Coen

 

 

“Theatre near You May be
the Only Choice, but at Least
its a Good One

Iain W. Reeve, A&E Editor

As I was faced with the task of writing a Best of
New West article, I felt a little out of my league.
Despite having attended classes here in New
West for twe’years, I have seen very little of the
town I’ve spent countless hours learning and
writing in. So when I started thinking about the
things I could deem the best, all that came to
mind immediately was naming the cruddy the-
atre up on sixth the best theatre by default as it
is the only one in town. I even toyed with nam-
ing my friend’s house the best place to see
movies as a stab at the subpar nature of New
West’s only silver screen. But today, as I wan-
dered through the town trying to come up with
some ideas, something dawned on me.

“A Theatre Near You, a quality first-run the-
atre with three screens showing newly released
movies and providing an economical alternative
to stadium-style theatres.” This is how the web-
site describes 15-years-young theatre.
Owned by the same company as Dolphin

the

Cinemas on Hastings Street in Burnaby and
Hollywood 3 in Surrey, it is one of the last of a
dying breed of non megatheatres. In the city,
many small theatres are not only alive and well,
but thriving. In some cases, such as with the
Ridge, they are some of the best theatres in
town. But outside the city, smaller theatres have
been squeezed out to send the dollars to the
Silvercities sprinkled across suburbia. Harris
Road in Pitt Meadows closed recently, unable to
compete with the new Ciniplex monster nearby.
Last year Pinetree Cinemas in Coquitlam was
closed to make room for the Best Buy parking
lot.

The realization I made as I walked by that
familiar spot on 6th was that I hate paying $11
for a movie. I hate the giant theatres. I hate their
overpriced snacks, their zombie staff, and their
irritating obedience to the Hollywood hit
machine. I remembered that while small theatres
may not have the comfiest seats, the best sound
systems, and the biggest selection of films, what
they have is heart and value. Whereas I used to
complain about the sticky, slanted floors and the
falling apart décor, I realize now that I love that
much more than the tacky, overdone space
decor of Silvercity. And honestly, doesn’t it
come down to seeing a good movie?

When you sit at home a year after seeing a
wicked movie, you say, “Hey, remember when
that guy did that thing? Man that was wicked.”
You don’t go, “Holy crap, were those seats
comfy. And that flying saucer in above the con-
cession? So cool.” So if you don’t already hit up
New West cinemas on a regular basis, I suggest
you give them a chance. She ain’t pretty, but she
gets you there, and she does it for four bucks on
Tuesdays. See you in line.

August 10/2005

 

 

 

Noe ee ee ce ee ere

 

Go To Hell Harry Potter

Iain W. Reeve, A&E Editor and
Level 18 Wizard Killer

|

Many people have told me that I have

know that writing this will proba-
bly get me pelted with fruit in the
street; however, it must be said.

no tight to bitch about Harry Potter

considering that I have never read a

| Hate Books

Jason Webb, OP Contributor

Albion #1 by Alan Moore, Leah
Moore, John Reppion, Shane Oakley,
and George Freeman, 18-page colour
comic ($4.00)

You would think that with Alan Moore
dreaming up the plot, this comic would
have the same quality as Watchmen or V
for Vendetta. Sadly, the answer is no. I
like reviving old superheroes as much
as the next guy, especially British super-
heroes, but this comic needs some
tightening up. The opening pages start
slow, and it doesn’t pick up until mid-
story. At that point, the story rushes
along without any regard for pacing, so
the characters simply mash together
when they meet, leaving their dialogue
sounding sparse and superficial. The
Dave Gibbons cover is great, but
Oakley’s pencils look rushed and unin-
spired. I did notice the classic Alan
Moore convention of placing a comic
within a comic, and the Janus Stark
mini-story was terrific.

Y: The Last Man #35 by Brian K.
Vaughan, Goran Sudzuka, and Jose
Marzan Jr., 16-page colour comic
($4.00)

Submarines! Saucy, drug-smuggling
pirate ladies! A cutlass! This story arc
covers the black market in a world
where all but one man have died from
a mysterious plague. We get to follow
the adventures of Yorick, the last man
on Earth, as he tries to navigate this

single book, nor seen any of the
movies. This would be a perfectly valid
point if I were criticizing the content
of the stories in any way, shape, or
form. But I’m not. What I am criticiz-
ing is the popularity Harry Potter has
garnered while providing nothing
much in the way of original or com-
pelling content. What I am criticizing is
how ridiculously sensitive people get
about the books when you say they are
for kids, or that their popularity is all
about successful mass marketing. Are
they good stories? I’m sure they are.
Are they deserving of a modest
amount of popularity and praise?
Probably. Do they deserve to be the
most popular books in the world? Oh
my, no.

It’s just one more example of our
society favouring the big popular
forms of art and entertainment over
some of the better things happening all
around them. Sure, you could read
Harry Potter, or you could go down to

new world accompanied by a
scientist and a secret agent. Once
again, this comic doesn’t cease to
amaze me. Never mind the gorgeous
covers, the slick art inside, or the well-
rounded, unique characters in this
series, you get your money's
worth by just reading how the
Vaughan, Sudzuka, and
Marzan team put together
action scenes. Pick the first trade
paperback and dive right in, it’s worth
the read.

Daredevil Vs. Puinisher:
Means and Ends #2 by David
Lapham, 18-page colour comic
($4.25)

Yes, I squealed like a frightened piglet
when I heard Lapham is writing and
illustrating a Daredevil comic, with the
Punisher no less. Stray Bullets is a heady
read, so seeing how he depicts two of
Marvel’s most prolific vigilantes is def-
initely squeal-worthy. Seeing Lapham’s
work in colour took some getting used
to, since Stray Bullets is black and white,
but the story keeps me interested.
However, Lapham does rely on old
mafia-movie clichés (like killing off the
traitor at the big “sit-down’’), and some
of the characters’ lines fell flat, but the
characters remain well-defined
throughout. The Punisher is a relent-
less killing machine, Daredevil tries to
keep’ the . peace, - and... the

www.theotherpress.ca |

i

the local book store and pick up some-
thing 100 times better by a local writer
who really needs the money and would
be much more appreciative and deserv-
ing of your praise. Same goes for
music. Do U2 or Coldplay deserve to
be called the best bands in the world?
Give me a break. Considering that the
jerkass magazine writers who give such
ridiculous praise have only heard a
fraction of the bands in their country
alone, I think calling any band “the
best” is very deluded. So why does it
happen? Marketing. If you say U2 is
the best band in the world enough
times, people will believe it. If you
keep saying how good Harry Potter is, it
will sell like mad.

In the end, I don’t care if you read
Harry Potter, but for the love of Pete,
don’t just read it alone. There is so
much more out there in the world of
books to experience. So do yourself a
favour and experience it.

    
   
 

Professor/Hammerhead villain duo
are convincing “wannabes” trying to
work up the criminal food chain.

Flaming Carrot Comics #3 by Bob
Burden, 16-page black and white comic
($4.40)

Oh dear God. First, he rescues a
baby werewolf. Then, he fights a giant
chicken wing. Somewhere along the
way, he gets freaky with someone
named Dynamite Girl. Welcome back,
Mr. Burden. Admittedly, Burden’s line
work is not as tight as his earlier Flaming
Carrot books, but he keeps the silliness
intact and continues dropping comic
book references, so readers familiar

with his work will be pleased.

17