POLARGRIZZ

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

I haven’t watched a full episode of Dragons’ Den in years, so I can’t tell you if this is par for the course these days, but a particularly galling clip was brought to my attention today. Here it is:

What... is this?

Some guys just walked into the den with what Arlene Dickinson correctly refers to as little more than paperclips (after she’s already agreed to invest?!) and they lie for eight minutes about the properties of the product. They claim it makes you stronger, it helps your golf stance, etc. How does it work? Quantum entanglement. It’s clear no one in the room understands quantum entanglement. Everything the pitcher says about how the product works is complete nonsense.

So how DOES the product work? Because the demonstration seems to convince Joe Mimran that SOMETHING is happening. He feels stronger. One moment the pitcher can push him over, the next moment, he can't.

It’s an old trick. “Balance bracelet” pushers have been using similar tricks for a long time. Here’s how:

Now, the Dragons’ Den pitch is edited for TV, of course. The actual pitch would have lasted much longer, maybe hours. But in the version that aired, the Dragons don’t push back very much on the insane claims the pitchers are making. I was extremely disappointed to see that, especially when I know that Jim Treliving has previously forcefully ejected snake oil out of the den before.

I’ve seen a lot of people commenting that the Dragons probably weren’t fooled, and have invested in something they know doesn’t work, simply to make money off of the gullible. I really hope that’s not the case.

My guess is that behind the scenes, producers selected these pitchers because they figured it would be a spectacular and entertaining failure, much like the snake oil pitch where Jim Treliving yelled at a guy. They didn’t expect that the pitchers would receive little to no push-back on their crazy claims, much less that six out of six Dragons would be interested and that five Dragons would actually invest. This is what I assume happened, because there’s no way the producers didn’t know that this product was complete bullshit.

So the Dragons bought in, and then they edited the clip together and they put it on the CBC, on our national broadcaster, despite knowing they were airing an eight minute commercial for pure snake oil. If they didn’t know, then they should have. If they didn’t know, then someone isn’t doing their job.

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

I missed the first pitch! Sorry folks! Whoooops! As a result, I tune in in medias res and am instantly confused. What IS this? It initially seems like the MONTAGE OF FAILURE, but... it appears to be... a MONTAGE OF SUCCESS?!

What is this poppycock? Three rapid-fire successes? That's not what I pay my hard-earned dollars for. I pay for schadenfreude. (That's not true. I actually pay nothing (except taxes, I guess) and I don't actually wish failure on any pitchers (except for the snake oil salespeople).)

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

This is going to be a short one! I normally take notes while I watch, but this time I watched the episode while eating. So I didn't do that.

Hunky Haulers

These are a bunch of dudes who will move your recycling and pick up your junk. And just like that, I've exhausted everything I can remember. I guess nothing interesting happened.

Magic Cow Cream (Fero Face Fit)

As I recall it, these people wanted $2 billion for 1% of their business, and they have $5 in sales. The pitchers are convinced their valuation is right on target.

They hand out their natural face-awesoming concoction, which apparently smells and tastes terrible. The concoction was originally for cows to eat, but this Polish pitcher discovered that if she smeared the cow food on her face, she grew younger and more beautiful. She's 50 years old and she looks seven. Before she explained that she wasn't actually a small child, I was wondering why she wasn't in the student special.

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

This is my first episode of season eight. Haven't seen a single one up to now. Sorry, folks, I've been busy. I've been working on paying gigs and getting ready to teach English in Korea next year.

So the den. It's new! Arlene! She's in white. What is up with that? I like it all. Arlene looks much richer in white. Maybe it's her new hair colour, too. She looks Cruella de Vil rich.

Looks like they have more comfortable chairs, too. Do they still have piles of fake money? It's funny how the guys never do big changes, really. I mean, Kevin's got a new shirt. I can tell because of the collars. But the guys don't ever really get a "whole new look" type thing, you know? Except for that year when Robert had that hideous long hair.

So anyway, I'm watching the show! I can't promise I'll be able to watch next week, but I'm watching this week. Let's go!

DJLAMCHOPS

I like the beams of blue light behind the dragons' heads. That's new. Does that happen every time or just for this baby rave gig?

So basically DJ Lamb Chopz (what a godawful name) is pitching his business, which is basically DJing. And maybe hiring other DJs to be his employees. He claims other DJs don't have his charisma. This kid is covered head to toe in glow sticks. He also claims there are no other DJs under the age of 20.

