• Wasted On the Young || Film Takes Bullying High Tech

    It should be no secret to anyone who is … alive … that social media in 2013 can be just another vehicle for bullying.  There have been some high-profile cases in the media – one in my own province.  Cases about bullying that left the school ground and headed to the internet. When I was…

  • Mike Carpenter – Stunts, Doubling and Acting

    Mike Carpenter – Stunts, Doubling and Acting

    I first met Mike Carpenter at a tiny gas station in the middle of nowhere.  Okay, slight exaggeration.  I was about 20 minutes from Kamloops and as I drove down the secondary highway I looked over and the Impala was parked at the side of the road. That is a vehicle you recognize when you see…

  • Complex 90 || New from Spillane and Collins

    This month brings a new novel from Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins.  “Complex 90”, from Titan Books, is available for your summer reading list. Collins had a long-standing friendship with Spillane and that partnership has resulted in some fantastic collaborations.  This manuscript was one that was given to Collins, by his friend, for safekeeping.…

  • Interview: Ellen Woglum in “Hated”

    Interview: Ellen Woglum in “Hated”

    I’ve made no secret of that fact that I love “Hated”. It’s a great film; it combines two of my favorite things – a damn good story and music. But there’s something else that is pretty great about “Hated”; it centers on the story of a woman. Now, more than ever, a film like this…

  • Hemlock Grove: No Twilight Werewolves In Sight

    Hemlock Grove: No Twilight Werewolves In Sight

    I was worried when I first sat down to watch “Hemlock Grove”; fearful of finding more sparkling vampires and lame-ass, overly sentimental werewolves.  Of that there is no sign in this made-for-Netflix series. This 13 episode series is based on the book, “Hemlock Grove: A Novel” by Brian McGreevy.  I’ve ordered the book to see how closely the…

  • “Plague Nation” || Ashley Parker Is Back and She’s (Still) Kicking Ass

    “Plague Nation” || Ashley Parker Is Back and She’s (Still) Kicking Ass

    When “Plague Town” by Dana Fedsti was published, I was happy to review a “genre” book with such a cool heroine.  The main character, Ashley Parker, is just your average student at the beginning of the book; and then things get crazy. There’s a zombie virus, “walker flu” and people get sick and then mutate…

  • IPhone App Review: Qwiki

    IPhone App Review: Qwiki

    Name of the app: Qwiki – here on itunes What does it do? Basically, this app is a one-touch movie making app.  I’ve been using it since it first arrived and it’s grown into quite a community.  The great thing about it is that you can make a movie the first time you open the…

  • “Orphan Black” Is Okay With the Mute Button On

    The new series, “Orphan Black” from BBC America, looked like it might be an interesting show. Sadly, I will never know if it improves because I couldn’t even get through one episode. To begin with, “Orphan Black” feels like a strange rehashing of The CW’s “Ringer” without the star power of Sarah Michelle Geller. The…

  • Michelle Shocked’s Anti Gay Rant Results in Gig Cancellations

    Michelle Shocked’s Anti Gay Rant Results in Gig Cancellations

    Update, March 21: San Francisco Bay Guardian was able to acquire an audio recording of the comments in question. March 17, 2013, folk singer Michelle Shocked had a concert at Yoshi’s in San Francisco.  She chose that venue and concert to deliver an anti-gay rant that has many using the descriptive “hate”.  Reports are unclear…

  • Come See The Outside

    Come See The Outside

  • Review: “Mama” Is Topping Box Office For a reason.

    Review: “Mama” Is Topping Box Office For a reason.

    Title: Mama (2013) Director: Andrés Muschietti (Mama, short) Cast:  Jessica Chastain (“The Help”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, “Take Shelter“), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones“, “Kingdom Of Heaven“, “Blackhawk Down”), Megan Charpentier (“Supernatural“, “Jennifer’s Body“, “Resident Evil”), Isabelle Nélisse (“Whitewash”) Synopsis:  Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest…

  • Destination: Cambodia

    Destination: Cambodia

    Charlotte Kinzie / Kamloops, BC In 2005 my husband, Joel, and I traveled to Cambodia. Joel was a seasoned traveler. I had been to a few countries in Europe and on a lot of camping trips in Canada but that was the extent of my experience. I was willing and excited! During our stay in…