Category Archives: Reviews

Read along as we seek out the best of what the British Columbia coast (and beyond) has to offer.

08.25.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Shadows are Abound in Vasilisa, A Review

Presented by
Ouroboros Shadow Pictures

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe. However, this presentation is very dark and it has the feel of belonging in Fantasia more than as a light-hearted animated stand-alone product.

In this stage-version, shadow puppetry, sombre music and dance is used to tell the tale of a young girl tasked by a wicked step-mother to bring back fire from the witch, Baba Yaga. In her spiritual journey through the woods, she learns about courage as she faces the terror borne from the elements. Baba Yaga is the Russian version of the Wild Man of the Woods from Celtic tradition. The only reason to seek this type of “creature” out is to find wisdom.

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08.25.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] The Search for Paleoncology

PaleoncologyPresented by Moon Dinosaur Theatre
Directed by Andrew Young

You wouldn’t think that a play about a woman in a dinosaur onsie could make you cry, but give Paleoncology one hour and you may shed a tear too. Written and performed by UVic alumni Kira Hall, she plays Lea, a young woman dealing with the knowledge that her brother Daniel has untreatable cancer by turning to her childhood love of dinosaurs. Lea’s struggle to deal with something emotionally devastating has affected her on all levels, including her job. Her move back into her parents’ home isn’t met with warmth. They expect more out of life from their daughter — even moreso now that their eldest child is terminally ill.

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08.23.14
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The Five Must See Movies of August 22 – 28, 2014

LandHoIn the month of September, Cinecenta has a treat for film lovers of both old and new. Movies such as Ghostbusters, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Obvious Child, Neighbors, Edge of Tomorrow, Maleficent, and Lawrence of Arabia will delight all at the little theatre located at the University of Victoria campus.

Cinecenta will also be celebrating their 5th Latin America and Spanish film week with movies from such filmmakers as Rodrigo H. Vila, Juan Carlos Maneglia, Shula Erenberg, and Cesc Gay.

Meanwhile, at The Fritz (a theatre located on Salt Spring Island) will offer what every sci-fi fan want. On Agusut 27th and 28th at 7pm, they will be showing Doctor Who, series 8 premiere episode “Deep Breath.”

The Vic Theatre will be showing Gareth Edward’s Godzilla on Saturday, August 30th for a low $5 admission. Film starts at 7pm.

Please check media for local showtimes, ratings and admission rates.

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08.21.14
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Ten Fringe Shows Not to Be Missed

DV 2007-08 ProgramThe Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is here and there is no better time to get yourself an artistic shot in the arm than during the month of August. It is during this month that many theatre companies take a much-needed rest after the year’s hullabaloo. People of the arts need their time at the beach too.

Now I am not one to talk. My experience with the Fringe is not on such a grand scale as my best friend and writing partner Ed Sum who has been Fringing since 2009. To admit sheepishly that I have only seen one Fringe show ever, and that I’ve only gone to St. Michael’s University to see a show, it is them who have that distinctive honour of opening my eyes wide open. It was their stage version of Avenue Q last year that finally pulled me off the fence to land onto the well-trimmed green front lawn of the Fringe.

Before Avenue Q, my earliest memory of knowing the Victoria Fringe Festival existed was a play that took A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh characters and thrust them into the harsh realities of frontline World War I. It was the first Fringe show I had an urge to see.

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08.21.14
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It’s Morphin’ Time: Two Power Rangers to Appear at IF Con 2015!

IFCon2015The list of guests for the Island Fantasy Convention continues to grow and with their latest announcement, I squealed like a nerd.

Our fair city of Victoria, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, will see in 2015 not one but two Power Rangers! Wether they are here as special guests of the con or they are expecting the Empress Hotel to be smashed by a giant creature is anyone’s guess. I’m just happy they’ll be here — destruction or no.

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07.04.14
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The Lesson Learned in A Tale of Samurai Cooking, A Movie Review

No foodie or historian should miss out in learning about the history of Japanese cooking in Bushi No Kondate (A Tale Of Samurai Cooking A True Love Story). Despite it being deceptive film set during the early part of the Edo period (1603-1867) of Japan, the tale being presented is more than just about the budding romance that’s being stirred up.

The political upheaval that’s happening in the Kaga Domain — a huge tract of land owned by a Shogun — is the social climate that this film’s many characters have to struggle to eke out their life in. The civil war that occurred between two Shogun brothers, and its subsequent influence upon the people who live in this region was a spark to the Kaga Disturbance that this movie chronicles.

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