tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236870942011-11-27T18:15:50.150-05:00Writing, wildlife, what I'm watching... whatever, really.Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-450099629461582912010-01-03T18:35:00.000-05:002010-05-14T23:35:00.088-04:00

(aka Monster Puppets are Awesome Christmas Presents)                                                                  6:00pm

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-29224089479962057212010-01-02T19:40:00.002-05:002010-05-14T23:35:00.090-04:00

                                          11:10am

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-42311436013071616652010-01-01T15:59:00.005-05:002010-05-14T23:35:00.091-04:00

                                                                                8:48am

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-13505868577149604052009-07-03T11:50:00.019-04:002009-07-03T21:21:39.190-04:00

See earlier post Preparing for 24 Hours of Frantic PlaywritingSo yesterday I did indeed hand in my entry for the Toronto Fringe Festival's 24 Hour Playwriting Contest. I was thinking of blogging throughout the contest, but decided against that pretty quick - a few Twitter updates were all I managed. But before the whole experience disappears into an even blurrier memory than it already is, I'll

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-37803360871025430092009-06-26T19:18:00.003-04:002009-07-03T19:24:12.838-04:00

I'm registered to take part in the Toronto Fringe Festival's 24-Hour Playwriting Contest. I've thought about entering before, but this is the first year I've actually taken the plunge. On July 1st all participants (there's a maximum of 60) will be in the Fringe Club Beer Tent at 7pm to hear about four things which must be incorporated into their play. We'll then have until 7pm the next day to

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-82786855163440068482009-05-27T10:10:00.005-04:002009-05-27T10:20:02.233-04:00

Gizmo knows I have a lot to do today, so he's helping by keeping my arm warm. He's such a team player.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-78158066193301204872008-11-21T08:58:00.005-05:002008-11-21T09:10:38.802-05:00

I don't usually watch Grey's Anatomy, but we've been taping this season for my busy aunt and with our set-up you can't watch another channel. So on Thursday nights I've generally had one eye on Meredith and her wacky gang, and another on my computer screen.On last night's episode a woman was diagnosed with c.difficile and was prescribed a fecal transplant - they were going to put a tube down her

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-84611945496142789852008-11-15T13:02:00.003-05:002008-11-15T13:43:35.138-05:00

This week I was at the Humber College Lakeshore Campus in South Etobicoke for a two-day workshop on how to get published. Although there was some content on U.S. and International sales and agents, the focus was very definitely on the publishing industry here in Canada, which was the main reason I finally signed up. I say finally because I was back and forth about whether or not I should spend

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-90710622912322366722008-11-01T14:37:00.002-04:002008-11-01T15:10:28.163-04:00

November 1st is significant for many writers as the kick-off to National Novel Writing Month. Hunkering down to hammer out a 50,000 word novel in 30 days is a fun, frantic plunge into fiction writing, and I've done it more than once before. But the situation hasn't changed since I last posted about Nanowrimo - none of my earlier Nanuscripts have been fully edited, or even given to friends or

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-66447971802526795002008-08-17T21:37:00.006-04:002008-12-18T23:05:41.408-05:00

Last night we had a friend over who brought a selection of horror films ranging from high-quality to highly-laughable. In the ensuing discussion, he referred to something as a "formerly guilty pleasure". It turns out the only New Year's Resolution he ever made was never to feel guilty about liking something again. It's been working for him for several years now, and I thought that sounded like

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-24235729436786720512008-08-03T14:37:00.003-04:002008-08-03T15:16:15.261-04:00

I've been loving Dairy Queen's TV commercials for the last few years. I know some have stirred up controversy (like the current one featuring the pre-teen girl who is apparently already using her flirty, feminine charms to make the boys buy her things), but I love 'em anyways.So what the heck happened? All this week I've been seeing the DQ ad where a 70's dad beats his own son at arm wrestling

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-40799100952877458862008-07-29T22:39:00.004-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.561-04:00

By noon today I knew what I was going to blog about tonight. This post was going to be about the wonders of housesitting, and how it just might be the perfect part-time job for aspiring and emerging writers. I stumbled into housesitting a few years ago and still only play live-in guardian and cat-servant for one couple - academics who tend to go away at least once a summer. It's a not a bad gig

