot Heat / The Sadies / Peaches / Tegan & Sara

The music coming out of Canada's indie-rock scene is one of our great exports, along with writers, comedians, and beer. The A.V. Club couldn't have caught them all, so here are some other great Canadian indie bands and artists to check out:
Great Lake Swimmers / Wintersleep / The Russian Futurists / The Russian Futurists / Joel Plaskett Emergency / The Dears / Novillero / Elliott Brood / Christine Fellows / Matt Mays / Ladyhawk / Stolen Minks

And don't forget the hip-hop!
Cadence Weapon / K'naan / More or Les / Buck 65 / Vangel / Spesh K

And electronica and dance!
DJ Champion / Caribou / Akido / Kid Koala

To get a bit deeper into Canadian independant music, be sure to check out a national treasure, CBC Radio 3. Their website and weekly podcast are a fantastic way to discover new music.

The Juice is not loose anymore

Backstage at the Emmy's on Sunday, a reporter posed a question to The Daily Show's Jon Stewart asking what would Jon say to OJ Simpson if he had the first post-arrest interview:

Jon Stewart: ''Wait, he's in jail? For the Vegas thing? [Pause] Is this how it goes down, Capone? You kill two people and they get you for knocking over a room in Vegas?''

And a similar exchange between Conan O'Brien and a reporter:

Reporter: "Oh, and, Conan, did you hear about O.J. Simpson going to jail?"

Conan: "'Yeah, I just heard. Mary Hart told me. And the guy from Extra who used to be in a band told me about prime mortgage interest rates collapsing. I haven't read a newspaper in 14 years. I just get my news from these guys.''

Last night The Daily Show praised O.J. Simpson for bringing a nation back together, united once again, as a montage of newsclips played showing every news channel was using a variation on "whatever happens in Vegas, didn't stay in Vegas for O.J." like they were the first to come up with it.

Meanwhile, the city of Las Vegas should look for a new motto, as this one seems to have jumped the shark.

Let's go to ARRRRRRBY's!

Today is Talk Like A Pirate Day. So put on the eye patch and listen to some Ringo Starrrr in your carrrr as you pick up some sandwiches from Arrrby's, on your way to see Superbad, which is rated RRRRRRRRR.

YouTube - SNL Pirate Convention with honored guest Peter Sarsgaard

Pirate Joke.com

via ALOTT5MA

Emmy Highlights

My Emmy highlights (let's see how long these links last):
Steve Colbert and Jon Stewart give the award for best male performance in a comedy. Winner Ricky Gervais is absent so....



And the highlight of every year, the videos announcing the nominees for Best Writing for a Comedy or Variety Show:



And the rap battle between Kanye West and Rainn Wilson (The Office):



Best line of the night:
Kanye West "I never win."

No end in sight

Author Robert Jordan, a seminal fantasy writer, has passed away at the age of 58. Though I was never a big fantasy reader myself, I know many of my friends are fans of his works, especially his best-selling Wheel of Time series. In the last few years, fans have grown a bit frustrated because there seemed to be no end in sight for the long-running series, although that hasn't stopped the series from being a best-seller. Jordan had been suffering from a chronic illness for several years, affecting his ability to finish new installments in the series. The twelfth and (according to Jordan at the time of his death) final book in the series is supposed to be A Memory of Light (working title). The novel was incomplete as of the time of the author's death. I expect that whatever was done of that book will be worked into some publishable shape and eventually released.

Robert Jordan - Wikipedia

The Wheel of Time - Wikipedia

the2scoops TIFF Review - "The Band's Visit"

"Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian Police band arrived in Israel. They came to play at an initiation ceremony but, due to bureaucracy, bad luck, or for whatever reason, they were left stranded at the airport. They tried to manage on their own, only to find themselves in a desolate, almost forgotten, small Israeli town, somewhere in the heart of the desert. A lost band in a lost town.

Not many people remember this.

It wasn’t that important.”

- opening of The Band's Visit

My favourite film of the festival so far has been The Band's Visit, directed by Eran Koliran from Israel. It was the only one of the four films I’ve seen so far that had the audience laughing and cheering together. An Egyptian police band enroute to a performance at an Arab cultural centre takes a wrong turn and is stranded overnight in a desolate rural Israeli settlement. The town takes in the band for the night, and the tension between the cultures gives way to a prevailing sense of awkwardness. But there are things that cross political boundaries, like the universality of loneliness, love, joy, and music. It takes some humour to navigate through the seriousness of life, and The Band's Visit finds its way with a deft comic touch, both whimsical and moving all at once.



