Category Archives: Your Island Guide

Your guide to the best our islands have to offer.

10.25.16
by

Victoria, BC’s Evil Acres is now Fear on the Pier. So What’s the Story?

banner-fear_on_the_pier-640x360Oct 13 to 31, 2016
Evenings from 6:30pm till 11

Ogden Point
Pier A – 203 Dallas Road
James Bay
Victoria, BC

Admission: $13
(or $12 w/ non-perishable food item donation)

Monsters Haunted House, the fine purveyors of spooky attractions for Saanich, BC, changed their operation from haunted barns to … one big warehouse for this year’s All Hallows Eve spooktacular. I miss the Evil Acres name. It had meaning for those who have lived in this municipality for most of their life; to witness the transition from farmland to modern housing is scary in itself. Some folks gave up the simpler life for modern conveniences. I watched my neighbourhood change from hothouses and farmland to nothing but homes for as far as the eye can see. To fondly recall those days brings nostalgia. Perhaps nestled in those large fields of grass is a corpse of a lost pet (or part of a human body) and the imagination can have some asking if a wild animal is on the loose.

The gorgeous back story crafted in this company’s previous show made going through an abandoned-looking home all the more chilling. All those murders and bloodbaths could have happened. Nobody could have guessed until local sheriffs and hospice arrived at the abode to investigate and offer relief.

This company’s latest attraction, Fear on the Pier, feels like a work in progress. There is no story to know of before going to this spectacle. Folks are entering a modern warehouse storing a decrepit warehouse which is sealed in black. Did a bunch of octopi expel ink here? Or could mighty Cthulhu have put his tendrils all over it, thus causing it to crumble into claustrophobic nothingness?

Continue reading →

10.15.16
by

Eerie Ed’s Top Picks for the 2016 Halloween Season

From getting my spooky fervour on as a Paranormal Investigator to enthusiast this Autumn, this downgrade is not because of the group, Paranormal Victoria (PARAVI), I was with decided to take an extended break since we all have busy normal lives. We sometimes make it a tradition to investigate a venue at this time (and sometimes it’s with media, like the Oak Bay and Victoria News back in 2012). One day, I hope the great folks who make up this PARAVI team will be back.

In the meantime, I will continue my interest on the cinematic, theatrical and storytelling front. My love for the supernatural started from discovering this genre in those mediums and here are my picks to get my muse singing the praises:

thumbnail

Movie Under the Maltworks
Shaun of the Dead Movie Screening

Date:
Oct 28th, 7:00pm
(doors open 6pm)

Admission: $20

Location:
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
(2010 Government St)

I have often wondered what a perfect cinematic night during this season would be like? To boil down the perfect pair depends on the mood and which sub-genre best represents Halloween. Some may say zombies and others will say ghosts. For the former, comedy is needed. While not everyone will appreciate the golden age classics, my choice would be Shaun of the Dead and Fido. With kids in the audience, it would be hard to keep them down for two films, but for one, the former will do and the Victoria Film Festival committee has this choice easily nailed down. That’s tough to do for keeping a zombie still.

Continue reading →

10.05.16
by

Uvic’s Phoenix Theatre Celebrates 50 Glorious Years this Month & “One” Huge Revue

phoenix_logo_clean_x175

The University of Victoria’s Phoenix Theatre is celebrating 50 glorious years of creating great theatre and many great acts are on board to let citizens know just how awesome this school is. From Charles Ross working an exhaustive One Man Marathon (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Batman) starting things off  October 11 – 17, 2016 to TJ Dawe with The Slipknot [October 18 – 22] and Shannan Calcutt (Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity) & Sue Morrison in Burnt Tongue [October 25 – 29], the list does not end there!

Continue reading →

09.27.16
by

Last Chance Production’s Evil Dead the Musical is Coming to Victoria, BC!

file_747610_edmusicalBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Portland, OR
October 14-15, 2016
Alberta Rose Theatre

Vancouver, BC
October 28-29, 2016
Revue Stage at Granville Island

Victoria, BC
November 4-5, 2016
Metro Studio Theatre

Tickets can be bought online here

If you have not made any plans for Halloween yet, Last Chance Productions is taking Evil Dead: The Musical across the Pacific Northwest before, during and after Halloween 2016! This year, they are adding Victoria, BC to the list of where to hit and the timing could not be any better. Since I have seen three versions by different groups, I must say this particular troupe are dedicated film buffs who have an absolute love for the cinematic genre.

And, of course, they promise to lay the blood thick in the splatter zone! When I saw the Arts West production, I did not realize you have to sit very close to the kitchen set to get hit. Depending on whether the show can be held outdoors or indoors, there’s bound to be some hidden sprinklers to really get people soaked! Tip: wear a white shirt if you intend to get soaked with the blood effects. Afterwards, upon leaving the theatre, you can proudly show off their badge of honour.

Continue reading →

09.06.16
by

After #yjjfringe30 the Stage Musical Effie & The Vampire Can Be A Sweet Halloween Treat

13872792_981303175301066_5319444935205435688_n

My last day of the 2016 Victoria Fringe Festival was spent at Langham Court Theatre, taking on three shows during the mid afternoon and spilling into the evening. The transition could not be any more apt with a fun loving cabaret style melodrama, Effie & The Vampire, A Lesbianistic Musical by Dragon Monkey Theatre.

This show is on my list of must see again because of all the fun I see put into this production. It can easily be brought back as a Halloween treat for theatregoers wanting more variety in the arts offered in this city during this season. Between the big three – Kaleidoscope, Launch Pad and RKO Productions – to have an addition to will most likely be appreciated.

Continue reading →

08.29.16
by

[Victoria Fringe Festival 2016] Miss Atomic Vaudeville’s Sunday Funday? A Recap

AV-Sunday-Funday-1008x756Atomic Vaudeville’s (AV) Sunday Funday at the Victoria Fringe Festival is a highlight for many local veterans acquainted with the craziness that goes on. This event has been a staple for many years, and it’s a highlight for most long time Fringers. They advise this show is a must see! This event brings the talent pool from this organization along with some performers from this year’s show, to put on a fun-filled night that runs approximately 90 minutes, starting around 11pm. Doors open at 10:30. and last night, it was a full house at the Victoria Event Center.

From reinterpretations of 50 Shades of Grey ala Doctor Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham to World Wrestling Entertainment mash-ups (with Jeff Leard present), attendees will thrill to and cheer. Even the Birdman stripped down to his skivvies all in the name of trying to bring the house down. This show is a fundraiser to build a fund to keep the Victoria Fringe Festival going for years to come. The highlight is a Pink Floyd musical mash-up with the dancers providing a light show (using flashlights) set to music from “The Wall” and ending with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Continue reading →