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-91658856052204907932008-07-28T22:56:00.010-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.561-04:00

I've just added a new blog to my reading list after coming across A Tale of a Boy and his TV Show. On it Brandon Laraby is chronicling his clearly focused efforts to break into TV writing in Canada. I was hooked on the first post I read, likely because it's about his interview for the CFC's Prime Time program. As I mentioned in my comment, this struck a chord because I clearly remember my

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-60669991635221683402008-07-27T23:22:00.003-04:002008-08-02T22:22:22.009-04:00

Okay, I realize putting my name on the submission would have helped if I wanted to take credit for the caption later, but at the time I was just procrastinating on the icanhascheezburger builder. I never thought one would make it to the front page, and yet...I wrote on this! (The picture was in the builder, from this flickr account.)See the whole page with commentsHuzzah!(It's the small

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-9100457174819417232008-07-25T14:32:00.004-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.562-04:00

Getting hired to be the About.com Guide to Toronto has been awesome for my professional writing-ness, but not so good for the personal projects such as, oh say, this blog. I realize plenty of pro writers maintain a much more vibrant writing career and an often very vibrant personal blog but, what can I say - I'm just not that organized. Actually, it's more like I'm just not that efficient.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-71491509414145078032007-07-08T23:14:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:48.441-04:00

But I've always enjoyed her music when someone else puts it on. I've also always respected her musicality and her showmanship. Watching her Wembley Stadium finale during Live Earth I was especially taken in by the latter after watching a day's worth of folks who mostly seemed to not understand the performance aspect of "performing live". So there I was, enjoying Madonna playing guitar and

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-24000789546389728742007-06-18T19:33:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.562-04:00

There was a time not so many years ago when I decided I would never apply for arts grants. I imagined myself nobly slaving away at my day job, counting down the minutes until I could race home and return to my "real" work. I was going to carry on this way for just a few years, then I would break out with some wonderfully successful novel/play/screenplay that would allow me to walk away from the

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-39573646092590420612007-03-18T19:07:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.577-04:00

My roommates and I just watched the first few minutes of a TV special called "The Next Great Prime Minister". A panel of young people with political aspirations are debating in front of a panel of judges. The host is Canadian political comedian and commentator Rick Mercer, and the panel is made up of four - count 'em four - of the six living former Prime Ministers.The American equivalent of

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-12712994285658195082007-03-09T18:09:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.563-04:00

1. Adopt cats. Cats with "issues".2. Register on facebook, devourer of free time.3. Have your first ever total computer crash. 4. Fix your computer, and praise whatever god(s) you believe in that those writing files you've been meaning to back-up are still there.5. Back-up your writing files.6. Go back to playing on facebook.*sigh*I am so very easily distracted.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-76981630686400101042007-02-19T13:40:00.000-05:002008-08-02T21:58:00.518-04:00

When I called Friday's post "New Addtitions, Part One" the plan was for Part Two to be an equally light post, featuring pictures of the happy feline friends we were going to adopt from the Humane Society on Saturday. It would have looked, perhaps, like this:While those are indeed pictures of our newly adopted family members, not everyone is still as happy:In the shelter, that big orange boy (and

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-11840219827822501382007-02-17T23:43:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:21:07.450-04:00

Yesterday we went shopping for Steve's very first computer. After years of simply dropping by the library occasionally, he's become enamoured with my laptop (or The Grey Box, as we've nicknamed it). So now we have a new computer in the house and a new computer owner who's adjusting nicely. Before that could happen however, this entertaining conversation had to take place:Clerk: So, what kind of

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-4294312740980376122007-02-13T23:29:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.564-04:00

If you haven't seen The Lion King know that you should, then skip to the next paragraph. If you have -- remember the really sad scene? The one after the wildebeast stampede, where Simba goes down into the valley and he's nudging Mufasa but nothing's happening? When I saw that movie in the theatre, the whole place was perfectly silent during that scene -- Perfectly silent until one small voice

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-50674013772952624032007-02-12T09:25:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.564-04:00