The actors are brilliant, with the band’s conductor Tewfiq (Sasson Gabai) as the stoic leader trying to maintain a sense of dignity in an undignified situation. He plays well off of the other band members and especially with the sensual and self-assured Dina, the Israelli café owner who takes in the band, played by the stunning Ronit Elkabetz. The youngest member of the band, Haled, is played by Saleh Bakri with a handsome movie actor charm that wins you over quite easily.
The dialogue is quite clever and some scenes had me laughing hard – the scene where the dashing Haled tries to show one of the Israelis the finer points of dating at the local roller disco had me in tears. The whole cast seems to have taken an advance course in deadpan humour. Director Eran Kolirin has crafted a gentleman of a film - handsomely attired with impeccable timing and charm.

The movie, without being heavy handed about it, really builds to the final scene where the band finally performs together. We’ve gotten to know the individual burdens the band members carry, but to see them come together united in performance is so beautiful and powerful, that the audience cheered and whooped. It was really quite moving to see the band’s conductor Tewfiq, a man who carries himself so polite, so stoic and properly noble, expressing himself so beautifully through song. Even without knowing the language, you know what he is singing. A joy of a film, this is the type of discovery that makes me glad I go to the Toronto International Film Festival each year. 5/5

Official Site: The Band’s Visit


Variety Review: The Band's Visit

the2scoops TIFF Review - California Dreaming (Endless)

“California Dreaming (Endless)” was my first experience with Romanian film, and just a taste left me looking forward to a second serving.

The story is based on a real-life incident during the Kosovo war. It’s 1999, and a unit of American soldiers, led by Captain Doug Jones (Armand Assante) and Sergeant David McLaren (Jamie Elman) are escorting a piece of radar equipment to Kosovo, when their train is halted in a small Romanian village (based on a real event). Doiaru (Razvan Vasilescu), the station master and town troublemaker/fixer, seeks to teach the Americans and Romanian government a lesson and holds up the train in red tape. Meanwhile, the rest of the villagers embrace the Americans. They represent opportunity in the form of commerce, romance, or escape. For the pandering mayor, it may be a way to rid them of Doiaru. To Doiaru, they are soldiers who have arrived 50 years to late to do him any good.

A real life tragedy is that the director, Cristian Nemescu, was killed in a car accident along with his sound editor, Andrei Toncu, on August 24, 2006. I would have loved to see what he would have done next, as this film is an excellent first feature that showed more potential than flaws. I wonder what the film would ultimately look like if he had survived: the film was not completed when Cristian died, but was finished to a point that it can be shown. I imagine there would have been some subsequent tinkering as the story and editing could use some tightening, and the ending a little ambiguous (it's Romanian New Wave, so maybe that's to be expected). But the film serves as a beautifully shot and poignant testement to his life.

The story itself is interesting without being heavy handed and overly sentimental, with the Romanian’s viewing the American’s as both saviour and interloper, and the American soldiers just wanting to complete their mission and move on. Razvan Vasilescu as Doiaru and Maria Dinulescu as his daughter were excellent, and I was impressed by this turn by Jamie Elman, whose previous work included the lead in the old YTV high school sitcom Student Bodies (he was the cartoonist working with his friends on the school paper). The movie’s cast manages to convey the humour, the hope, and the inevitable disappointment, as the Americans can’t fulfill all the promises expected of them. 3.5/5

the2scoops TIFF review - Chansons d'amour

Chansons d'amour begins as a French bedroom musical that takes a dramatic turn. While the songs themselves are pleasant enough, the premise is a bit flimsy. Ismaël, his wife Julie and their friend Alice share a pleasant ménage a trois arrangement, and the opening scenes depicting that relationship are charming. Then things get heavy when suddenly Julie dies. Ismaël despairs the loss of his wife, the attentions of her grief-stricken family, and the attraction of the brother of the man now dating Julie. Ismaël then precedes to screw anything that moves. The cast look like they’re out of the pages of a Benetton catalogue. And they all sing what they’re feeling. It’s very French. And a bit too precious for my tastes.

