Archive for November, 2007
Two Weeks Notice
Light Diversion
**1/2 out of *****
Settling down to watch Two Weeks’ Notice in the bright red chairs, I felt like I was visiting my Moms’ house and sleeping in an old, comfortable bed. I knew that there weren’t going to be any surprises since I’d been there before, but could still look forward to […]
Paycheck
Bankrupt
** out of *****
John Woo has the (un)lucky reality of being a cottage industry all to his own. His name, along with a select few (Lucas, Spielberg, Cameron, Bay), drags with it certain expectations which may or may not be met, depending on which movie you’re watching. Back in the […]
The Kingdom
Bubble, Bubble, Oil and Trouble
**** out of *****
Making a movie like The Kingdom is guaranteed to please some and upset others, primarily because it deals with a topic so complex and far-reaching that there’s no way that you could cover all the relevant details in a mere 2 hours. As it stands, The […]
Balls of Fury
Neutered
** out of *****
It’s a movie about a ping-pong championship with Christopher Walken as a silk-gown wearing Chinese warlord wannabe, and a plot lifted directly out of Enter the Dragon. That sentence should tell you everything you need to know about Balls of Fury, a film so lightweight it’ll make your theatre popcorn […]
Batman Begins
In the Still of the (Dark) Knight
**** out of *****
God bless director Christopher Nolan. Like the cowboy hero who jumps on the runaway carriage putting it safely back on course, he’s brought the Batman franchise back from the brink. It started nobly in 1989 with Tim Burton’s classic adaptation, but ended when […]
Jewels of Bangkok
Thailand Property Report Magazine, September 2006
The last thing anyone says as their airplane descends into Bangkok is, “What a lovely looking city!” But part of what makes the Thai capital such a great place to explore and live in is the number of secret pockets that only surrender their charm to those who […]
Pattaya - Thailand’s Mos Eisley
Urban Male Magazine, January 2005
If you’re ever in Bangkok and you point your nose roughly Southeast, you’ll be facing one of the strangest places in Asia. It’s a hugely popular place that has steady streams of vehicles coming and going, a mere two hours and a $3 CDN bus ride away from Bangkok. […]
Plant A Tree Today (PATT)
Big Chilli Magazine, July 2006
In the few lazy, meandering years between High School and University, I had some friends who would pack a bag during the summer months and head up to Northern Canada to plant trees. They would usually come back 30 lbs lighter, telling stories about angry bears, swarming bees, homesickness, […]
Lie To Me
Big Chilli Magazine, August 2006
I’m a great liar. I mean really good. I once wiggled my way out of being expelled from a class in college by convincingly telling a lie so outrageously false that if George Washington were there, he would have said “Now that dude can tell a lie!” But […]
A Bar Called Su
Big Chilli Magazine, October 2006
When I had reached the ripe old age of five, my Grandfather decided to tell me the secret to living a happy life. He said, ‘Find something you like doing, and then figure out a way to get someone to pay you to do it.’ It seems simple, but […]