P.D. JamesE.B. WhiteA.A. MilneT.S. EliotNot too long ago I had to reconsider what name to write under. I Googled myself and discovered a published romance writer who's already snatched up the moniker I use in daily life. For a brief time I was going to boil myself down to initials, but instead my submissions of late have expanded to include my middle name. It makes for a long line of text, but

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-33091863016455586732007-02-04T22:59:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.217-04:00

Back in April I wrote about my long-standing dissappointment that The Shawshank Redemption failed to win a thing in the 67th Academy Awards, despite being one of the best films ever made. I posted then because the WGA gave Shawshank a fifth-place spot on a '101 Greatest Screenplays' list they released, and I'm always pleased when Shawshank receives the recognition it deserves, even if it's over

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-14164648133750751612007-01-22T02:03:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.565-04:00

You know you've been spending too much time editing drafts and opening rejection letters when an easier-to-read font fills you with absolute glee.Over on Robert J. Sawyer's website (the same place I found answers to a baffling tax question) I came across his advice to always use Dark Courier for submissions.Maybe I'm the last writer on the block to know about this, but boy oh boy was I excited.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-89050239222273550702007-01-16T23:52:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.565-04:00

I thought long and hard today about quitting my job. On the one hand, it's everything I always said I wanted in a day job - part-time, a fifteen minute walk from my house, pays enough to make ends meet but leaves me time to write, and most importantly it leaves my brain free to ponder said writing. But that's the problem. It leaves my brain free because it's boring as all hell.I was feeling

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-66951245057095715462007-01-07T09:29:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.566-04:00

What's the positive version of that expression, "it never rains, it pours"? The version that suggests you've been waiting through a drought and - thank god - water is finally cascading from the sky so fast and furious you feel like stripping down and dancing in it?After meeting an end of November playwriting deadline, December seemed to disappear into a blur of work shifts, holidays, and a

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-12188859992530683922007-01-04T22:35:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:20:06.622-04:00

On New Years Day Steve and I took a walk to Riverdale Farm. It's a place that makes for a lovely little retreat in the middle of Toronto, and maybe someday I'll write a post about that aspect of it. Today's post however is all about the goats - who I find the biggest attraction and, on some days, the biggest frustration:The Goats of Riverdale FarmOh happy goats, so lively!Oh happy goats - what

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-3517995118395850042007-01-01T12:15:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.566-04:00

For many, today is the day for year-long resolutions. That's a little too much committment for me, so I'm glad that along with kicking off 2007, today also begins the First Annual AbsoluteWrite Playwrighting Workshop over in the Playwriting Section of the AW Discussion Forum. The idea is that everyone sets their own playwriting goal to achieve over the next sixty days, then we all encourage and

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-33143837787325214762006-12-29T20:52:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:22:22.011-04:00

A little year-end sillyness:If you haven't seen these yet, be sure to waste some time watching Rolling Stone's picks for Best Re-Cut Movie Trailers of 2006.Rolling Stone: Re-Cut Movie TrailersNow that's what the internet is all about.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-63292825984897805772006-11-22T22:45:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:26:32.567-04:00

Earlier this month I took the plunge and submitted my first full-length play to a small handful of theatres that had a formal development program or just a history of premiering new works. When the last of the fat envelopes was out of my hands I resigned myself to a long wait before I'd hear anything from anyone. Instead, the first reply was in my mailbox just a few days ago. I'll put an end to

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-71830017697210480022006-11-19T10:59:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.221-04:00

Last night I dedicated 164 of my rare, non-working minutes to expanding my knowledge of the cultural landmarks our society has been built on. That's right - I watched "Paint Your Wagon", the western musical extravaganza that features Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood singing their tough-guy hearts out.I'd heard tell of this movie, mostly as the butt of jokes about box-office flops and cinematic bad

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-85072516101568875892006-10-21T12:30:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:20:30.381-04:00

Last night I made a last-minute trek to the brand spankin' new Toronto After Dark Film Festival - a "premiere showcase of international sci-fi, horror & fantasy cinema". When I arrived at the Bloor Cinema there were lines all over the place as pass holders and online ticket buyers and rush ticket hopefuls all tried to sort themselves into the right place. These were fans, and I felt like maybe I

