SS aS Interview with resident DJ Physik Kerry Evans Culture Editor Wert Barr was a successful nightclub; do you think that Atlantis will remain as popular? I think Atlantis has the potential to become even more popular than Wett Barr. Whenever you have a new owner who is enthusiastic and willing to listen to input, other than his own, things can only get better. The owner is not afraid to try different things until he finds the right mixture of ele- ments to make a good clubbing atmosphere. What makes Atlantis stand out from other clubs? The first thing that helps Atlantis stand out is the size. Just the openness of the club makes it look even bigger than it actually is. There’s also a lot of attention paid to small details. Like the new glass front to the building, the moving light sys- tem, the new hardwood floors, the fibre optic lights in the floor etc. On Friday nights, Atlantis only admits people 21 and over. Do you think this will encourage new clientele or offend younger club goers? I think it will do a bit of both. They're not too strict on the age requirement. I believe management made this change to try to eliminate some of the younger “water-drinking” clien- tele that might not have as much money to spend. I mean, it is still a business, and a business is about maximizing profits. There are a lot people I know that used to be into the club- bing scene years ago, when I first started out, who have stopped partying because they feel too old in today’s younger crowds. I think this change will be a calling to older party- goers who may have been on temporary “early retirements”. Plus, with the addition of a lot more “old school” in our music, we are trying to re-create the party scene of the 80’s and 90's. Younger clientele may be offended at first, but there are so many other urban Friday nights, that they won't have to look long before finding a party. However, again, the age require- ment is not that strict, so it really shouldn’t make much of a difference. If anything, it might just eliminate those that were underage to begin with. Friday nights are International Gold Fridays, can you tell more about what the night offers? International Gold is our newest instalment of International Fridays. We've been doing International Fridays at Wett Bar for three years, and with the change of the club’s name, came a slight change to our night’s name. We (Gman & Rizk Promotions, and all the DJs) feel that the night has been changed for the better, so we decided to add some “gold” to the night. There's a slight dress code being invoked, in order to class-up the night a bit. We've expanded the genres of music as well. Instead of just playing the same urban music that everyone’s used to hearing, we're also bringing out the hits of the past. Anything from 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s is fair game, and you never know how far back we're going to dig. Just trying to do something a little different, and positive. Create a little buzz with something new. Music plays a big part in the success of a nightclub. What are you doing to ensure the club is included in the best of the best? I've worked at Mars, Wett Bar, and Atlantis for the past 8 years, and I’ve seen a lot of changes happen. Everything from the way people dress to different styles of music becoming popular. I always try to use my musical knowledge to do something a little different when I DJ. To be able to do some- thing that sets me apart from everyone else. Whether it’s play- ing more old school, more reggae, more disco, more R&B, more underground, more hip-hop, etc. I always try to be cre- ative. I'm the resident DJ at International Gold Fridays, but I’m always teamed up with a guest DJ as well, to add some different flavours. Some guest DJs are local and well-known in the community (Seanski/Kemo/Wax/P-Love/Flipout/ Trech/Goodfellas) and some are from out of town (Baby Blue/Earthquake/Majesse/Dr. Shock/Ebony & Ivory/Startin from Skratch/Chris & Ken-bo/etc). Gman and Rizk have always been known for bringing some of the best DJs from around the world. This combination always keeps things fresh with the guest DJ, yet familiar, with me being the resident. So there’s always something for everyone at International Gold. Intriguing One Hour Photo Ends up Underdeveloped Carla Elm OP Contributor Since inception of the photograph, debate has raged on the nature of photographic representation. In his 1982 book Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes asserts that the photograph represents “a reality one can no longer touch”. In the film One Hour Photo director and screenwriter Mark Romanek takes the argu- ment one step further. He reveals a reality that the main character has never touched and desperately longs to be a part of. Robin Williams plays Sy Parrish, an exacting one-hour photo technician with a demeanor as monochromatic as his antiseptic surroundings. His reverence lies in calibrating photo machinery and developing images to ensure his customers at SavMart receive perfect documents of life events. Precision is everything to Sy, right down to the way he slurps his fast food cola through a straw. The main object of Sy’s affection is the Yorkon family, Nina (Connie Nieslen), Will (Michael Vartan) and son Jake (Dylan Smith), long-time customers. Sy’s devotion takes an eerie turn when he starts to overindulge fantasies of his importance in their lives. The fine line dividing personal and professional blurs as he attempts to assert his significance, stalking the mother through the mall and showing up at Jake’s soccer game, like an affable uncle. Sy narrates early on, “No one ever takes a photograph of some- thing they want to forget”. Sy’s delving into his customer's lives begins to reveal a dangerous, anguished reality best left hidden. Williams offers a quirky, restrained performance that begs for release. We want to imagine Sy as being capable of cathartic violence but perhaps Williams’ deep immersion in our psyche as funny-man hinders the threat. Motivations are barely revealed throughout this film. Why is Sy such a social loner? What is the cause of the marital tension between Nina and Will? Undertones of child abuse and hints at repressed aggres- sion further confuse. At one point Sy shouts in frustration, “What's wrong with these people!” Our thoughts exactly. What starts out as an intriguing thriller that explores the power of the image sadly ends up as two-dimensional as a 5 by 7. Perhaps Romanek, best known for his three-minute music videos, needed to look beyond the image, and explore his character’s deepest pains and fears more fully. What does survive after the credits have rolled is that the brutality of betrayal is complex and annihi- lating. And that it rarely finds a spot in the family photo album. One Hour Photo is now playing at Fifth Avenue Cinemas at 4:45, 7:30 and 9:50, with matinees Sat.- Mon. at 2:15. Check out the film’s stylized website at: http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/onehourphoto. © page 18