Actor Maury Chaykin dies

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Bruce LaBruce film banned from film festival

Free gay zombie porn!

SYDNEY— An Australian film board has banned a Canadian movie featuring “gay zombie porn” from screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival — to the delight of the filmmaker.

The Australian Film Classification Board told festival organizers not to show L.A. Zombie, directed by Canadian Bruce LaBruce, as it would refuse classification for the film featuring alien zombies scouring Los Angeles for dead bodies and gay sex.

Netflix coming to Canada

The U.S. firm will be bringing its online streaming service to Canada but not its mail service, as we already have Zip.ca.

In conversation with Sook-Yin Lee

Torontoist features Sook-Yin Lee, host of Definitely Not the Opera and an actor and musician, in the latest instalment of I Want Your Job. Also, Jian Ghomeshi of Q sits down to talk with her about her new film, Year of the Carnivore.

Here’s the trailer for the film:

Alberta culture minister calls Canadian TV crap

Outrage quickly — and automatically — follows. But c’mon, people, keep it in perspective. All TV is crap, not just Canadian TV.

Evolved

Another fun short from the Vancouver Film School:

Crazy from the heat roundup

I go away to Toronto for a few days, and the world goes crazy. Crazier? Here’s a quick roundup of the hot stories from the last few days:

• David Davidar, the head of Penguin Canada, steps down as a former Penguin editor sues him for sexual harassment. This is about the only time a publishing story hits the front page of the Star.
• Canada is apparently getting a homegrown version of Fox News. Because that kind of thing has been so good for political and cultural discourse in the U.S.
• 2010 Atlantic Canada Reads is on! Love the logo.
• Vincenzo Natali, the director of Splice and Cube, is on board to direct the film adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. Which will now be an alternate history.
• Marc Emery put in solitary confinement for podcasting while in U.S. prison.

Vancouver destroyed

By Vancouver Film School students. The school has put together a map showing Vancouver landmarks destroyed by students in their visual effects reels. There’s some great stuff here — I used to live on this street, for instance. But I think my favourite is this one. The tail edge of the crashing spaceship might just hit my office. (Via Jennica Harper.)

Apollo Gauntlet fights evil, even when it’s not there

I just discovered Apollo Gauntlet, which is sort of Harvey Birdman meets Trailer Park Boys. I’m only partway through the series, but I’m loving it so far. Consider:

(Via Metafilter)

Squidtastic!

The full movie of The Anachronism is now online. Congrats to everyone involved — it looks great.

Among Wood Frogs

A sonnet by Brenda Schmidt:

CBC TV: All about the numbers

I miss the old CBC.

In the spring of 2007, Kirstine Layfield, CBC’s general manager of English-language programming, vowed that the beleaguered public broadcaster would soon be “flying high,” and she outlined a plan to move away from high-impact miniseries to steamier dramas, feel-good sitcoms, and way more reality programming.

The shrieks of outrage were ear-piercing and immediate. And the chorus of dissent went something like this: The CBC is dumbing down. Abandoning high art. Acting like a conventional broadcaster. Chasing numbers rather than nurturing a vision as a public broadcaster.

NFB takes flight

The National Film Board has announced it’s created a new NFB channel for Air Canada flights. Other organizations really need to look to the NFB to see how to get content out there in this brave new world. They’re doing an excellent job.

NFB films offered on Air Canada will include a rich selection of Academy Award-winning and -nominated films – some of the world’s most innovative animated and point-of-view documentaries, by acclaimed Canadian artists and filmmakers. Programming will be refreshed monthly, so even frequent fliers will find something new to enjoy each month from Canada’s public producer.

“The National Film Board of Canada is re-inventing how Canadians access NFB productions,” said Tom Perlmutter, Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson. “We’ve opened new digital distribution channels with our online Screening Room iPhone app and pioneering e-cinema network. Now, our new NFB Channel on Air Canada is taking NFB accessibility to another level, so that travellers can instantly access cutting-edge NFB programming whether they’re crossing the country or the world.”

Hard Core Logo 2 now filming

Arsenalia reports the show has begun in Saskatchewan.

Rick Mercer visits Jack Layton

Rick Mercer checks out NDP leader Jack Layton’s fine Toronto abode. I’m waiting for the video where he tours the house of the leader of the Sex Party.

CBC wants to be a content company

First intelligent thing I’ve heard out of the CBC in a while. It’s also stating the obvious.

Stursberg said the CBC will have to transition from being a radio or television company to a content company, because content – whether it be TV, radio, or online content – is increasingly untethered from it’s originating platform.

The Anachronism

All right, I’m intrigued.

Vancouver Film School presents See Food

OK, the karate pose made me laugh.

Vancouver City: The Inner Life Project

Wow — thanks to the Vancouver Biennale Blog for pointing out this amazing time-lapse music video of Vancouver, courtesy of the Inner Life Project.

Rick Mercer helps out with a bison roundup