March 2012
Play
John Carter was good, and I will not hear it suggested otherwise.
(Full disclosure, this opinion comes from someone who considers Demolition Man ’essential viewing.’) I have finally confirmed my suspicions: despite being set-up to fail (development, production, marketing), and subsequently failing (to the apparent glee of some), John Carter (of Mars!, ffs) was damned entertaining and easily resembles the kind of film that will be re-evaluated once it finds its way to cable, where it will undoubtedly be the sort of movie that certain types of people stop and watch for a couple of hours. Hell, it’s maybe a better movie than The Fifth Element, which I suppose has the sort of opposite pedigree (foreign-ish, mid-budget box-office success), but that’s the weight class it’s punching at. Doesn’t take itself too seriously, revels in the pulpy-goodness of its source, playing in the realm of soft-soft (so buttery soft) sci-fi gusto. Certainly flawed - that standard ‘messiah’ myth, the nebulous motivation of the ‘evil’ characters and that Lynn Collins’ Dejah “evolves” from ‘Badass warrior/scientist woman’ to ‘Damsel’ with little provocation are the most glaring. Buuuuuut… this is a Cult favourite waiting to happen. Would certainly watch again. And will marvel silently when Battleship makes three times more money.
“
Yes, for some reason, this is my horse in this race.
So here was Nathan Cullen. One man, one mic, one stool, no lectern. Just his name on the screen and him at the front of the tiered stage.
He grasped at a kind of folksy drama. This wasn’t his plan, he said, to be here right now. He was going to be spending time with his wife and his two young sons. He was going to be defending his home against the lawyers who would drive a pipeline “right through the very heart of who we are.” And that—the fight over the Northern Gateway pipeline—was about so much else.
He spoke of defending his fellow candidates against attack. He said things like “I fundamentally disagree with this, my friends” and “This is about family, my friends.” He smiled, then furrowed his brow. He pumped his fist slightly and built himself on repetition (“We will” this and “We will” that). He allowed that he had an idea. “There are some who like it. There are some who don’t like it,” he said. “That’s cool.” He wanted a conversation (a slight concession?). He hoped for unity. And he called his friends to seize this opportunity. “There is nothing more powerful, my friends,” he said, “then an idea who’s come.”
Shortly thereafter he danced off stage to the sound of Stevie Wonder.
” — Aaron Wherry (Macleans)Yes, for some reason, this is my horse in this race.
I feel silly now for compiling my own stats, if this thing has been running the whole time… http://politwitter.ca/special/ndp_leadership_stats