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-27973831436042837872006-10-08T22:44:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.577-04:00

All week I was salivating over the impending Canadian airing of Comedy Central's Roast of William Shatner. Last night I sat down ready to gorge myself on a prime cut of the cap'n, but something went terribly awry.The appetizers were scrumptious. Jason Alexander was host and did a great job, getting things off to a lively, witty start. The clipshow of Shatner's career "highlights" was brilliant

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-73506539765534322112006-10-07T21:21:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:19.539-04:00

I just discovered a neat behind-the-scenes blog from the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. Right now it's actor Paul Rainville writing, but supposedly it's going to be a different person for every show. Of course Rainville hasn't posted since September 25th, but I'm hardly one to be critical of blog-gaps. And he's got a show to perform.If you're into that theatre stuff, check it out at:

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-33318751520853973382006-10-06T23:18:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.578-04:00

I'm thinking Gene Roddenberry liked "The Wizard of Oz".Sure Star Trek:TNG made the connection between Data and the Tinman's search for a heart blatant through use of the song "If I Only Had a Heart", but tonight I noticed something about the original Trek.There they were, poised in a doorway - McCoy, Spock, Kirk. Ready for action, ready for adventure, ready for affable disagreement. And I

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-84533455024403109802006-09-19T23:43:00.000-04:002008-08-03T15:19:30.465-04:00

A few months back I saw an actor buddy of mine just after he went to a commercial audition. He didn't expect he'd gotten it, which was fine with him since he didn't think the finished ad was going to be all that funny.He was right, he didn't get it, and now the commercial is on the air. It features a boy in a bubble finally being allowed his first kiss, trying to chew some gum before he does,

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-43766477005445043282006-09-18T22:53:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.223-04:00

Today I decided it was finally time to turn off the screens for awhile and read a book. So naturally I cracked open "Millions", the prose version of a film I've already seen. About halfway through I was back on the internet, not because I wasn't enjoying the read, but because I wanted to know if Frank Cottrell Boyce wrote the book before or after he'd sold the screenplay. I didn't find the answer

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-90489640196118735092006-09-17T23:38:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.568-04:00

It was a frustrating and nearly fruitless search. But after dozens of webpages rehashing the same few non-commital sentences, I finally found someone who would plainly explain why a writer would need or want a GST number.Thank you Robert J. Sawyer. Because of you, my brain hurts a little bit less.The Business of Writing - GST Registration by Robert J. Sawyer

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-605913074589140312006-09-16T21:30:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.569-04:00

I have a theory.If you ever need to get backstage in a large theatre in Canada, just follow these simple steps:1. Dress all in black. Not robber-black -- techie black. Black jeans, a black t-shirt and an optional black baseball cap work well.2. Hang a few things off your belt. A flashlight and a lot of keys should do.3. (And this is the key.) You'll need five large Tim Hortons coffees,

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-68832500661134720362006-09-15T17:17:00.001-04:002008-08-02T22:16:03.119-04:00

Usually when I read an excellent book, I'm happy I did. This time, I'm not so sure.I just finished an old thrift store copy of Mark Vonnegut's "The Eden Express". It's a compelling and strangely charming first person account of discovering you have schizophrenia, written by the son of Kurt Vonnegut.So what's my problem? Vonnegut remembers quite well how his brain was working while he was

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1157852350093237852006-09-09T21:15:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:26:32.569-04:00

Twice now I've participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an online challenge to motivate slacking writers to complete a 50,000 word novel in only the month of November. In 2004 I took my first stab with a Young Adult novel that topped 50,000 words, but wasn't actually finished by that word count. Still, that's a victory by NaNoWriMo standards, and I had every intention to set

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1156634852842313262006-08-26T18:11:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.225-04:00

Last night Steve and I saw Little Miss Sunshine both because of the many positive reviews it's been getting and -- much more importantly -- because of the stupid grins we'd both had after seeing the trailer. As expected, the film did make me laugh, and it also made me cry, which was far less expected. What has really caught me by surprise though is how genuinely happy the film made me. Steve

