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AppsScraps
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Name: -brent
Country: Canada
Metro: Toronto
Gender: Male
Interests: spending time with G
* triathloning
* jazz/fusion/ambient music
* restaurants & cooking at home
* travel
* trash tv
* asian culture (and guys!)
* humanitarian issues
* Champagne
* fine wine
* history & archaeology & current affairs
* sleeping
* opera
* modern/contemporary art & design *
Expertise: quality management initiatives; writing & editing; photography; artsy-fartsy stuff
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
MSN: AppsScraps@hotmail.com
Member Since:
12/15/2005
 True  Lifetime
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| It's been more movies of late ... it's a good reprieve as I am right in the midst of fiscal '07 forecasting, program planning and fiscal '08 budget preparation. I had forgotten just how difficult managing a National Program can be with the adventures posed by the diversity that is Canada, not mention the international challenge we face in recruiting the exceptionally few folks globally who can facilitate this program. There are only three universities in the world where folks are professionally certified to offer this type of intervention. I must continue my effort to partner with a Canadian university to offer the curriculum.
But to the movies...
Irreversible
G and I watched this tonight. Filmed back in 2002, it is a VERY difficult movie to watch. Written and directed by Gaspar Noe, Irreversible uses the all-a-rage-now reverse-chronological order gag to tell the story of the rape of a gorgeous pre-Matrix-days Monica Bellucci and the subsequent brutal murder of the rapist at the hands of her ex-lover and boyfriend. The murder of the rapist in a gay club is brutal to watch while the rape scene, which seems to go on forever (9 minutes in fact), is clearly one of the most grotesque scenes filmed in a long, long time. Bellucci was so very brave to take on the role. In the end, this movie as it spins backward through time touches on themes of regret (Bellucci is pregnant by her boyfriend but regrets his silly boyishness when compared with her more cultured ex-lover); vengeance is it basest form; and the old catch phrase of hindsight is 20-20. Engaging and utterly, brutally, horribly disturbing this film is hard to deny. My rating: 7 out of 10.
Hamam
An even earlier film (1997), this time a Turkey/Italy/Spain production directed by Ferzan Ozpetek is Hamam (aka Steam). Everyone seems to think this is a gay themed flick, and while it does have a Francesco-likes-Mehmet angle, it is more the story of a man reconnecting with his culture. Our lead, Francesco, dashes off to Istanbul to sell a hamam he's inherited from a dead aunt, Anita. However, on arriving he finds he loves the Hamam (not to mention Mehmet, the son of the family who has run the hamam since Anita's death) and decides to stay and restore it, which pisses off some nasty Turkish mafia guys. Francesco's wife, Marta, arrives on scene bent on divorce but seeing how much Francesco has changed opts to love him again and forego the divorce. But it's so-sad, too-bad as Francesco is murdered by the mafia bad guys leaving poor Marta to morph into dear, dead aunt Anita. The end. Aside from some lovely scenes in the hamam, not much more here to sustain me. My rating: 4 out of 10.
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| Tonight we visited the Ontario Science Centre for a premier screening of Wired to Win, a documentary on 'surviving the Tour de France'. The film actually is more about your brain (generally) but certainly does a great job advertising the cycling. As you can imagine, G and I were keen to see this film having put a kilometer or three (actually 180km) on our own bikes when we raced in and completed the Ironman Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon in July 2004.
This film was shot in 2004 initially using Tyler Hamilton (who ironically was disqualified from the race that summer because of drug doping) and other riders. They've taken two years to rejing the film for theatrical release on the IMAX screen. The Omnimax images of the centenary Tour de France are astounding and worth any price of admission. To boot, I learn a few things about my brain and how it functions to boot.
My rating: 8 out of 10.
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| Laura, Linda, G and I shuffled off to Buffalo yesterday to sightsee, shop and see the live stage version of the uber-trashy tv show, So You Think You Can Dance. Granted, on the gayness scale this would be waaaaay up there.
Now, it's been eons since I was in Buffalo. The last time was back in my university days (daze?) when my sister and I shuffled there to hang out at "The Library" (anyone remember that place?!), dance, and drink too much. Time before that I was 14 or so and we had a swim meet down in Buffalo over the weekend. We were billeted with a Buffalo family, I remember but there was - not surprisingly - a snowstorm that derailed everything ... the swim meet included.
After getting lost (oops, Laura!), we ended up at the Walden Galleria, which bills itself as "the premier shopping centre in Western New York". Now, G and I know how to shop, and, sad to say, Walden's got its tagline a little mixed up. It is by no means 'premier'. More like Square One in Mississauga than Yorkdale. We were disappointed and lasted 45 minutes.
 1) Linda, G and Laura head into Macy's
From the Galleria our next stop was the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. We managed to arrive just in time for free entry (after 4:00pm) ... bonus! The Albright-Knox is not the AGO but I did thoroughly enjoy wandering its collection of mainly modern and contemporary works: Warhol, Mondarian, Dali, Gauguin in amongst a Monet and Degas.