DJ Slap Chop says he's gonna be an accountant. "I'm pretty much a math whiz, some kids would say." Ah yes. Are you pretty much a DJing whiz? Would "some kids" say that?

BY KATIE INGRAM

Note: This review contains spoilers.

For my second feature I decided to check out the Jason Priestley directed, Tatiana Maslany and Richard Dreyfuss starring Cas and Dylan. Unlike the other feature I reviewed from this year’s festival, Cas and Dylan was actually good -- for the most part.

When his dog dies and he finds out he has an inoperable brain tumor Dr. Cas Pepper (Dreyfuss) decides to travel to BC to end his life and bury his dog at a rustic looking cabin he once called home. After stealing medication from the hospital, he ends up meeting Dylan Morgan (Maslany), a self-proclaimed writer who needs a drive home. Cas agrees and after dropping the girl off realizes she forgot her notebook. Begrudgingly he returns it to her; a decision that would involve hitting her shotgun toting boyfriend with his car and fleeing the scene. It would be this slightly humorous event that would set in motion the rest of the film as Dylan and Cas embark on a road trip.

Through a series of events, including Dylan crashing the car after discovering the dead dog being preserved in a cooler and Cas being drugged and deciding that he looks good in a blonde wig, both characters end up learning a bit more about life and themselves.

At its core, there’s nothing special about Cas and Dylan. It has a lot of commonly used themes and doesn't do anything to separate itself from the ‘road trip/self-discovery movies’ model. There’s the sick, elderly character that doesn’t have any friends, but a lot of life experience. There’s the young dreamer who doesn't know much about anything and only wants to escape the life she’s been given. Lastly, there’s a strew of odd characters who are only used as plot devices and to give the protagonists something else to do besides drive around in a car.

Another problem I found with Cas and Dylan is that even though it’s only 90 minutes long it's often padded with too many shots of mountains, trees and highways and in one scene overuses Jenn Grant’s song Dreamer.

On the other hand Cas and Dylan is well-acted, as Maslany does a wonderful job of staying on par with the Academy Award winning Dreyfuss. Also, minus what I just said about Dreamer, the soundtrack is a nice supplement and is full of catchy Canadian tunes.

BY LAURA MACKENZIE

Tuesday’s doc double feature concerned animals: how we connect and interact with wildlife, and how entitled we feel to either have magnificent animals on display, or to have inconvenient ones eradicated. Spoiler alert: I liked both of them. First up was Zoo Revolution, directed by Geoff D’Eon. The debate: are zoos a bastion of education and species conservation where the public can make an emotional connection with animals that need their support? Or are they a function of our outrageous self-entitlement, trapping animals in environments that are at best artificial and at worst cruel, while distracting from wild conservation, where the real work must happen?

The zoo apologists argue that the experience of going to a zoo and looking into the eyes of these animals is a crucial part of generating support for conservation efforts. Zoos generate billions of dollars, and are a major funding source for species rehabilitation through their breeding programs. That money comes from the exciting experience they give the public. You’re not gonna get that kind of money, one says, by just asking folks to donate to help the lions in Africa, which they’ve never seen.

Critics argue that displaying animals in artificial environments of varying quality for our enjoyment only perpetuates the values of control and convenience, instead of rallying the world to conserve the habitat of species for their own sake. One activist makes the point that this has already been done for some species: you can’t see a blue whale in captivity anywhere in the world, but the campaign to save them from extinction has been perhaps the strongest conservation effort ever seen.

The human desire to trap and display exotic animals is the central fact here. Zoo Revolution asks us, is our self-indulgence a destructive distraction, or is it only realistic to fund the fixing of the planet by appealing to the same instincts that got us here?

Zoo Revolution will be featured on CBC’s Doc Zone on Oct. 3.                                 * I was especially excited to see Bad Coyote, directed by Jason Young, because it focuses on a Nova Scotian issue. Since Taylor Mitchell was mauled to death by two coyotes in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, awareness of the new hybrid animals - part coyote, part wolf -  has skyrocketed, and many living in rural Nova Scotia are wary of walking too far from home. The film looks at a trapper, a hunter, a farmer, a scientist, and Mitchell’s mother, each with their own perspective on the rise in coyote sightings and aggression.