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1154319018411856772006-07-30T23:20:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:22:22.013-04:00

It started so innocently.I was looking for an apartment, my roommate was looking for an apartment. She announced she'd found one on Craigslist. I'd heard of this wonderous list, mostly from screenwrites enthusing over 'gigs', so it seemed a good place to try.The rentals section wasn't bad and I even created my own "Housing Wanted" ad to give posting a try. But I eventually found a place to

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1152066681897282652006-07-04T22:21:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:48.442-04:00

Late last week, a slow afternoon in my house was made a bit more entertaining by the images of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that were making the rounds on the CBC Newsworld cycle. U.S. President George W. Bush had escorted the visiting PM to Graceland, and could be seen in the background watching in baffled silence as The Right Honourable Koizumi shook his hips and crooned a pretty

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1151381881497237182006-06-27T00:08:00.000-04:002008-08-03T15:18:12.413-04:00

I don't like a lot of commercials, but when I do like them I tend to remember them. I am not, however, very good at remembering faces, so it's not surprising I only recently discovered that a guy I've been working with for a few months was previously in a ton of awesome, memorable commercials. I didn't realize this though, until I visited his website. Revel, one and all, in the ridiculousness

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1151090579429886162006-06-23T14:42:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.580-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Jon Stewart, but while watching him chat with Adam Sandler about Click, I suddenly realized the Daily Show's interview segments are inconsistent. The nights when he's hanging out with a celebrity on the press junket for an upcoming big-budget release just don't jive with the rest of the show as well as when he's tearing apart, building up, or forcing clarifications of the ideas

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1150958117528913182006-06-22T01:53:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.227-04:00

After we flipped past the opening credits of Young Guns on TV yesterday, Steve wondered aloud what had become of Emilio Estevez. This reminded me of the time some years ago when a friend and I killed off Mr. Estevez, all as part of a sociology experiment gone too far.We were in a univeristy residence room (where so many bizarre ideas are born) and we began discussing the nature of gossip. We

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1150476504633529902006-06-16T12:19:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:20:30.382-04:00

Waiting to cross Broadview last night I was surprised by the odd pair I saw waiting on the other corner.'What's that old-school rocker doing hanging out with a sixteen year old?' I wondered, 'And more importantly, what's a sixteen year old doing hanging out with him?'The teenager was the one facing me and he had an undefined sort of style about him - just a guy in casual Thursday night clothes

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1150345545607875462006-06-15T00:20:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:48.444-04:00

I just learned that Johnny Cash recorded 1,500 songs in his career.This is the first time I've yearned to own an iPod mini.

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1149486938877176382006-06-05T01:26:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.580-04:00

I'm in the middle of watching a two hour special on the Discovery Channel, "How William Shatner Changed the World" and it is WONDERFUL. I love Shatner, I love any interaction between pop culture and daily life, I love Shatner, I love Roddenberry's worldview and I LOVE SHATNER.A lot of the science is laid out at http://discoverychannel.ca/on_tv/how_shatner/shatner_home/, but it's the script and

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1149384481678593482006-06-03T20:07:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.242-04:00

Werner Herzog fills me with The Rage.I finally saw his film "Grizzly Man", which was supposed to be a fantastic documentary. It turns out it was a fantastic documentary subject that was nearly ruined by the way it was handled. "Grizzly Man" is about the late Tim Treadwell, a troubled, would-be actor who went out to live among the grizzly bears in Alaska for thirteen summers. He started taking

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1146791277867593832006-05-04T20:48:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:22:22.015-04:00

This post is mostly for Pete, my roommate and fellow blogger (Okay, he's the real Blogger, what with over a hundred posts now. I'm just a slacker, pseudo-blogger whose attempt at a theme seems to be keeping my own post numbers down).Anyway, awhile ago we discovered the fun of adding a site meter that tracks where readers are from and what they typed into search engines that found us. I'm mostly

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1146112321578043442006-04-27T00:09:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.581-04:00

