Today's lesson about the legal system.

So in mid May a uniformed police officer rang my doorbell and handed me a suponea.  I had been summoned to appear as a witness in the trial of the individual who rear ended me last December.  (If you don't know that story, see my blog post "An Atypical Friday Night").  Apparently he was fighting the charges of careless driving and failure to provide the proper information ( Ala insurance).

The date of the court case was Friday July 27th, at 10am at the courthouse in Cambridge.
After a quick check of my work schedule, I breathed a sigh of relief, I would be working out of town, 3 hours North in Penetang, but my show schedule would allow me to attend the trial without having to actually miss any work.

So last night, after doing 2 shows I jumped in the Escape at 11pm, and drove the 3 hours home to get a few hours sleep.
I was up at 7:45am to shower and prep for the day, determined to make it to the courthouse early, since I wasn't entirely certain where the courthouse is located.

At 9:15am I arrive at the courthouse, verify I am in the right spot, and take a seat in the waiting room of courtroom 103.  The aid I spoke with told me to check in with the prosecutor once the courtroom opened.

At 9:30am a gentleman came into the waiting room and asked if anyone was there for a 10am trial who hadn't checked in yet.  I flagged him down, and showed him my paperwork, only to be told that my case was of a different nature than the ones he was working, and another prosecutor would be working my case.  She walked in the door at exactly that moment, and the gentleman informed her that I was one of her witnesses.

She came over and sat next to me, verified my paperwork, then told me that they were going to stay the charges in the case as they had a plea on other pending charges (which I assume were the impaired, and the leaving the scene).  She thanked me for coming in, told me my civil duty had been done, and I was free to go.

Free to drive the 3 hours back to Penetang, without ever actually having made it into the court room.

While I was partially relieved to not have to sit on the stand, and go through the whole process, a big part of me would have appreciated a phone call informimg me of this before I made the 3 hour drive down in the first place...

I politely thanked the prosecutor...I figured as a civil servant she has to deal with enough idiots, why get upset about it?...she was just doing her job, so I jumped back in the car and hit the highway.

I could tell it was going to be a long day.

The Dark Knight Rises - Movie Review

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending a screening of the final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy.

Let me start out by saying that I have really enjoyed the other 2 movies in this reboot of the batman series.  Both Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight, were solid films that put an interesting, dark, modern spin on the Batman franchise.  These films stand alone from the early 1960's television show, and the 1980's films that featured a host of hollywood actors in the title role.

Dark Knight Rises takes all of that to another level.  It really is an incredible triumph for a comic book movie franchise.  And as it managed to rake in $160 million at the box office on its Opening Weekend, I'd wager that alot of fans are going to be mouring the end of this take on the Batman mythology.

Once again, the cast is phenomenonal, with Christian Bale returning for his 3rd and final time as the caped crusader.  Bale's Batman is a cagey, aggressive crusader who has sacrificed everything for the city he loves.  Bale's quiet fury at this latest attack on Gotham, and the sense of determination that he excudes while attempting to set things right, create a performance that is both dark and incredibly uplifting.  Morgan Freeman, Michael Cain, and Gary Oldman are also back to reprise their roles as Bruce Waynes trusted friends and confidants, all of whom do an excellent job with their supporting roles. New comers to the series include Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, a young Gotham City Police detective.  Hathaway earns special mention for being both easy on the eyes, and remarkably layered in her performance.  It was great to see an attractive, strong female character finally make an appearance in this franchise.





The plot is both immersive, and fast paced enough to keep you deeply interested in the fates of the myrad characters that you are introduced to throughout the film.  Nolan really widen's the perspective with this film, focusing a large amount of screen time not only on the title charater, but on many inhabitants of Gotham, over the course of the film.  This movie really does focus on the elevation of an individual to the status of Hero through the course of the story.

The cinematography is beautiful, every shot seems crisp, clear, and infused with just a hint of sepia filter that adds a subtle reminder of comic book-esque art to the the big screen.

Ofcourse, there are also some wicked action sequences, and as always, Nolan puts a few of Batman's new toys on display.  The Bat (think Quadrotor adaped Bat-plane) being the one that gets the most screentime, while Bane's minions cruise around town in 3-4 stolen Batmobiles. 



 The Batsuit also gets an interesting reworking, although one has to be paying attention to notice the differences from previous incarnations.

I was thouroughly engrossed with the film from its engaging beginning to its remarkable ending.