I am sympathetic towards hunters, having a lovely brother-in-law who is one. The hunter in this film is probably the least sympathetic character, though. He first ‘declared war’ on coyotes when they ripped apart the body of a lynx (or bobcat?) he’d trapped, which meant he couldn’t sell the fur. It’s understandable to have a beef with something that eats into your livelihood, and maybe bringing down the population is necessary: the merits of a cull are also debated in the film. Still, he says repeatedly that the only good coyote is a dead coyote. That seems a bit much, especially after having just watched Zoo Revolution. Yes, coyotes are an invasive and potentially dangerous species, but the decision to seek out and eliminate any one species needs examination.

My favourite character is the farmer. He also works on the land and has a livelihood to protect, not to mention two small kids who like to play outside. He wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a coyote that he saw threatening his sheep, but he sees more sense in adapting, coyote-like to the new circumstances (he has a watchful llama and an aggressive donkey protecting his flock, and shoots into the air when he hears the occasional howl) than in trying to just kill them all, because he doesn’t think that’ll work.

He also gives what is, for me, one of the most important pieces of information: that the presence of coyotes and the increased size and pack behaviour resulting from their wolf DNA really is a new phenomenon in this province. It’s not something his grandfather had to deal with. This doc also has some very striking moments with the scientist and Mitchell’s mother, who in turn underline the real nearness of these animals, and our reactionary response to them. I think you’ll really wrestle with the different perspectives, and that’s a good thing, because this is an issue right now, in our province.

Bad Coyote will be available on iTunes in January, and you may catch it on TV as well.

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BY VINCENZO RAVINA

I'll get this out of the way right here at the top: My cousin has a small part in this movie and he does a great job.

The rest of the movie is pretty bland, though. It felt to me like a run-of-the-mill heist movie without particularly interesting characters or a particularly interesting plot. Most of the humour doesn't land and I found myself bored throughout. The kinetic editing tries to fool you into thinking you're watching a fast-paced movie, but... nope.

Toward the end of the movie, it gets a little interesting, but by that point, it's too late and I feel like my time has been wasted. The ending is good, but the journey has to be worth the time and I don't think it was in this case.

Kurt Russell seems to be sleeping through the movie, but Jay Baruchel is great and contributes most of the comedy that actually lands. He also spouts his classic catchphrases "Jesus, Mary and Joseph," as well as "Jesus Murphy."

I can't recommend this movie, because it's boring. Big fan of Jay Baruchel, though. And my cousin.

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BY KATIE INGRAM

Note: These reviews may contain spoilers.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was able to take in two of the Atlantic Shorts screenings this year, with my second being the 10 films that made up Atlantic Shorts 5.

The Oval

I believe that everyone has an interesting story to tell and we often don't get a chance to hear them. The Oval shows this by answering the question: Who is the Zamboni driver for the Halifax Oval? The only problem I had with this film is that it could have been longer, so it could properly showcase this man and the impact he makes each winter.

Anatomy of Assistance

Anatomy of Assistance is the story of Talia, a student who is part of a donation program where benefactors donate money to children in need. Talia thinks she doesn't need the money and through an array of interconnected events learns that you sometimes you just need to accept help. Well-acted, Anatomy of Assistance is a good short film that, unlike a lot of others has a beginning, middle and end and manages to show how its main character grows through the film’s events.

ink&paper

A documentary, ink&paper looks at a dying industry through the last paper and print shops in the Los Angeles. While printing itself can still be considered viable, at least for now, it’s the interviews with the paper shop owner that really makes this documentary.

Once a thriving business, paper shops are now almost non-existent and the need for them is dwindling each day. This can be seen by the fact that the paper shop owner has to share power with the print shop since he can't pay his own power bill. A potent documentary about how despite in this digital and technological age old practises are being abandoned, there are those that aren't ready to give them up.

Stray

Stray is an interesting film about a neglected little girl who spends her days trying to find a feral cat she hears at night. A simple, yet brilliantly directed story, Stray manages the draw in the viewer and make them feel as isolated as the girl is from her family, since often the actors' faces are obscured or they are taking while out of frame.

Saint Lou’s.

On its surface it appears Saint Lou’s wanted to be intuitive look at hipster barbershop, but I found there wasn't much of a point to this film. It felt more like a commercial for the shop than a character study or documentary.

