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Casino Royale :: (2006) The new Bond flick. It's great! And half of it was filmed in my old home town of Nassau, Bahamas. Daniel Craig is good in the role, but for my money Sean Connery is still the one true Bond. However, this installment is far and away the best 007 flick in the past 30 years. Recommended.

Monkey Warfare :: (2006) A new Canadian film, shot in Toronto, with neighbourhood celebrity Don McKellar starring. And the most surprising thing is that it is good. In fact, not just good, but GREAT! The plot follows bike riding city dwellers who survive by selling other people's garbage on Ebay. But the plot quickly thickens. Highly Recommended.

Borat :: (2006) If you haven't heard about this film then you've been living under a rock. And if you don't find it hysterical then I suggest you go back under that rock. I loved this movie from start to finish and Sacha Baron Cohen is amazing as the character Borat. Some of the films slapstick and gross-out scenes are not entirely my cup of tea, but there are some brillinat bits of brutal satire that make this one brilliant film. Highly Recommended.

Blood Diamond :: (2006) A film about the unpleasant world of the diamond industry and the human costs involved (especially within the developing African nations where the diamonds are most plentiful) Leonardo DiCaprio is all growed up now, and handles the lead role, and the Rhodesian accent, quite well. Recommended.

Catch A Fire :: (2006) Another film set in Africa (Apartheid-era South Africa to be exact), this time recounting the true life tale of Patrick Chamusso, a black oil refinery foreman who is falsely accused of a crime and watches his life crumble around him as a result. The injustice he suffers leads him to become an actual revolutionary, which doesn't turn out to be the best career choice either, as Tim Robbins' police inspector has his eyes on him throughout. Recommended.

Pan's Labyrinth :: (2006) One of the best film I saw at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. Set in the 1930s, during the Spanish Civil War, the film revolves around a young girl who fears her new stepfather and builds an elaborate fantasy world for herself. But his is no fairy tale for children! Instead it's director Guillermo Del Toro's nightmarish vision of a child's make-believe world, and his brilliant special effects draws the viewer in entirely. Highly Recommended.

Bobby :: (2006) Who would have thought that Emilio Estevez was the talented one from Martin Sheen's brood? Life sure is strange! Anyway, this star-studded flick, written and directed by Estevez, is quite wonderful (even if there may be one too many subplots to follow). The setting of the film is the Ambassador Hotel in LA, and the life dramas of the various guests and staff play out as the day turns to night, and that night culminates with the brutal assassination of Bobby Kennedy. But the real highlight of the film is the speeches and televised clips of Kennedy himself (no one portrays him in the film), and hearing his words of peace, which ring as true today as they did in the Vietnam Years of the late 60s, is riveting. Highly Recommended.

Little Miss Sunshine :: (2006) Very, very funny. The premise of the film is that a severely dysfunctional family must wind their way to Florida so that the daughter can compete in a child's beauty pageant. Along the way everything that can go wrong, does seem to go wrong, but never in a way that you'd expect. Which is why this film is so enjoyable. Highly Recommended.

Vampires In Havana :: (1985) This film was a total surprise for me. I went to a free screening one night at the ROM and I didn't know anything about the film other than that it was from Cuba. Turns out it's a totally zany animated film about a vampire scientist who invents a potion that allows vampires to be able to live under the rays of the sun. A rival gang of Eastern European vampires tries to steal the formula, but the scientist's trumpet playing nephew (played by the famous Cuban musician, Arturo Sandoval) holds the formula for the elixir. What follows is too bizzare to explain, but this racy little cartoon feature is a gas from start to finish! Highly Recommended.

Paris, Je T'aime :: (1985) This film is a compilation of shorts (21 in all), made by various American and International directors. Each film paints an interesting little portait of life in Paris. Stylistically some were comical, some were dramatic, and some were bittersweet. But my favourite was the final installment (from director Alexander Payne) about a lonely American tourist trying to practise her French while on vacation, because it combined all three styles effortlessly. Recommended.

Cat Power live at the Phoenix - November 2006

Sarah Slean :: (Dec. 2006) Beautiful music from a beautiful girl. I have never been so captivated so quickly before. And the sound at the Harbourfront EnWave Theatre was amazing! As was Miss Slean's sexy red silk gown. Three standing Os and 2 encores later we all went home happy. Angelic.

Cat Power :: (Nov. 2006) playing with a full band was quite a switch from her solo show in September but it worked. Somehow. One thing about Chan Marshall is that she's never, ever boring. And her renditions of the Stones' "Satisfaction", and her own "Cross-Bones Style" brought the house down. Intense.

Lloyd Cole :: (Nov. 2006) This was my 3rd or 4th time seeing Mr. Cole and he was captivating as always. He's just such a damn good songwriter and his solo shows (it was just him and one other guitarist on stage) really let you appreciate his abilities. Plus I got to meet him after the show. Memorable.

Lenni Jabour :: (2006) Lenni is a gem and seeing her perform is a ritual I never tire of. Her solo show at the Drake in Toronto was an intimate affair, and she unveiled some new songs amongst the old favourites. But her closing number, a piano rendition of the disco classic "Get Down Tonight", was a magic little moment for all in attendance. Sweet.

