Pick of the Day: My Evil Twin

If you pick up the Oct. 22 edition of prairie dog you'll find my review of this exhibition in the AfterHours section. It's the final instalment in a three-part series on the theme of the double or doppleganger curated by the MacKenzie Gallery's Timothy Long.

In pop culture, as I note in the review, the evil twin is a narrative staple. Here's video excerpts from two famous examples to show what I mean -- the classic Star Trek episode Mirror, Mirror where Kirk, Scotty, Bones and Uhuru get switched with their counterparts in a parallel universe when an ion storm causes a transporter glitch; and a Hallowe'en-themed episode of South Park called Spooky Fish where the boys face danger when a portal opens into an alternative universe due to a pet store owner's desecration of an old Indian burial ground. (YouTube)

That tradition is alluded to in this show, particularly in the work of Toronto artist Kristan Horton who's created a photo-montage replicating select scenes from Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove. But at its core the show, which also includes work by Janieta Eyre (Toronto, and whose work is pictured above), Maria Hupfield (Vancouver) and Julian Rosefeldt (Berlin), affords viewers a fascinating opportunity to explore complex issues like individual identity, the vagaries of human behaviour, cloning and even ethnic stereotyping.

My Evil Twin runs until Jan. 4. Oct. 30, the gallery is hosting a screening of David Cronenberg's twin-themed thriller Dead Ringers. Then on Nov. 5 Robin Poitras and Benoit Lachambre will present a dance performance tied to the exhibition.

31 Days of Horror: Black Sunday

La maschera del demonio (1960) aka Black Sunday aka Le masque du démon aka La máscara del demonio aka A Maldição do Demônio aka House of Fright aka Revenge of the Vampire aka Mask of the Demon aka The Demon's Mask aka The Mask of Satan was Italian director Mario Bava's first film to gain international acclaim.

It's based very loosely on Russian writer Nikolai Gogol's short story Viy about a witch. That's pretty much where the similarities end. Bava's film starts in 1630 Moldavia, where a beautiful witch Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) and her cohort (her brother in the Italian version and her lover in the American dubbed version) are burned at the stake for being witches by Vajda's other brother Prince Vajda. She places a curse on Vajda's family before having a mask with spikes hammered into her face.

A couple of centuries pass by and a couple of doctors are on they way through Moldavia and their carriage breaks down near an old cemetery. While waiting for the repairs they explore the cemetery and discover the tomb of Asa Vajda. They open her coffin and remove the metal mask and accidentally bleed into the corpse's face thus resurrecting the evil blood sucking witch.

The descendants of Prince Vajda include the latest in the line of princes - the aptly named Prince Vajda and his daughter Katia Vajda (also played by Steele). The evil vampire witch Barbara Steele wants the good Barbara Steele's blood thus ensuring her immortality. She also resurrects her lover/brother cohort Javuto (Arturo Dominici) to wreck havoc on the country side and assist Steele in her evil work.

Bava was an excellent cinematographer and it shows in this film. While the movie is pretty tame by today's standards, it suffered from several cuts at the time which removed some of the gore. It was also banned in Britain until 1968. Fortunately you can watch it mostly uncut - there is still one scene missing from almost every DVD available except the actual Italian disc. It's not a crucial scene, it shows Steele and her father talking outside briefly, but it does exist.

Pick of the Day: Pats vs Broncos

As I've bitched before in prairie dog, hockey season, which in the junior ranks starts in mid-September, and which in the pro ranks doesn't end until early June, is waaaay too long. Now that we're into late October though, and baseball is winding down, and football (of the CFL variety, anyway) is gearing up for the playoffs, it's not inappropriate to start thinking about hockey.

