Kanadian Korner

[Sarah]

I don't understand what that means.

[Sarah]

In this context, that is.

[Pidgeon]

I was responding to that book cover, not your thing.

[Sarah]

Thank god.

[Pidgeon]

Yeah.

[Bryan]

Hey, Canadians, have any of you seen Paul Gross's H₂O and The Trojan Horse?  I haven't seen the latter yet, but I gobbled up the former yesterday (along with Hard Core Logo and the first episode of Men with Brooms* [it was "I don't want to be American day" in the St. Onge household]).  I don't recall ever having seen a Canadian political thriller before, and to enjoy one featuring two of my crushes (Paul Gross and Callum Keith Rennie, whose villain here is hilariously competent) was a treat.  The ending seemed a little rushed and diabolus ex machina-y to me, but I still liked watching the house of cards tumble (inevitably, it reminded me of House of Cards; also State of Play, Margaret [for the intricacies of the politics], and, of course, A Very British Coup, which I really need to watch again).  I am most curious to hear what you thought of it.

*Very disappointing, by the by.  I think it's trying to be Corner Gas with curling?

Weirdly, this is the first I've heard about those Paul Gross things. I'll have to take a look, although I usually steer clear of Paul Gross for reasons that this should make clear:

Gunless Trailer

Men With Brooms falls into the same category of lower-middlebrow Canadiana that I try to avoid. I did like Hard Core Logo quite a lot though.

What inspired this bout of anti-Americanism?

[Sarah]

I'm often anti-American, but this time I was motivated more by a desire to find something to steer me away from the morbid fare to which I've been drawn recently.  In the past, Canada has helped with this.  Sure, it offers dark aplenty, but often also plenty of quirk for leavening.

I watched Gunless yesterday, too; I forgot to mention that (I wonder why?).  As I noted earlier, I have crush on Paul Gross, from when I watched Due South and, later, Slings and Arrows.  Something reminded me of his new sit com, which in turn led me to Wiki Mr. Gross, which in turn led me to Gunless, H₂O, The Trojan Horse, and Passchendaele (which I've yet to watch; I fear it's going to stink). 

I arrived at Hard Core Logo because I came across a mention of the show Shattered in a review of Dirk Gently, which prompted me to Wiki it and then Callum Keith Rennie, whose entry makes much of his appearance in HCL.  Watching that movie has now set me on the quest to watch more Bruce McDonald stuff.

It all makes for a nice change from last week's Margaret Thatcher day, enjoyable and informative though that was.

I have a lot of free time.

[crumbum]

Watching that movie has now set me on the quest to watch more Bruce McDonald stuff.

I'm not too familiar with most of his ouevre, but I have to say that last year's little-seen Pontypool (starring the great Stephen McHattie) was one of my faves of 2009. It's a really unique movie that takes the zombie genre to new places, and McDonald does some amazing things directorially with a very confined setting.

[Sarah]

I loved Pontypool (I watched it during a recent zombie kick [well, who am I trying to kid? during my continuing love affair with zombie-related fare, which ebbs and flows, like any long-term relationship]; it even features yet another of my crushes, Stephen McHattie, with whom I've been madly in love since the early seventies).  I'm planning on getting the book soon; apparently it's really different from the film.  And someday there may even be a sequel to the movie!

[Bryan]

Yeah, the book (Pontypool Changes Everything)  is more avant-garde, and much less straightforward than the movie. I liked 'em both a lot.

Bruce McDonald is uneven. He's recently had a run of stinkers (excepting Pontypool). I liked his early 90s stuff, but think it may not have aged well. I really liked Twitch City, the tv series which (or that?) he directed.

I've heard that Passchendale is horrible, and it was from the person I know who was most disposed to have a soft spot for it (Canadian patriot and war buff).

[Sarah]

I'm going to check out Twitch City.  And while I'm at it, maybe I'll go on a Don McKellar kick, too.

I look forward to seeing how bad Passchendaele is. 

[Sarah]

Oh, right:  the answer to your question is "that."

[Bryan]

Thanks for the which/that clarification. I knew you'd come through.

I think McKellar's oeuvre is reliably good - at least as an actor and writer.  As a director... I really enjoyed Last Night, but I've heard mostly bad things about Childstar.

[Sarah]

I love Last Night.  It's one of the few movies I've seen several times, and, in fact, I had just started downloading it a few minutes before I read your post.  Childstar I didn't like an eighth, or even sixteenth, as much.  In fact, I'd forgotten that I'd seen it till I Wiki'd it just now, so little impression did it make on me.

[dave from knoxville]

I love Last Night.  It's one of the few movies I've seen several times, and, in fact, I had just started downloading it a few minutes before I read your post.  Childstar I didn't like an eighth, or even sixteenth, as much.  In fact, I'd forgotten that I'd seen it till I Wiki'd it just now, so little impression did it make on me.

Last Night is very good. I wish Cronenberg had more time for acting roles.