On the plus side, the actors and Paris sure looked pretty. 2/5

the2scoops TIFF Review - Philippine Science

Philippine Science gets it right in depicting high school life, in that Degrassi Junior High type of way. There's even a moment when the school heartthrob puts on his hat ala Joey Jeremiah. Director Auraeus Solito depicts life at his real life alma matter, the elite Philippine Science High School, during a turbulent time in Philippine history. The film, based on his own experiences, follows 8 students from freshmen year through to graduation, during the early 80s. The format keeps the story moving well, as each of the four years focuses on 2 or 3 of the students in the group. And there could be parallels made to the Degrassi series: there’s a Joey, a Caitlin, a Mr. Raditch. But that’s not as much a case of deliberate imitation as it is recognizing the universal themes of high school life: dating, making grades, establishing identity.

What’s different is that they’re depicted against the backdrop of 1980s Philippines, a time of upheaval that builds to the People Power Revolution and the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The students contend with rebellion, class systems, and the high expectations carried by being chosen to attend Philippine Science High School. The kids are sweet, but the script is a little clunky: one well intended (based on an old schoolmate) but poorly executed plot doesn’t occur until the last act, as one student starts suffering a headache, and 3 scenes later he’s got cancer. The camera work was odd as it was excellent in the middle segments, but was dizzying as the opening theme of orbits is shown by keeping the camera constantly circling actors. But all in all, it was a sweet movie that I enjoyed. Like watching old Degrassi reruns. 3/5

"I can't wait for the upcoming montage of montages. Seriously, I think we're out of clips"

It's never to early to think about the Academy Awards, as they've already confirmed that Jon Stewart has been invited back as the 2008 Oscar host. Stewart first hosted in 2006 to mixed but generally positive reviews.

"I am thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time because, as they say, the third time's a charm." - Jon Stewart

You can refresh your memory of Jon Stewart's first time as Oscar host at the2scoops Oscar Wrap 2006.

Amusing side note: The Emmy's are on Fox Television this year. Fox chose Ryan Seacrest over Hugh Laurie as host. The reason? Apparently they thought Hugh Laurie speaking and acting like his charmingly witty British self, as opposed to the difficult cantankerous American character he plays on House, would distract the audience. Basically, his British accent would freak out America.

File this under "Minor Miracle"

Toronto Star: Buffalo Bill with spinal injury may walk
MATT HIGGINS Sep. 12, 2007
Two days after he was paralyzed during a game, and one day after doctors described his condition as potentially life-threatening, Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett was moving his arms and legs yesterday.(more at The Star)

Very very fortunate for NFL player Kevin Everett. I saw a video of the hit and it looked horrible. It is miraculous he has any feeling in his arms and legs, let alone movement.

This is a good opportunity to point you towards the good folks at Canadian Spinal Research Organization could always use donations and attention.

The CSRO is dedicated to the improvement of the physical quality of life for persons with a spinal cord injury and those with related neurological deficits, through targeted medical and scientific research. The CSRO is also committed to the reduction of spinal cord injuries through awareness programs for the general public and prevention programs for targeted groups.

I spent some time working at the CSRO office when I was 20. I hadn't had a lot of life experience at that point, so it was really eye opening to spend time with para and quadriplegics. On the one hand you see how random life can be, hearing how different people ended up in their wheelchair. I learned about the different degrees of spinal cord injuries, the research being done to improve the quality of life, and the adjustments those with spinal cord injuries have to make to be able to do everyday things. I also learned about coping through humanity and humour, and that you don't have to treat someone like a delicate pieces of glass just because they're in a wheelchair. And all that 10 years before the documentary Murderball made the same points.

I confess one of my more humbling moments occurred when I was talking about blood donations with a co-worker at CSRO, and how I had never gone to one because I wasn't comfortable with needles. My co-worker then casually mention how many pints of blood he went through in his last round of surgery. I shut the hell up at that point and have since gotten over the minor discomfort of a needle. That's when I learned that whatever I perceive as a hardship is usually really minor when compared to actual genuine problems. It's formed a bit of my philosophy to this day - keep things in perespective.

Link: Canadian Blood Donor Services

Britney is Toxic

Now what kind of pop culture blogger would I be if I didn’t talk about the pop culture story of the week: Britney Spears disastrous performance on the MTV Video Awards.

You know the word “dignity”? That was the complete opposite of that word.