I just caught the conclusion of the first "Meerkat Manor" series, and I'm not impressed. I know season-ending cliffhangers are common in fiction, but nature documentaries? That's just not right. This isn't a question of "Did the fictional President get shot, or one of his fictional staff?" This is real, man.What the hell happened to Shakespeare? Is he dead in the burrow, or what?Actually, I

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145491119105984052006-04-19T19:57:00.000-04:002008-08-03T15:18:12.414-04:00

I've been seeing these ads on the Comedy Network for what seemed to be a show called "The Gamekillers", which confused me as that's the hook for a current string of anti-perspirant commercials. Curiosity got the better of me (which I suppose means the ploy was already working, but I'm hardly the target market) and I headed over to the Comedy Network website. Here's part of what I learned:"In

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145370953235141062006-04-18T10:33:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:48.446-04:00

Today on the radio I heard a bit of news slipped in between traffic reports and pop songs that filled me with dread and rage and shame. My co-workers seemed not to have heard, or perhaps they didn't comprehend. Perhaps none of us can comprehend the true impact - not yet. A short time ago, billionaire Bob Sillerman bought the rights to the image of Elvis Presley. He does not own the music or

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145325919651744982006-04-17T21:27:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:19.541-04:00

When I saw 'Festen' many moons ago, I was enthralled not only by the story, but also by how powerful a Dogme 95 film could be. A few weeks ago I told a friend he should see the movie and when I said the title he said, "You mean that Broadway show?", which was news to me.I'm sure the minimal nature of the film is what allowed it to be transferred easily to the stage. What I'm not sure about is

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145197184242033252006-04-16T10:19:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.244-04:00

When I took an intro to philosophy class at university it struck me that there were no modern books of philosophy - or at least none that we were reading. Later I decided that modern philosophers certainly existed, but most of the time they were writing their ideas into songs or novels or blogs or independent films - films like Matthew Ryan Hoge's 'The United States of Leland'.As a Ryan Gosling

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145079245962915852006-04-15T01:33:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:23:56.583-04:00

Weeks ago Steve and Pete and I caught a quick news item on the CBC about Champion Bohem C'est la Vie, a show dog who escaped from her cage at JFK International Airport on her way home from the Westminster dog show. The escape happened on February 15th of this year, but the report we were watching was a few weeks later. It was about how Vivi (as she's called) was still at large, having been

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1145035926501505472006-04-14T12:58:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:17:08.010-04:00

I just saw this news item on Yahoo.ca:Novelist scientist silenced as Harper Tories quietly axe 15 Kyoto programsIt's about a new novelist who works for Environment Canada by day being told to hold off launching "Hotter than Hell", a sci-fi novel about global warming eventually leading to a US/Canada war over water. Mark Tushingham was supposed to give a talk about the science his book is based

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1144993828593350362006-04-14T01:19:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:22:22.018-04:00

It's been all over the news the past few days - the Eagle Eye Camera that's focused on a Bald Eagle nest on Hornby Island, British Columbia. I looked in on it the other day and the first thing that struck me (after I got over the clarity of the close-up view) was the effect of including sound. I've visited other live animal cams in the past, but this is the first one I've seen with a live audio

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1144641692078158882006-04-09T23:33:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:22:22.019-04:00

I once applied to work for a product placement company, as the notion of getting paid to read production-ready scripts quickly outweighed any problems I may have had with the nature of the job. I wasn’t hired, but recently I’ve been trying to decide how I feel about product placement when my own bank account isn’t a factor. This began after I received notice through the Canadian Association for

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1144529635931503892006-04-08T16:43:00.000-04:002008-08-02T22:18:07.246-04:00

When ‘All-Time Greatest’ film lists are released, I usually ignore the commentary that floods my listserv-catching inbox and refrain from commenting myself. While on the one hand it’s wonderful to spark any discussion of The Greats, I find a lot of film aficionados are on an “intellectual hairtrigger”1 -- so anticipating a need to defend their own opinion that they become overly aggressive the

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1143700789123832722006-03-30T00:06:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:23:56.584-04:00