EDNOS

Not all issues are black and white or even shades of grey; sometimes they are mixed in with a colourful, seemingly perfect world. This is the case with EDNOS and how one woman’s determination to control her eating disorder comes crashing down at an outing with friends. Through the film’s great direction EDNOS expertly shows just how out of control this disorder is.

Play Again

In his introduction the director referred to Play Again as a cross between Tales from the Crypt and Are You Afraid of the Dark? and rightly so. When a pinball player beats the high score on a game he’s given a ticket to the Sugar Shack where he’s offered to chance to play one more game, but doesn't realize that winning sometimes comes with a price. I loved this film; it had a level of the surreal and a throwback to some older television shows. I also felt it could have easily been an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as I was half expecting a cameo from Mr. Sardo or for someone to say “Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society…”

Little Man

A conversation between a young boy and his absentee father, who’s going to jail is the subject of Little Man. Heartfelt, the film shows in eight minutes how the boy moves from trying to desperately connect with his father to realizing he will never have the relationship he wants and that the father may regret the effect his decisions could have on his son.

Heavy Metal Night at Gus’ Pub

Heavy Metal Night at Gus’ Pub, like The Grain Elevators from Atlantic Shorts 2 was completed through an AFCOOP program that combined film with poetry. Although, unlike The Grain Elevators it doesn't leave any lingering questions. Through a brilliant black and white, slow motion style, Heavy Metal Night at Gus' Pub gives the viewer a look inside a kind of music and lifestyle they may not know much about.

SweetieFace

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

Shorts! Shorts! Shorts! Who doesn't love shorts? I love shorts. We all love shorts. We all scream for shorts.

Over the past few days, I've gone to four short film screenings at the 33rd annual Atlantic Film Festival. Atlantic Shorts 2, Atlantic Shorts 3, Shorts 2, and the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala. I've seen a goodly number of shorts, folks! A real goodly number.

The thing about shorts is that they're really hard to see if there isn't a film festival on. Last year, I saw Mike Clattenburg's Crackin' Down Hard. I thought it was hilarious. I recently got to thinking about it again and I went online to look for a way to see it again. I couldn't find anything. I tweeted directly to the source.

It's been over a year since it screened at the Atlantic Film Festival and it's impossible to see unless there's a film fest near you that's got it. Most features that screen at film fests will be available to see again, and many times, you'll be able to see the movie again soon. But with shorts, you might never see or hear from them again! They're so precious and fleeting. It's where tomorrow's big talents get their feet wet.

The point is: when the film fest comes to town, watch the shorts. It's where the film fest really lives. And the great thing about shorts, as I've said before, is that if you don't like what you're watching, all you have to do is wait a few minutes. Something new is coming up.

In any case, I've seen a lot of shorts over the past few days, so I'm not going to go through them one by one and review them. I'll list my highlights and tell you a little about why they stood out to me.

Atlantic Shorts 2

Katie Ingram did a great job going through this batch of films over here. Personally, I liked The Haunting Truth About Haven. It was basically a behind the scenes documentary like one that you'd expect to see as a special feature on a DVD. But I love special features on DVDs, so I had a good time. One thing that sets the doc apart from a lot of behind the scenes documentaries is that it got into the lives of the people working on the show. We learned about hobbies and pets and passions. We got to see crew joking around and screwing with the filmmaker. We watched as the crew slowly grew more and more miserable, shooting an episode of Haven in a cramped house. And we went beyond the crew, to a self-styled "paranormal investigator" who insisted that the house being used to shoot the episode was actually haunted. All in all, it was amusing and unique. And I've never even seen Haven.

Presence was another highlight. The short stars Glen Matthews as a musician who begins having trouble with his hearing. His hearing constant noises that are undetectable to others drives him slowly insane. Presence was very effective in making me squirm and wince.

Atlantic Shorts 3

This batch was really strong.

Don't Go Into The Water was a hilarious fake trailer for a horror movie by Stuan Sutherland. This is NOT one of the short films that will disappear into the either. You can watch it on YouTube right now!

The Long & Short of Barry Small (directed by Luckas Cardona) was a quirky comedy about a mean, self-centred advertising executive who comes to find out that he's very ill, and in need of friends. I'm sorry I used the word 'quirky' to describe the movie, but it's the word that came to mind. In the good way! This short was well-made, well-written, well-acted and darkly funny.