Ms. Spears staggered about the stage with no energy or enthusiasm. She couldn’t muster the energy to lip-sync, let alone dance. She gyrated like some drunken aunt at a wedding. She chose to wear a completely unflattering and inappropriate outfit that highlighted the fact she's not the taunt teen-aged sexpot she used to be, and she can’t find time to fit the gym between rounds of clubbing and PR disasters. Her song isn’t that good, she hasn’t had a hit since Toxic, and opening the MTV video awards was supposed to be her rising like a phoenix from the ashes. Instead, she self-immolated into a parody of her former self. I kept expecting her to just stop halfway through the opening, mutter “what the hell am I doing up here?” and wander off. Frankly, I think we kind of hoped that would happen. It was awkward and embarrassing. This is the point where Britney goes beyond the amusement of schadenfreude and is simply just a sad spectacle.

No one is looking out for this woman’s best interests. By all reports the number was hastily thrown together after the venue vetoed the smoke and mirrors magic number she was to do with illusionist Criss Angel. She was going to have to be followed by the notoriously vicious comedian Sarah Silverman. Someone, anyone, should have just said, “Stop. You aren’t ready, and this will do more harm than good. You have to know that everyone will be talking about this tomorrow morning. Think of your reputation. Think of your kids.” Instead she went out there looking like a deer in the headlights. You catch that glassy, confused look in her eyes during her performance? I’ve seen that in two other places: concussed wrestlers and actresses at the Oscars who took one too many Xanax before the show.

In short, it was a disaster that was less of a comeback and just one more chapter of the story that is "Britney's Worst Year Ever". When even P. Diddy and 50 Cent are visibly embarrassed on your behalf, it’s time to step away. You won’t even play Casino Rama or Branson Missouri with that quality of performance.

I’m sure Britney is not coping well with the fallout (Sarah Silverman’s monologue alone would send anyone to put their head in the oven) and is wondering what the hell to do. I’m paraphrasing a few things that I read off other blogs, but here’s my advice Brit. Put down the bottle of Jack Daniels and listen:

Take 3 years off. Hide, enter the witness protection program if needed, just disappear. Keep a low profile, cut out the clubbing and concentrate on raising your kids and getting healthy. Stay out of the damned tabloids. You’re a mother, not a child. When enough time has passed and you’ve gotten yourself back together, you see if Timbaland is free and then you make a comeback.

Take the advice or leave it, but at this rate you’re going to end up as another Anna Nicole.

Oh, one more thing: for God's sake, buy some underwear and don't leave the house without putting some on! I do not need to see that ever again. It looked angry and sad at the same time.

Seating in the Taste of Failure section

You know that warm glowing feeling that having the hometown sports team win a game gives you? Well they don't know that feeling in Philadelphia. That's why for the 2007-08 season, the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers will be offering two sections' worth of "all you can eat" seats entitling you to all the hot dogs, popcorn, nacho chips/cheese/salsa and soft drinks you can consume to replace that feeling of pride in your local team.

Can't they just mix that all into one container and serve it as a Failure Bowl?*

* yes I know that's a Patton Oswalt comedy routine. Just seemed appropriate was all.

via ALOTT5MA

TIFF films opening this Fall

Courtesy of NOW Magazine, here’s a rundown of movies showing at the Toronto International Film Festival that will be opening commercially in the next few months. Dates may be changed as the season rolls on. Many of these films will be making a run for the Oscars, building on the buzz generated at TIFF.

Opening September 14:

Across The Universe / Eastern Promises / The Brave One

September 21:

In The Valley Of Elah / The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

September 28:

The Jane Austen Book Club / Shake Hands With The Devil / Into The Wild / Silk

October 5:

Weirdsville / Michael Clayton

October 12:

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

October 19:

My Kid Could Paint That / Reservation Road / Poor Boy’s Game

October 26:

Sleuth / Run, Fat Boy, Run / Fugitive Pieces

November 2:

4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days

November 16:

Breakfast With Scot

November 23:

Margot At The Wedding

To be confirmed, mid-fall to early winter:

Atonement / Cassandra’s Dream / Lust, Caution / I’m Not There / The Savages / Redacted / The Walker / Persepolis / The Diving Bell And The Butterfly / Lars And The Real Girl /

Shoot Em Up will blow you away

I received passes to go see "Shoot Em Up" last night, and I have to say this is just the palate cleanser I need before all the "artistic" and "Oscar caliber" films I'm seeing in the next few months. "Shoot Em Up" is a whole lot of good craziness.