2) The Albright-Knox entrance; 3) Brent & G create their own art
Downtown Buffalo on a Saturday night is eeriely empty. And off the main theatre strip (Main Street) restaurants and bars are not open. Dinner was at T.G.I. Fridays as it seemed to be the most happening spot. The wasabi green beans were excellent ... the steak, well, so-so.
The show itself was fantastic! We had amazing seats, row A in the balcony of the dropdead gorgeous theatre. The top ten were all there but it's clear Travis is best of the bunch. They danced all the sets you wanted to see from the season plus each dancer got their solo. Here's some pics from the night.
4) Shea's Theatre; 5) the gorgeous interior; 6) the hordes await the doors opening
7) the show begins!
  
8) our Top Ten; 9) group dance; 10) the gay lads dance
I also filmed two dances. This one below with the entire gang dancing their thang. Xanga morphs the video quality on upload so if you want a better quality version of this, email me. I also filmed Travis and Heidi doing Celine Dion's "Calling You" (the one with the park bench). It's hot! Again, if you want to see it, let me know.
Sunday's movie: Ghost in the ShellBased on the work of Masamune Shirow, this brilliant, brilliant anime film from 1996, directed by Mamoru Oshii, traces the action of Major Kusanagi, a (wo)man/machine AI as she tries to solve the death and subsequent disappearance of another AI, known as the PuppetMaster. The film, on a simple level, is a police thriller but if viewed critically it's an exploration of ethics and philosophy surrounding life, the role of the state, and the continuing 'creep' of technology into our lives. It truly is, in a word: brilliant. While I still find the ending disappointing, you have to give eprops to Shirow and Oshii for vision and for setting the trail the Wachowski brothers would follow with the Matrix trilogy three years later (in 1999). Rent it; see it! My rating: 9 out of 10.
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| G and I met up with Lady Sarah yesterday afternoon at our usual haunt for drinks, gossip and dinner. Lady Sarah is just back from a trip out east with her beau and we got to see pictures of oh-so-beautiful New Brunswick (yes! there are beautiful parts of New Brunswick), Nova Scotia (pictures of Digby and Lunenburg ... in sunshine! G and I had no sunshine in either locale when we were down there last May) and Prince Edward Island (which, when I become Prime Minister, shall no longer be a province ... imagine spending the dollars we do supporting a federal and provincial infrastructure on a wee island full of potato farmers and golf courses?).
During our gossip session, I managed to knock off another 2 of my draughts: Strongbow and Guinness.
moi et Lady Sarah
Later, we onwards to the Royal Alexandra Theatre to see Linda Reeves and Joan Collins in "Legends". I only stayed to the intermission but G, Blee and Laura saw the whole show. The second half was better than the first, G informed me. I must say both cannot possibly have much more plastic surgery done or may risk having their faces cave-in. That said, Joan's legs are still gorgeous at 73 years young, and Linda is still as regal as ever. Bully on them both.
Wednesday's home improvement: Live flower wall thingees
We took down the pictures in the hall and put up a trio of live flower mini-vases instead. Looks smashing.
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| Last night we hosted the TIFF Wrap-Up & Champagne Party to celebrate the end of TIFF-film-festing for this year. On hand to join us was the Film Fest Five; Tennis Star Suzie and Stephen; Brian, Gary and Blee. The evening started with G's oh-so-fabulous cocktail, the Film Festini, an homage to the colours of this year's film fest logo. A martini of blue curacao, vodka, a touch of lime and garnished with a beautiful fresh fig slice. From there, it was onto the champagnes. Over the evening we sampled the following sparkling wines/champagnes:
- Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Methode Cuve Close 2004 (very tasty Ontarian; Try it!);
- Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Spain;
- Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut Non-Vintage (good and affordable);
- Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Spain;
- Lanson Black Label Brut France (so excellent, so French);
- Veuve Clicquot Brut France (THE standard in champagne)
- Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial France (the champagne of choice for Queen Elizabeth II).
This morning I lined up the dearly departed bottles, plus the second Veuve we opened at 1am, and reminisced.
   1) Rock Star Cathy, willariah, Stephen, Tennis Star Suzie, Denyse and eggyplant; 2) Denyse, Brian and Gary; 3) Rock Star Cathy and willariah
4)
eggyplant tries her acting skills as we all got into a fierce game of
Act One with the asians vs. the whities; 5) I've seen Blee like this
before!; 6) the crew take the comic book character challenge
G and I wanted to thank everyone for joining us in the celebration and for breaking in the new 'cruiser tables' for their first ever group party. They did so well don't you think? Especially with the chocolate fundoo on the one.
As to the movies, I think we all concurred The Banquet was simply embarrassing and horrible .... our other top picks:
Also popular last night was our PacMan game. This proved somewhat challenging for a few folks (easily blamed on the Champagne mind you). However, here's a tip I can pass on for our next party (and which G only remembered this morning). The controller knob rotates! OMG, that would have made the race track a little easier to negotiate eh.
Friday's party: the XX Again Party
We headed north to the wilds of Newmarket on Friday night to join Maria and Mark and Megan in celebrating Maria's XX Birthday again. It was a huge success and lots of fun, especially once Barney brought out the 'urchin' to play with. Gooey fun for sure!
The Birthday Girl and daughter
The urchin calm and squeezed
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