The Luckiest Most Unlucky Man in the World (directed by Walter Forsyth) was a sweet film about a very clumsy man who is on a mission to track down his secret admirer. What's better than a love story with pratfalls? Glen Matthews, Halifax's hardest working actor, does a great job in this film, and also the next:

Foam Drive Renegades (directed by Adam Deviller) is a brilliantly hilarious heist-style film. You know how there's always that one guy on the team that came in at the last minute and isn't a sure bet? Well, in this movie, the wild card is a puppet named Reggie who's high on PCP. Hilarity ensues. The human actors played it straight, which boosted the humour.

Stay tuned to POLARGRIZZ for more film fest stuff and I'll have part two of my shorts reviews coming up!

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Saving Face takes place in an alternate universe wherein everything is pro-wrestling and it tells the story of a tag-team that begins falling apart when one of it's members decides he wants to become a bad guy.

BY KATIE INGRAM

Note: These reviews may contain spoilers

Over the weekend I decided to take a break from feature films and take in two of of the many Atlantic Short programs the film festival has to offer. First up is Atlantic Shorts 2.

One Last Song                                                                      

One Last Song is the story of a musician named Jeff Elliot who, after being underappreciated in life and famous in death, posthumously comes back to play one last show at a local bar. One Last Song may leave the viewer with a lot of unanswered questions which can be frustrating, but that doesn't seem to matter. The storytelling, cinematography and characters come together to create an amazing piece of film that expertly shows how sometimes greatness isn't appreciated until it’s too late.

The Grain Elevators

Using an interesting technique of a poem as the film’s narration, The Grain Elevators is the story of a former couple who comes together at the grain elevators to look back on their relationship through a series of film slides. While combining poetry with film is a great way to tell a story, it lacked one key element: context. Without reading the synopsis I didn't really know who the two people were, what they were doing or why I cared about them. This needed to be explained or else it was just two people hanging out and watching film slides by an old building.

Sibling Rivalry                                                                          

The problem with a lot of short films is that they often seem to be scenes taken from a feature, which is the case with Sibling Rivalry. In the film we learn that Zach and Hannah have killed their mother and Zach has started to feel guilty. Hannah appears calm and in control – even threatening to reveal one of her brother’s secrets to keep him from confessing. Sibling Rivalry should have been longer, since at a short eight minutes it has the pieces of good character driven drama.  

Hive

Remember last year when Halloween 1977 made me question what exactly I had watched? Well this year that honour goes to Hive. At the first glance the film seems to be about a woman who makes art out of dead bees and has become obsessed with the creatures to such an extent that her life has been taken over by images of hives. Although, according to the film festival program it’s a look at “the lives, deaths and reincarnations of bees in this dreamy, visually haunting short that meshes narrative and experimental techniques.” Huh? Ok then. It was an interesting experiment, but its message gets jumbled.

Presence

Presence is about a musician named Kyle who begins to have trouble hearing anything besides these strange voices and sounds. Quick paced and unnerving Presence might be filled with the horror film clichés of shadows and scary noises, but it definitely makes you not want to walk home alone.

The Haunting Truth about Haven

 BY KATIE INGRAM

Note: The following review contains a few spoilers.

In my world there are two types of romantic comedies: the heartwarming ones that make you laugh and and cry, and the ones that make you feel uncomfortable and confused. Falling into that second category is The Right Kind of Wrong.

The Right Kind of Wrong is the story of a failed novelist/dishwasher Leo Palamino (Ryan Kwanten) who is depressed and lonely after his wife, Julie (Kristen Hager), starts a blog titled “Why You Suck” about his faults and leaves him. One day his friend and coworker, Mandeep’s (Raoul Bhaneja) children (Marteen Devji and Maya Samy) come over to his house and start playing with a football that gets kicked across the yard where it ends up hitting a nearby wedding party. One of the party members Colette (Sara Canning) kicks the football back so well that it ends up flying over the house. Cue the doves, sunsets and bells Leo is now in love, but there’s one small problem: Colette is the bride.