The movie is one long manic, lunatic, funny running gun battle. It goes over the top, with Clive Owen is a man named Smith, who saves a baby and finds himself acting as protector while the child is being hunted by Paul Giamatti and his endless supply of flunkies. Both actors are in on the joke with this movie - it's like watching Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd going at each other with handguns. It's not an Oscar winner, or a contemplation on morality. It's about guys trying to kill each other with lots and lots of bullets. The action is cranked up to ludicrous speed. The movie as a whole is sly, relentless, and darkly funny, winking at the audience as if to say "Yes, we know its ridiculous and implausible, but it still looks cool". Smith easily has the sympathy of the audience, finding time while mowing down hitmen to deliver his own brand of justice to pony-tailed posers and those drivers dare change lanes without signaling.

The dialogue is littered with one-liners and innuendo, and only Clive Owens has the gravitas to deliver these lines straight faced, such as after dispatching a hitman with a carrot "Eat your vegetables". Clive Owens, Monica Bellucci (as a lactating call girl - hey, baby's got to eat) and Paul Giamatti are all accomplished actors, and they have fun with this film. They never act like they're above being in this sort of movie, but jump in with manic energy, keeping the pace pounding forward. There is a plot, but it's incidental to the action. Even the characters remark on the weirdness of it all. Everyone knows that this is a cartoon come to life.

Director Mike Davis really delivers on the action sequences, which are top notch and have a perverse sense of logic to them, like the comic fallout of a gunfight that takes place while free falling from an airplane. And the soundtrack is hard rocking with Nirvana, Motorhead and Motley Crue thrown into the mix, keeping the beat as every body and bullet casing hits the floor. I defy you to not throw the horns.

It's a perversely funny ride, and I'd recommend it if you like your action and laughs firing from both barrels.

Apple - Trailers - Shoot 'Em Up

IMDB - Shoot Em Up

Rotten Tomatoes - Shoot Em Up (70% Fresh)

iPod Tall, the iPod Grande, and the iPod Venti

I don’t know why Apple just doesn’t grab me by my ankles and shake my money out of my pocket. They really make it hard for me to resist picking up their new toys. A revived and renewed line of iPods was annouced yesterday, and there are some nice surprises:

iPod nanos have been redesigned and now plays video. This comes as a surprise as I thought Apple would stick with the more gym-friendly/pack of gum shaped player. The new players appear to be the size of an iPod cut in half, with a 2-inch screen that Apple claims has the same high quality resolution as the full-sized video iPod. They come in a 4GB ($169 CDN) and an 8GB ($219 CDN) version, with battery life estimated at 24 hours audio, 5 hours video playback. These will be in the stores this weekend.

The video iPod is slightly touched up with a new name (iPod Classic), a new metal shell, and a hell of an upgrade on the storage size: an 80GB model ($279) and a 160GB ($399) model. Holy crap, it comes in “Jason Size”. Nice to see that I can back-up all my music on the iPod and still have room for TV shows and movies. The new iPod Classics are on the shelves this weekend.

The winner though is the new iPod Touch model. Basically it’s the iPhone without the phone service, but you still get Wireless Internet! You get a touch screen iPod with a web browser, and now you can finally buy music wirelessly direct from the new WiFi iTunes store. Add in the direct link to YouTube videos and that’s good geeking right there. I wasn’t waiting for an iPhone, but I’d love to use an iPod Touch. The memory appears to be flash like the nano, so the capacity is smaller than a standard iPod. The 8Gb model runs $329 CDN and the 16GB model runs $449. This model won’t be in stores until the end of the September. It will sell well this holiday, but I hope to see a 80+ GB model soon. Now that would sell.

No changes to the iPod Shuffle aside from some new colours. It runs you $89 CDN with 1GB storage.

No announcements on the iPhone coming to Canada yet, but the price in the US dropped. The iPhone is now only available in an 8Gb model, but the price dropped down to $399 US.

Another interesting initiative: Apple and Starbucks are in partnership to sell music wirelessly in Starbucks outlets. You go into Starbucks, you hear the song playing, you break out the iPod Touch and go to the WiFi store, and it shows you what songs are playing right there in the Starbucks. A couple taps and you can buy the song right there on the iPod Touch. Holy corporate synergy. It’s not exactly a feature that fans were clamouring for, but it’s an intriguing idea. Apparently iPods and coffee go together. No idea if this is US only or when it will rollout in Canada.

Apple’s lineup for this holiday season: the iPod shuffle in 5 great new colors; the iPod nano with video; the renewed iPod classic with up to 40k songs/160GB in your pocket; and the hot item this season, the iPod Touch with WiFi. Consumers, start your spending.