After enduring an off-season of turmoil, in which they fired coach Dale Derkatch and re-hired former bench boss Curtis Hunt after his dismissal as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators, the Pats stumbled badly out of the gate going 1-4 in their first five games and being outscored 20-10. They received short-lived boost when forward Jordan Eberle (pictured) and defencenman Colten Teubert returned from NHL training camps, scoring a bucketful of goals in a handful of wins, but have since regressed and sit dead last in the East Division.

As with innumerable past seasons, the team has failed to play up to expectations, and has sorely lacked the necessary grit and discipline to succeed in the always tough WHL. Destined to lose Eberle and Teubert to the Canadian Junior team in mid-December, and facing lengthy stints on the road in mid-November to accommodate Agribition and late-December when Regina co-hosts the world junior championship with Saskatoon, it's imperative that the team pile up the points now to give it a cushion for the tough stretch to come.

Tonight, the Pats host the Swift Current Broncos at Brandt Centre. I won't be able to attend. But if you do go, and you happen to see a certain high-profile individual in the crowd who hails from Speedy Creek be sure to say Hi from all of us at prairie dog okay?

31 Days of Horror: The Devil-Doll

The Devil Doll (1936) is one of Tod Browning's (Dracula, Freaks) lesser known movies. It's a twisted little film that at times has to be seen to be believed.

Set in France - Lionel Barrymore is a banker who was wrongly convicted of robbing his own bank and killing a security guard. After seventeen years on Devil's Island - he escapes with a scientist (Henry B. Walthall). Walthall had invented a shrinking ray which he had planned to use to help the world's growing shortage of resources. Barrymore has other plans. Walthall dies and his widow Rafaela Ottiano agrees to help Barrymore with his revenge.

Disguised as an old woman Barrymore opens up a shop that sells dolls. Some of these dolls happen to be people that Barrymore and Ottiano have shrunk that respond to Barrymore's will. And these dolls are sold to Barrymore's enemies - the ones who framed him.

I have always found Browning's movies to be a bit static. They lack the beautiful cinematography of Karl Freund's work or even the unique style of director Rouben Mamoulian (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). Other directors of the same era like Lewis Milestone,Michael Curtiz,John Ford and Cecil B. DeMille all seemed to be able to create "motion" pictures while Browning's films all seem to be very set bound. But Browning's off-beat plots make up for it and this film is as off-beat as you can get. There's nothing like some good old fashioned cross-dressing, the miniaturization of people and of course some good old fashioned murder.

Candidate Profiles: Who's Running for Council?

Yesterday, we ran through the candidates for the mayor's office. Today, we're looking at the 22 people who've stepped forward to run for spots on city council.

Curious to know who's guiltily reading a Dan Brown novel or how many candidates say they are reading a book by Barack Obama? Wondering how many Captain Kirks we could wind up with on council? (Which leads one to wonder if council can handle that much Shatner?) The answers to these questions and many more are below....

Ward 1
ANDY ASHERBRANNER says he's running for council because he's tired of the people we elect not listening to the people who elect them. Read Andy's complete profile.
LOUIS BROWNE says he's running for re-election to council because he feels indebted to Regina and Ward 1 for all they have given him. Read Louis' complete profile.
SHAWN KUSTER says he's running for council because it's an opportunity to be involved with and serve his community. Read Shawn's complete profile.

Ward 2
JOCELYN HUTCHINSON, who is running for re-election in Ward2, was unfortunately not able to respond to our candidate questionnaire just yet. When she does, we'll be sure to post it to the blog.
HEATHER MCINTYRE says she is running for council because she believes she wants to ensure Regina's growth is managed responsibly. Read Heather's complete profile.

Ward 3
FRED CLIPSHAM says he is running for re-election to council because he wants to follow through on the plans set in motion by the current council. Read Fred's complete profile.
JOHN CONWAY says he is running for council because the current council is dominated by business interests and he want to force significant policy debate. Read John's complete profile.
SHIRLEY DIXON says she is running for council because she wants to move issues forward that are important to Regina's citizens. Read Shirley's complete profile.
DON YOUNG says he is running for council because he can make competent, conscientious decisions which will make a beneficial contribution to the city. Read Don's complete profile.