Now if a guy falling in love with a girl merely because she could kick a football was the movie’s only problem this review might be a bit better, but it isn’t. To start, The Right Kind of Wrong falls victim to a weak, slightly unnerving plot where Leo stalks Colette until she falls in love with him. Adding to this most of the characters are essentially one dimensional plot devices. For example there are Leo’s odd best friends (Will Sasso and Jennifer Baxter), the egotistical and rude “other guy” who is better known as Collette’s husband Danny (Ryan McPartlin), the kids who are much smarter than any of the adults and even Colette herself becomes the typical “I never had a home, so I’m still finding myself’ character.

On the other hand the film bluntly tries to make us ignore that Leo is stalking Colette by having Ryan Kwanten be cute and adorable and having the other characters rationalize what he’s doing as a "grand gesture of love" when he (A) doesn’t really know this woman and (B) only fell in love with her because she could kick a football.

Classy.

Most of the acting seems subpar which is not the cast’s fault, but is rather due to the script’s jumbled storylines. In the film festival program it's billed as “the hi-jinx of sexy twentysomethings [that] gets pumped up to an entirely new level of levity,” and “a poignant picture of love in an accelerated, social-media-mad culture,” but then again it also has a theme of not settling for what others think of you and overcoming your own fears, so what is it? A film that examines the effect social media can have on us? A group of good-looking people doing random things at random times? A study of mind over matter? People trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life? The Right Kind of Wrong doesn't seem to know and as a result neither do I.

Also, even though the movie is only an hour and a half it seems to drag on in the last 20 minutes when it strangely turns into a tourism commercial for Alberta and hang gliding.

There are a couple small shining moments though: Catherine O’Hara’s brief performance as Tess, Colette’s free-spirited mother, and the cats “Snow” and “Balls," but that’s it. Not even hilariously named cats and a quirky mom character could save this movie.

BY LAURA MACKENZIE

Today I saw two documentaries. The first was After Tiller, a look at four late-term abortion providers in the States who are struggling to maintain access to the procedure after their colleague, Dr. George Tiller, was shot to death in his church in 2009. The film shows the emotional pain associated with the procedure – as one doctor puts it in an emotionally-charged moment, ‘No-one wants a fucking abortion,’ – and the real, desperate need of the people who choose it, facing extreme fetal anomalies, rape, hopelessness and the grief of losing what was often a wanted pregnancy. The portrayal of the vitriolic, organized opposition they face startled me, even though I already knew it existed. It’s a really important topic, and I recommend you watch it. The second, Buying Sex by Teresa MacInnes and Kent Nason, looks at the different sides in the debate over sex work: is prostitution a valid, healthy choice for some women, who need to be allowed to work in safer environments? Does the existence of sex work undermine the gender equality of the society that tolerates it? It doesn’t come down on any side, and in the Q&A afterwards, the director and producer said that they wanted the documentary to spark conversations among men and women on this topic. I definitely don’t feel like I have any answers having watched it. You hear from some Canadian former sex workers who say the job is inherently dangerous and degrading, and from others involved in the Bedford v. Canada challenge to the country’s anti-prostitution laws. You hear johns, with their faces blacked out, explain why they choose to pay for sex. The film also explores how Sweden and New Zealand have changed their laws around sex work, criminalizing johns and legalizing brothels respectively, and the effects so far. Coming out, I was more aware than ever of my own confusion. One of the film’s most difficult moments was seeing opposing activists furiously debating each other at a press conference following a court decision. Both trying to create safety and support for sex workers, but one seeing a victory where the other sees a painful step backwards. I can see a legitimate role for sex work in our society, and I definitely think some women make a clear-eyed choice to engage in it. But as many women in the film point out, changes like legalizing brothels won’t help many women who are working on the street to survive, women who would never be hired by one. Can we support by-choice sex workers and move toward a world where it is not the high-risk work of last resort for impoverished, abused and addicted women? Do the solutions lie in legislation, or in reducing poverty and improving relationships with law enforcement, or both? They do a good job of showing the complexity of thought on this topic, and underline the incredibly high stakes involved in getting it right. It’s a conversation that needs to happen a lot more.  