Full coverage of the Apple presentation by Steve Jobs

Apple Store Canada

30% More Unpredictable

What the folks from "The Office" did on their summer vacation

via What's Alan Watching?

“You’re gonna miss everything cool and die angry.”

comedian Patton Oswalt berating a heckler

My TIFF schedule

California Dreamin' (Endless) – Friday Sept 7 @ 3:00pm Scotiabank 14
Les Chansons d'amour – Friday Sept 7 @ 7:15pm Scotiabank 3
The Band's Visit – Sun Sept 9 @ 3:30pm Ryerson
Philippine Science – Wed Sept 12 @ 6:30pm Scotiabank 1
Smiley Face – Thurs Sept 13 @ 10:00pm Scotiabank 1
Here Is What Is – Fri Sept 14 @ 11:15pm Varsity 3
The Trap – Sat Sept 15 @ 1:00pm Cumberland 2
Joy Division – Sat Sept 15 @ 8:15pm Cumberland 3


So despite being processed around the halfway mark out of all the total advance orders, I got all but one of my first picks. Probably because the films I picked weren't "big screen" premieres or films with a huge amount of advance hype. The only pick I didn't get was Run, Fat Boy, Run.That's not bad at all, as it's out this month in regular distribution. I was mainly going as I hoped to see Simon Pegg and Hank Azaria there.


Movies I may still try to see with same day or rush lines:
Control, Jar City, Son of Rambow, The Tracey Fragments, and The Last Lear.

Movies I'm looking forward to, but I'll likely wait until they get their theatrical release during Oscar season:
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, The Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men , Shekhar Kapur Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Persepolis

I hope I can get at least a small review up for each film as I go. How about I do my best and we see how it goes, hmm?

"I think that, a) you have an act, and that, b) not having an act is your act."

Re-watched Singles this weekend. After 15 years (!), it’s still a good movie, but now some of the fun is how much it feels likes a time capsule: look, no cell phones! No Starbucks! Video dating instead of Lavalife! Albums! Doc Marten boots with shorts! And where the hell did Jim True (Steve’s friend Dave) go after Singles and before "The Wire"?

Like any Cameron Crowe movie, there are a number of different cameos to watch for:

• ·Musicians specific to the setting: a pile of musicians from the 1990 Seattle music scene appear, including most of Pearl Jam (a young looking Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Eddie Vedder) as Cliff’s (Matt Dillon) bandmates in Citizen Dick, Chris Cornell as a bystander during the car stereo fiasco, and Alice & Chains and Soundgarden both play during club scenes).
• ·The Cameron Crowe repertory players: Jeremy Piven as the store clerk praising Steve’s DJ-ing, and Eric Stoltz as the angry mime. It's easy to imagine John Cusack playing "Steve", but Campbell Scott really makes the most of that role.
• ·“Holy crap it’s that guy who got famous!”: I noticed for the first time that Paul Giamatti (Sideways) pops up as the rocker making out with his date during Steve (Campbell Scott) and Linda’s (Kyra Sedgwick) first date, and Victor Garber (Alias) as the father who Debbie (Sheila Kelley) falls for.
• ·Also watch for Tim Burton as the video dating director and the director/writer of Singles, Cameron Crowe, as a reporter interviewing Matt Dillon at the club.

Music News: The Boss and The Weakerthans coming to town

The Weakerthans play the Phoenix on November 8. Tickets for that show are $25 and go on sale next Saturday, September 8.

One more change to the V-Fest line-up next weekend: indie popsters Peter Bjorn & John have cancelled, reportedly in order “to get a few seconds of screen time at the MTV Video Awards rather than play a gig to tens of thousands of festival-goers”. Hmmm, bit of a douche move there. The Constantines have been added to day two. Any chance that’s the last change?

Here’s a video of Feist as she performs 1-2-3-4 on Letterman this past week, with a backing choir made up of members of The National, Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers, and many other Pitchfork friendly musicians.

Link: Feist - "1 2 3 4" (live on Letterman, August 27 2007)

It’s being reported that Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band hit the road this Fall for a tour which'll stop in Toronto for a show at Air Canada Centre on October 15. Bruce has a new album "Magic" coming out on Columbia on October 2. I admire his work, but I can’t say I’m a diehard fan. That being said, I imagine it will be a solid show from a consummate performer, and would not say “no” to tickets.

Entertainment Weekly presents The Eight Saddest Words in the English Language: FAITH HILL PERFORMS SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OPENING THEME


Source: Frank @ Chromewaves and For ‘the’ records