Ward 4
MICHAEL FOUGERE is the winner by acclamation in Ward 4. This will be his fifth term on council. Read Michael's complete profile.

Ward 5
JOHN FINDURA says he is running for council because he knows the issues that are important to Reginans and he wants to ensure they are raised. Read John's complete profile.
BILL GRAY says he is running for re-election because he believes in Regina's future there are decisions that should be made based on fairness and experience. Read Bill's complete profile.

Ward 6
BRENDA MERCER says she is running for council because she is committed to affordable housing, safer neighbourhoods and stronger communities. Read Brenda's complete profile.
WADE MURRAY says he is running for re-election in Ward 6 because he wants to ensure taxes are carefully and prudently invested in the community. Read Wade's complete profile.

Ward 7
DANNY BEREHULA says he is running for council because he believes Ward 7 has not received its fair share of infrastructure and services. Read Danny's complete profile.
SHARRON BRYCE says she is running for re-election because she listens to the issues residents bring forward and sees that those issues are resolved. Read Sharron's complete profile.

Ward 8
MICHAEL O'DONNELL says he is running for re-election because he wants to see recommendations made in the many reviews the city has undertaken are implemented in a reasonable and realistic manner. Read Michael's complete profile.
DONNA STANDINGREADY says she is running for council because she believes there is a disconnect between the city and its residents and she wants to engage people in decision making. Read Donna's complete profile.

Ward 9
TERRY HINCKS hasn't had a chance to respond to our questionnaire yet.

Ward 10
MICHAEL CASSANO says he is running for council because he wants to ensure people are kept in the loop and have their input included into the city's strategies for growth. Read Michael's complete profile.
JERRY FLEGEL says he is running for re-election because he is passionate about representing the interests of Ward 10 and finds it exhilarating to help citizens resolve the concerns they bring forward. Read Jerry's complete profile.
CHRIS SZARKA has been sent a few messages but still hasn't gotten back to us.

Pick of the Day: Mind the Gap!

We've all heard the jokes I'm sure. My favourite is "the only culture in Saskatchewan is agriculture". Like any stereotype, I suppose, there's a grain (pun intended) of truth in the characterization of our province as a cultural wasteland. Lord knows, we struggle constantly at prairie dog to champion worthwhile cultural endeavours in Regina that reflect a true 21st century urban vibe rather than just pander to heavily romanticized notions of life in Saskatchewan. And believe me, it's not always easy. Just check our Facebook page. We have more "friends" outside Regina than we do here.

Maybe it's our fault. Maybe we need to do a better job of networking in the city. Or maybe Reginans need to think seriously about what it means to be a modern, cosmopolitan, sustainable city.

Regardless, Saskatchewan is not devoid of cultural excellence. In this ambitious show, Dunlop Art Gallery curators Amanda Cachia and Jeff Nye have assembled work by 30 emerging artists from 14 different cities and towns to counter the widely held perception of our province as a gap in Canada's cultural fabric where nothing much happens. It's common slang, by the way, in places like Alberta and Manitoba, to call people from Saskatchewan "gappers".

There was an opening reception for Mind the Gap! last night. This afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Central Gallery Wally Dion, Randal Fedje, Erin Gee and Tim Moore will speak on their work. Then on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Sherwood Village Gallery Kyle Herranen, Rob Jerome and Stacia Verigin will present talks on their art.

Pictured above is a print by Amalie Atkins called Dress and Apple on a Tree (2008) that is in the show. Mind the Gap! runs at both galleries until Jan. 3.

31 Days of Horror: Paranormal Activity / The Haunting

Paranormal Activity opens today in Regina and Saskatoon. This low budget haunted house story has been generating buzz for a while on the internet and has been slowly climbing up the box office chart for a few weeks now. It crushed the lame remake of The Stepfather and now it's up against the latest Saw film.