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BY LAURA MACKENZIE

The Atlantic Film Festival kicked off on Thursday with opening gala film, The Grand Seduction, the story of a remote fishing harbour in Newfoundland that will do anything to convince a young doctor to join the community and help them score a new factory. It’s a remake of a Quebec film that came out in 2003, and it stars Brendan Gleeson, Gordon Pinsent and Taylor Kitsch. Guys, I was so excited to see this movie. I plunked myself down next to a nice older gentleman in a black suit jacket – the theatre was packed, so no polite seat distances allowed. It was great though. He asked me if I had seen the original (I haven’t) and I gushed about Brendan Gleeson’s beard. Beards were invented for that man, I swear. He grows Dubliners-level great facial hair. The movie opens with narration, and some pretty Celtic music. I thought the music was slightly melodramatic, until I realized they were opening to a flashback of life in the harbour in the fifties. When I saw a troop of neighbour fishermen marching down to the dock, slickers on and lamps swinging in the dark, the music fit perfectly. I was raised on stories of what life was like in rural Cape Breton during that period, so that opening sequence was a knife in my sentimental little heart. You need that first image to appreciate the motivation in the rest of the film. The people of Tickle Head, led by Gleeson’s Murray French, go out on all these crazy limbs trying to recapture the dignity and pride they once had, to be working people again. I spent the rest of the movie squirming and grinning and howling with laughter. This movie has the most likeable cast ever. Cathy Jones and Mary Walsh are in this movie, you guys! My downfall in movies that involve any kind of deception is that part at the end – the veil falls, and even though I have faith that a happy ending will come, I feel nervous and dismayed as I watch people who I so want to get along suddenly feel hopeless or betrayed. It’s an essential part of the narrative, but I dread it, and I can only say that in this case, it was worth paying the piper to experience the hope, comedy and triumph that come on either end. My friend in the theatre said he expected the film to be a little predictable, and it was, but it delivered the story with as much warmth and hilarity as I could have hoped. I can’t wait until it’s actually in theatres, because I want to see it with my dad. In the meantime, I’m going to watch Braveheart and fast-forward to Brendan Gleeson and his beard throwing giant stones around.

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BY VINCENZO RAVINA

Here we go again, folks! It's time for the Atlantic Film Festival. Last year we did a lot of coverage. This year we hope to do a lot more!

We've got Katie Ingram back to write reviews for us! We've got Chris Muise on the bandwagon! Laura MacKenzie's pitching in! And me! Me, of all people. I'm going to help, too.

This is the 33rd annual Atlantic Film Festival and tickets are on sale now for 180 films that will be presented over eight days in Halifax from September 12-19. It's going to be a heck of a time.

What am I most excited for? Short films and animation, of course! I love the short film screenings. If you don't like the movie you're watching, another one will be along shortly! Great stuff!

In terms of features, I'm really interested in seeing The Art Of The Steal.

Check out the full schedule here! Buy tickets to this magic! And look! Gulls:

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

Time to get Screeched in on Amazing Race Canada! We're in Newfoundland this week and it's time to pare these four teams down into the three teams that will be racing to WIN the first Amazing Race Canada next week.

The racers started off the leg by memorizing a quote from Terry Fox, then got Screeched in and kissed a cod. Then, a choice of two tasks: Use a Newfoundland dog and a cart to deliver fragile groceries to houses on a steep hill or listen to a story told by an accented Newfie and relate the story to a separate group of people using the accent and lingo. Finally, the racers busked for $50.

BY VINCENZO RAVINA

Update June 11, 2014:

It has been over nine months since we heard anything from the Mantracker camp. Unless something remarkable happens, I'm calling it: Mantracker is dead in the water. It's been right around two years since we've had new Mantracker episodes, so I don't expect to see more. I hope we do, but I don't think it's in the cards just now. I'll update if anything changes.

ORIGINAL POST (Sept. 3, 2013):

On our Mantracker superpost, we strive to answer any and all Mantracker questions. One question that has recently been nagging at Mantracker fans, and at us here at POLARGRIZZ, is "will there be another season of Mantracker?"

It has been over a year since the last new episode aired and there'd been no word on whether Mantracker would ever return.

Well, fear not.

Executive producer Ihor Macijiwsky says the show will be back. "We took some time off to recharge but we are currently negotiating with a U.S. broadcaster to restart the series," Macijiwsky said in an email.

He went on to say that there will be an announcement (perhaps with further details) in the next few weeks!

I've asked Macijiwsky if Chad Savage will be returning in the role of Mantracker in season 8. I'll let you know what I hear back!

Be sure to check out our Mantracker superpost and other Mantracker coverage.

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Vincenzo Ravina is a writer, journalist, and giraffe enthusiast.

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