Beck :: (Oct. 2006) I got a free ticket to Beck's big stadium show in Toronto and even though our seats were not so great, the show was a blast. If you were too far away (like we were) to see Beck and band in any detail, there was a live jumbo-tron video feed of marionette replica band of Beck and company, copying the real band's every movement. It was hilarious to watch. Entertaining.

Beck :: (Oct. 2006) Immediately after seeing Beck live at his Toronto stadium show, I got a call from a music biz insider friend of mine saying that Beck was doing a secret show that same night at one of Toronto's small underground clubs. So I went. And it was a blast! The band was drunk, the place was packed, and the sound and songs were great. Plus i was right up front, taking video clips and great concert shots. Off The Hook .

Cat Power :: (Sept. 2006) Her Lee's Palace solo show in Toronto was one of the oddest gigs I've ever been to. Chan played for well over two hours, totally alone, took a cigarette break halfway through, never completed a whole song (it was like one continuous medley) and yet she held everyone transfixed in her presence. It was one of the most raw stage presentations I've ever witnessed, but the vibe was all good. Transcendant.

Coldplay :: (March 2006) I was surprised how much I liked this show. And I realized after a while that i knew more of their songs than just "Yellow". I got free tickets, so that was my main reason for being there but after a hour or so I realized "hey, these guys have pulled off the move from small stage to arena rock quite well." Hats off lads! Fun.

Aimee Mann :: (Feb. 2006) This woman can do no wrong. Aimee is a wonderful songwriter and although her shows have a pretty even keel (beat-wise) there's plenty of unscheduled moments to liven things up. Plus she played "4th of July" which made me über-happy. Loverly.

Hugo Chavez tellin' like it is!

Hugo Chavez :: I love the way this guy stands up to Bush and the whole Global conglomerate. In the end he may prove to be just another Latin American dictator, but so far he hasn't done anything wrong. Unless helping the poor is wrong. You da Man!

Al Gore :: I saw his "Inconvenient Truth" documentary recently and I was impresed by the scope of the film, and also terrified by the predictions he makes therein. It's also so comical that Bush-ites and the like refute his statistics, when most of his data comes from the military themselves. Oy! You da Man!

Stephen Colbert :: The funniest guy on late night TV. His portrayl of an arch right wing conservative character is so flawless and unwavering that it's like watching some glorious prolonged improv night after night. Which essentially is exactly what the show is. Plus the writing is bloody brilliant. You da Man!

Paris Hilton :: Because I never tire of your antics young lady. And next to Brittney even YOU look like a demure young woman. You da Man!

Rick Mercer :: The Mercer Report is by far the best thing on CBC. Rick is often tamer than I'd like, but he gets a few good bites in on each episode. You da Man!

Sarah Slean lettin' it all hang out.

Sarah Slean :: She's quite a pretty lady and her songs are pretty pretty too. I saw her in concert recently and acquired 3 of her CDs (Blue Parade, Night Bugs and Day One) the following week i was so impresed. Recommended.

Nick Cave :: The Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues CD is a beautiful piece of work! I'm still spinnning it quite a bit. Recommended.

Sinead O'Connor :: i really liked last years offering from Miss O'Connor (entitled Throw Down Your Arms). It's surprisingly good. She covers classic reggae songs, backed by classic reggae session men, and the result is, err... bordering on classic. I saw her in concert recently. touring this disc, and that was amazing too. Recommended.

A Girl Called Eddy :: I downloaded some tracks from this gal's self-titled CD and was quite impressed. Don't know much more about her, but any track entitled Kathleen is OK by me (my favourite girl's name ya know). Beta Test First.

Antony and the Johnsons :: I don't know why I like this weirdo but he grows on ya. Despite the questionable lyrics. And his version of Lou Reed's Perfect Day is scintillating. Beta Test First.

Tarwater :: I recently picked up the Dwellers On The Threshold disc and it's really, really good. A little more conventional beat than some of the earlier efforts, but just as "left field" overall. Just the way we like it. Beta Test First.

Tori Amos :: I don't think The Beekeeper CD did very brisk business for Miss Amos, but I am growing to like it as time goes by. I'm still discovering it (ie: it ain't one of those discs I played to death after popping off the cello-wrap), and it's proving to be a slowly unravelling treat. Beta Test First.

Vic Chesnutt :: I recently picked up the About To Choke disc in a used record store (mainly because it's the only CD of his I could never download in it's entirety off LimeWire). And it's worth every penny. Vic's most poetically and musically complete work in my opinion. Recommended.

Beck :: I understand from various reviews I've read that not everyone loved Guero as much as I did, but I still say it's a damn fine disc with damn fine songs. I'm keen to get the new one too (The Information) but so far sheer laziness has blocked that path of action. Recommended.

Sophie Millman :: This little hottie (based in Toronto for the time being) sings jazz standards, but she does it well my friends. So although no one actually needs a new version of My Baby Just Cares For Me, you probably won't mind adding this one to your collection. Recommended.