AltWeeklies Wire
Bush's Calgary Speech 'Closed to the Media'new
Former U.S. president George W. Bush won't have to worry about dodging journalists' shoes when he speaks in Calgary March 17, as reporters won't be allowed in the same room as the unpopular Texan.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Jeremy Klaszus |
02-19-2009 |
Media
Fungi Doc Too Goofy to Alter Mindsnew

Ron Mann's Know Your Mushrooms struggles with its own identity. Too goofy and light-hearted to be genuinely interesting but too shallow and ham-handedly "stoner-friendly" to appeal to the incense and Animal Collective set, the end result is stuck in limbo.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Patrick Doyle |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Listening to Who: Isle of Wight Fest Hits Theatres Againnew

Some musicians go a long way for spectacle — lasers, makeup and inflatable pigs have all been par for the course. The Who didn’t need any of that. By 1970, they had already perfected and moved beyond mod rock, well on their way to becoming one of rock’s greatest act.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Peter Hemminger |
02-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Zach Condon Double-Teams Himselfnew

Zach Condon's two musical personalities get equal billing on his new double-EP.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Mark Hamilton |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Imperial Stouts fit for Royaltynew

In this world of super-sized everything, even the beer world isn’t safe. The industry term, however, is "double" or "imperial." This is annoying, as it belittles and confuses beer’s great history. Only one style of beer should be allowed to carry the "imperial" appellation — the beer of the Russian royal court — Russian Imperial Stout.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Mike Tessier |
02-12-2009 |
Food+Drink
Tags: Beer, John Courage Imperial Stout
Inside the Deeply Bizarre World of IMDb Movie Suggestionsnew

Let's take a second look at the sometimes incomprehensible "recommendations" feature on the Internet Movie Database website (www.imdb.com). As you'll soon see, some of these recommendations are rather unexpected.
Fast Forward Weekly |
John Tebbutt |
12-11-2008 |
Movies
'Let the Right One In': After 'Twilight'new

In a year that may be remembered as the year of the youth vampire movie, Swedish film Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) has considerable more bite than Twilight.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Shelley Arnusch |
12-11-2008 |
Reviews
'Milk' is Refreshingnew

Biopic balances mainstream Hollywood with gay politics.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Bryn Evans |
12-11-2008 |
Reviews
'Milk' Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black Finds Inspiration Both Personal and Politicalnew

"When I was done with the script, I was going to take it out to some directors, and Cleve said, 'No, let me send it out,' and he gave it to Gus." From there, the film came together very quickly -- in a matter of weeks, the producers and Sean Penn were on board.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Bryn Evans |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Fantasy, Firepower and Fretwork for Xmas: A Gift Guide for Gamersnew

It's a great year to be a gamer. I've already written about some of the big games of the fall, including Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band 2, Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2. Here are some other great titles to consider gifting to the gamer on your list.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Blaine Kyllo |
12-11-2008 |
Video Games
Fore! Prime Minister Harper Gets to Swing Againnew

I understand in golf they call it a mulligan. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper managed to slice both his parliamentary prospects and personal credibility deep into the political rough.
Fast Forward Weekly |
David Bright |
12-11-2008 |
Commentary
Charlie Kaufman Takes on Life Itselfnew

It's tempting to get entangled in the little details sparkling throughout Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Alan Cho |
11-13-2008 |
Reviews
'Quantum of Solace' is Determined to Strike its Own Pathnew

Anyone hoping Daniel Craig's delivery of the iconic "Bond, James Bond" introduction at the end of Casino Royale signaled the return of the classic Bond, think again.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Peter Hemminger |
11-13-2008 |
Reviews
'BBC Sessions' is an Essential Disc for Belle and Sebastian Fansnew

Released two years into the band's hiatus, The BBC Sessions should be inconsequential, yet it is an essential part of the band's discography.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Peter Hemminger |
11-13-2008 |
Reviews
Loose Moose Celebrates 30 Years of Theatresportsnew

Wildly popular worldwide (think of the TV show Whose Line is it Anyway? and you've got it), the home of Theatresports celebrates its thirtieth anniversary.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Drew Anderson |
11-13-2008 |
Performance