Monthly Archives: September 2010

Google Street View hits Ireland. I posture.

Strike a pose… Crazy Google Street View camera speeds up the road so I grab my dear mother and tell her to smile for the internet. If we could have signed an anti-faceblur waiver we would have.

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Villagers | Live @ The Drake Underground, Toronto, Sept 27th 2010 [w/ Lost in the Trees]

On a sunlit stage… Villagers played here in Toronto on Monday night in the lovely Drake Hotel‘s basement venue for the paltry sum of $10 (€8). I only realised before the show that I hadn’t been to a proper paid … Continue reading

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TIFF thoughts & 123 movie reviews

Cinema ah ah. So the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival finished up last weekend and while most people with more pressing deadlines will have posted their reviews, recaps and summaries, I figure the casual nature of my blog affords … Continue reading

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Sunburnt Jets. Comin-at-cha…

Give the man a hand. My very good friend and former band-mate Colin Boylan, now magicly dubbed “Sunburnt Jets”, makes his live debut this Friday at the currently controversy-laden Crawdaddy. The gig is as opening act for Kill Krinkle Club‘s … Continue reading

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Gimme bouts…

Give the band a hand. So Bouts are playing Twisted Pepper as part of Hard Working Class Heroes on Saturday October 9th at 9.10pm. Baring a disaster or a miracle it will be their live debut.

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My TIFF 2010 movie schedule!

300 films in 10 days. Sickened to only be able to make six of them…

So I’ve finally got all my Toronto Film Festival tickets sorted. The whole thing involved a typically Canadian process where I had to call into the festival box office on King Street three times over the course of a week. First time was to collect my booklet and form. Second time was to drop off this all-important form with some little ticks for my picks. Third time was after a rather strange lottery system to actually collect the physical tickets. You’d kind of feel like telling them to move the whole system online, but hey I’m not going to be the only dissenting voice, and it was nice to go somewhere and feel a bit of “buzz” before the whole thing kicks off.

I got all my first choices and so will fit in 6 movies during the festival. Not quite up there with the 13 I saw in the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in 2009 but still a good haul, plus most of these will be first or second showings anywhere in the world. Which is nice. Anyway, behold!

#1 – Blue Valentine
directed by Derek Cianfrance
[imdb | tiff description]

Blue Valentine is the story of love found and love lost, told in past and present moments in time. Flooded with romantic memories of their courtship, Dean and Cindy use one night to try and save their failing marriage. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this honest portrait of a relationship on the rocks.

I’m not afraid to admit I have a little bit of a man crush on Ryan Gosling. I’ve never actually seen The Notebook which was his breakthrough and his usual calling card, but movies like Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl managed to leave a real impression. I like how he only does a movie or two a year these days too and the fact he spends half his time playing in a decent band, Dead Man’s Bones, makes him a winner.

If reports from Blue Valentine’s first screenings at Sundance last January are to be believed I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re talking about him as an Oscar nominee for his part in this. Also Michelle Williams is always worth the admission price. Even if that admission price is going to be a slightly bonkers $20. Continue reading

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