I don't like reality shows, but flipping channels a few hours ago I found an unscripted family drama I could actually get behind. 'Meerkat Manor' is an Animal Planet UK series that follows the lives of a family of Kalahari Desert meerkats being studied by Cambridge University. The key members of the Whiskers family (as the group was dubbed) have distinct personalities that viewers are clued in

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1143522037683810552006-03-27T23:57:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.246-04:00

Expanding on an Iceland obsession helped along by ‘LazyTown’, Peter and Steve and I just watched ‘101 Reykjavik’ and ‘Noi Albinoi’ back to back. This was our substitute for actually visiting Iceland anytime soon, although that’s still on the big To-Do list.These movies were strangely similar, both about young-ish men who weren’t growing well into responsibility or, well, much of anything. In '

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1143234448795480652006-03-24T16:05:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.247-04:00

Between Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, piratic Alan Tudyk and a sports movie about a sport I’ve actually played, it was a pretty safe bet I was going to see ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’ in a theatre. I did, it was great fun, and I came away with fond memories. At the time, screenwriting listservs were filled with articles about writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber as a filmmaking underdog

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1143062162624453012006-03-22T15:26:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:22:22.019-04:00

I love the way the internet links from one idea to another. Sometimes the ideas are connected solidly, sometimes precariously, but always there is something more out there. What really amazes me though is that the internet does this between people, tying together absolute strangers for a second, a month, or a lifetime. Why, there was about a year of my own life when a stranger from Maine knew

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1142566677442545832006-03-16T22:23:00.004-05:002008-08-02T22:23:56.585-04:00

When my roommate first explained this show to me I was baffled by his enthusiasm. Then I saw it and soon found myself on the other side, gleefully trying to explain the concept to my politely bemused friends. ‘Lazy Town’ is a children’s show from Iceland that promotes healthy living through good food and lots of running around. There are three live actors, a gaggle of puppets, and a town that

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1142480524321038452006-03-15T22:35:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:28:43.219-04:00

In the think tank’s Situation Room, said situation was grim. A wave of total gridlock was spreading through every major North American city as the threshold of too many people with too many cars had been reached.Lydia slammed her fist down on the table.“Dammit people, the modern world is relying on us to solve this!”The others grumbled in frustration. For weeks they’d been trying to devise new

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1142398464125668922006-03-14T22:11:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.249-04:00

I was totally engaged watching this, but at the same time it’s unsettling to see a film about the ill-effects movie-making can have on a child actor when said film naturally stars an actual child actor. Luckily the behind-the-scenes footage on the DVD makes it clear that Mark Rendall lives with a great deal more balance than his character. In fact, it seems director/co-writer Don McKellar was

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1142311202944505022006-03-13T23:37:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.251-04:00

My only previous experience with the story of Beowulf was watching a mud show version of it at the Ontario Renaissance Festival. That version was dirty and silly and messy and had only a tenuous connection to the original. Strangely, this Canada/U.K./Iceland co-production is much the same. It was wonderfully dirty in its earthiness, relying on the land and the weather to create atmosphere

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1142052165901097422006-03-10T23:25:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:20:06.624-04:00

Traveling on the west end of Toronto’s subway line there comes a stretch of rail that bursts out of the underground into the fresh air and sunshine* to cross the Humber River. I’m always eager for that glance north at the enticing buildings on the banks of the Humber Valley. There’s one especially that I love, a big white building with brown trim that makes it look oh so much like you’re

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1141937236832789752006-03-09T15:40:00.000-05:002008-08-02T22:18:07.253-04:00

Last night at the Cumberland there was a special screening of 'Rhinoceros Eyes', a film written and directed by Torontonian Aaron Woodley. 'Rhinoceros Eyes' is the story of Chep (Michael Pitt), an awkward recluse who lives and works in a cluttered prop house. Chep is the only one who can make sense of the cavernous maze of kitsch and it is the only place outside of a movie theatre that makes

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23687094.post-1141885767570057562006-03-09T01:28:00.002-05:002008-08-02T21:56:17.509-04:00

There was once a girl who did dineOn culture she found most divineWith it filling her headShe burped as she said“I’ll just have to digest this online.”

Marilyn Cnoreply@blogger.com0