It's another pseudo-documentary like The Blair Witch Project that relies on suggestion rather than actually showing anything. I haven't seen it yet but it looks and sounds interesting and from the trailer - it looks like a fun film to see in a theatre full of people. The Galaxy is playing midnight showings on Friday and Saturday for those brave enough.





Which brings me to today's film - The Haunting (1963). This brilliant horror film is one of the best haunted house movies ever made. Directed by Robert Wise this adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House is creepy, eerie and just plain unsettling at times.

Wise goes for the less is more philosophy - using sound and shadows to create chills rather than relying on special effects. The story takes place in Hill House, a house with a dark and disturbing past. Richard Johnson is Dr. John Markway. Markway wants to explore the house and try to solve its mysteries. To do this he assembles a team of people with a history of the paranormal. One of those people is Eleanor 'Nell' Lance (Julie Harris) who is drawn to the house.

The movie is extremely effective. There was a remake in 1999 that was all CGI effects and no bite. It was terrible and it just about ended director Jan De Bont's short career. The last film he directed was in 2003 - the equally crappy Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Filmmakers seem to forget that the best way to scare people is to build tension, establish mood and let the audiences imagination do the rest.

Friday Afternoon Kitty!

This installment in prairie dog's hard-hitting weekly exposé of kitty porn on the web is a doozy. It's the story of two guys and their cat: Boys meet cat, boys save cat, boys send cat to Africa, boys reunite with cat a year later and get totally covered in cat slime. A real tear jerker, and guaranteed to melt your heart, unless you're a music lover. It's just soooooo popular, you can't find a version without an obnoxious Whitney Houston soundtrack. This one isn't bad, just mute at 00:26 and you should be barf free while you marvel at the magic of life.

Candidate Profiles: Who's Running for Mayor?

For the latest prairie dog, we got the candidates in October 28's municipal election to fill out Candidate Questionnaires, in which they had to answer such hard-hitting questions as "Which Star Trek character are you?" and "What's your totem animal?" (Oh, don't worry. We grilled them on the issues, too.) Unfortunately, due to space contraints, we weren't able to run every answer we received and we weren't able to run profiles for candidates in the school board races.

As a result over the next few days, we'll be posting the candidates' complete profiles here, on the dog blog. Tomorrow we'll post the profiles for candidates running for spots on city council. Sunday, we'll tackle the two school board races. But today, we'll take a look at the three people running for the job of mayor....

JIM ELLIOTT says he's running for mayor because the current council isn't doing enough for marginalized people and for the environment. He's reading Less Law and Order by Irwin Waller and his totem animal is the Owl. Read his complete profile.

PAT FIACCO says he's running for reelection as mayor because he wants to see continue the work council's been doing to make Regina affordable, safe and environmentally sustainable. He says the Star Trek character he resembles is Captain Kirk (they both have great hair) and he's reading a tonne of reports. Read his complete profile.

LINDA WHITE says she's running for mayor because she wants to raise awareness about how difficult it is to find affordable, safe housing in Regina. She says in Regina City Hall: the Movie, the part of Linda White should be played by Julia Roberts and her totem animal is the eagle. Read her complete profile.

Pick of the Day: Propagandhi

You know them, you love them -- even though they're from Winnipeg. They're punk/hardcore/thrash veterans Propagandhi.

Founded in 1986, the band has endured a few line-up changes over the years. But one thing that hasn't changed is their strident advocacy on behalf of human and animal rights, free speech, anti-imperialism and other progressive causes. Currently touring as a four-piece fronted by founding members Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky, they released their latest album Supporting Caste in March.

Tonight, Propagandhi headline a concert at Riddell Centre that features a supporting cast composed of Rebel Spell, local favourites Armour Fou, and Beelzebison. Here's video of them performing "Anti-Manifesto" at a show in Peru in 2007. (YouTube)