Critical Culture Cuts The demolishing of B.C. arts funding (continues) By Cody Klyne, Arts Editor Saturday, it doesn’t really matter; you’re in the mood for a night on the town. You hear about a local band playing a show down at one of your favourite venues. If that’s not your jam, perhaps you go to any one of the city’s numerous theatres or public galleries. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re looking for something entirely different. The thing is, if you’re reading this, you’re no more than a sky train ride away from all of these activities and more. Fortunately for us in Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and in communities across the province, our arts have played a vital role in solidifying our identity and culture as a people and as Canadians on the West Coast. For whatever reason however, these services and their providers continue to be in trouble. So I beg the question: Why? If this cultivation of culture isn’t enough, the economic benefits that a thriving arts community can bring to a city are made all the more important given the current state of the economy. According to numerous sources, including our own government’s estimations, every one dollar invested into the arts instantly sees a direct return of revenue in the form of approx. $1.30 or more. This figure can then be tracked as its effects ripple throughout the many industries (tourism and local business) that rely on the arts to act as a primary appeal to attract new customers. Taking this pyramid or chain effect into consideration, working top-down from the arts -> to industry -> to public consumers, this one dollar investment multiplies to equal something between six to 12 times the return in revenue. So again, why all the cuts? Because the money, according to the government, just isn’t there. We’re experiencing tough times, no doubt, but why then is B.C. the only province being subjected to the mincing of its arts and culture sector? Even the federal conservatives have expressed concern about the cleave- crazy butchering of British Columbia’s arts budget. Yes, even them. We saw funding shrink up to 50% between last year and this one and these Is Monday, Tuesday, Friday, or cuts are anticipated to grow to an unprecedented 90% by year’s end. But the government would have you believe it’s not all doom and gloom. As recently as this month they restored $7 million to the B.C. Arts Council. $7 million sure sounds like a lot, right? Wrong. Yes it’s a start, but even with this restored funding, the arts in British Columbia receive a pittance in comparison to the national average. Fact: per-capita arts spending in BC with this restored funding still only amounts to $6.54. Fact: the national average in per-capita arts spending is a comparatively astounding $26.00. Employing over 80,000 within the larger arts community across the province, these cuts not only affect communities, but individuals and their families. Adding insult to injury our government, unsurprisingly, seems to find comfort in shamelessly passing the buck and propagating their own bent-truths. From Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman’s unfounded, one-or-the-other statements regarding the care and safety of starving children versus the funding of the arts to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Kevin Krueger’s boisterous claims of receiving threats from the community, distraction tactics seem to be the name of the game. So I say this, at a time when our cultural fabric is in such a critical state, when creativity and the livelihood of those who have made it their world are being left hung out to dry, is this really the time to play around? Hell no. Bird. Retro done right: Mortal Kombat Impressions from PAX 2010Fring By Cody Klyne, Arts Editor he last few years has seen the | triumphant, combo-heavy resurgence of the once idle fighting-game genre. With new series entries such as BlazBlue: Continuum Shift and Super Street Fighter IV riding this machismo- wave well into 2010, the future of the genre seems to be secured. With a pair of behemoth V.S. titles (Marvel V.S. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken) looming on the horizon, however distant, one might begin to wonder if there’s room for so many games, so similar in their core mechanics, to not only survive, but flourish and develop a community. While the guttural response from any one fighting game veteran might be something along the lines of ‘sure, they’re all a little different in some way...but the game I play is best!’ fanboyism aside, this statement contains within it a vital nugget of truth. They’re all different; and it’s this difference that allows each to secure a place in the pantheon on punch, kick and fireball games. But some strive to become something greater. Street Fighter is the prime example. It’s helped to define the genre and has in turn spawned countless clones. Tekken has tried to earn this same respect amongst gamers and has succeeded as much as it has failed (at least in the western world). But there is one yet to be mentioned, the final and most bloody combatant among the holy trinity. Mortal Kombat. e Fest 2010 J ain’t talkin’ no SNES port of the original arcade game, and I sure as heck ain’t talkin’ about no Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe. Friends, I’m talking about a fresh start. As we well know, retro is—unfortunately at times—always in. Thankfully in this case, retro is done right as we see Ed Boon (series co-creator) and his gang at NetherRealm Studios (Ex-Midway) emanating gore in a refreshing yet entirely classic way. Showing off the game this past Labour Day weekend at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Mortal Kombat held an undeniable presence. With a number of arcade- like setups (running on Xbox 360 and PS3) would-be combatants could lineup (and boy did they) and choose between one of a handful of familiar fighters. From Scorpion’s trademark “Get over here” spear taunt, to Sub- Zero’s manipulation of all things ice, the game plays like a mix of Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Fast and smooth combo construction makes for some interesting mix-ups and quick turnarounds while new specials and fatalities remain firmly planted in the extreme end of the “crazy bloody ways to cut a dude” dichotomy of fighting. That said, while the play style of the game harkens back to classic MK from the 90’s, the visuals appear to be on track to set the game up to be at the forefront of the eye- candy race upon the game’s release in Spring 2011. Old-time babality practitioner or new-school fight- pup, don’t miss out on this bloody, polished, pit fight.