While I won't give anything away, I will say that if you haven't yet, you should go out and see this film on the big screen.  It has been well worth the wait.  In fact in my mind, it is the movie event of the Summer.

Balm Beach - first impressions

So after spending 5 weeks soaking up the sun in and around beautiful Grand Bend, I have been transferred up north to Penetang for work.
A little over a week into the contract I finally have the time and the energy to hunt down the nearest public beach with a few co-workers for some fun in the sun.
Balm Beach is a really cute little community, not far from Midland, right in the shores of Georgian Bay.  Right away let me start by saying how shocked I was by the tiny size of their public beach.  Being raised on the shores of Lake Huron, I am used to miles and miles of available beach front property to choose from for all your beach related desires.  Here at Balm beach you are working with a clearly marked public area that can't be more than 600' in length.  And the sand is full of rocks...a shame.
When we arrived around 4pm the beach was host to alot of young families, and elderly couples, not the crowds I am used to after weeks on end spent in the Grand Bend area.
It seems as though every road is town us marked with no-parking signs, forcing you to park at one of the roughly 40 the municipal meters for a whopping $2/ hour up to a maximum of $15 for the day.  This blows my mind.  At Ipperwash you can park on the beach for free, all day.  What gives? 
On top of a tiny, rocky, beach, and the ridiculous parking situation, the first 30' of the water is carpeted in a solid stretch of stones.  Not fun.
On the plus side, because of the amazing weather we've been having this summer, the water was very warm today, likely around 76-78 degrees, which is warm for Georgian Bay.  The water was also a touch choppy today, with waves easily reaching 2' in height, which is apparently unusual for this area. 
What I will say, is that the view from the beach was stunning.  It really is a very pretty area of Northern Ontario.
I have been told that the better beaches in the area are private beaches on the local concessions.  I fully intend to brave the parking tickets that all non residents risk, should they be found parked at these private beaches in order to continue my quest for a better beach.
If I find one, I'll be sure to post pictures, and my impressions.

Creemore Springs Brewery Tour

To round out our Beerfest Weekend, Charles and I decided to make a little side trip into the town of Creemore on our way back up north to Penetanguishene. 

The reason for our side trip?

More beer of course!

Creemore is home to the Creemore Springs Brewery, whose fine products happen to be a personal favourite of mine.  I had done the tour before, while working in the area, but Charles isn't from around here, so it was a new experience for him.

We arrived just in time to sample their Kellerbier, which I can't believe I have never tried before, before embarking on a tour of the facility.

As a side note, I am infinitely familiar with their Premium Lager, Traditional Pilsner, and Urbock, but have never seen the Kellerbier on tap (until today) or at the LCBO.  The Premium Lager has been one of my favoutite beers for a long time now.

What makes Creemore Springs line of beer so fabulous is their commitment to time honoured tradition, and their focus and dedication to their craft.

Each batch is made with only four ingredients: Malted Barley, Hops, Yeast, and Water.  The last flowing from an artisian well owned by one of the Breweries 3 founders, and located just outside town.

They brew 4 batches of beer each day, with each brewing generating enough beer to fill 19,000 bottles.

The Lager and Pîlsner then age for 21 days, the Urbock and Kellerbier for 30 days.

With no additives or preservative to increase the shelf life of Creemore Springs, it is best enjoyed within 8 weeks of its brew date, which can be found printed on the case.

It was very educational to see the copper kettle, the kegging machine, bottler, and the filtration machine where the beer is filtered through diatomaceous earth as part of the brewing process.  Kudo's to you if you knew that diatomaceous earth was dirt with a very high concentration of fossils in it. 

Also cool to find out that each newly filled case is "drop tested" by having a machine purposefully drop it 2 feet to do a final check for imperfections in the bottles.

Now owned by Molson, Creemore Springs hasn't changed their brewing process at all since the purchase 7 years ago.  The upside of being a craft brewery owned by a Major Corporation?  National distribution.  You can now enjoy Creemore Springs Products across Canada, as opposed to just rural Ontario.

After our tour, we sampled the Premium Lager, picked up some Creemore Springs Pint Glasses, and a mixer 6 pack each, and headed across the street to The Old Mill House pub for a burger and a pint of Kellerbier.  It really does have a great, clean, fresh taste.  Rich and full flavoured.

Then it was time to hit the road back to Penetang. 

Back to life, back to reality.  Beer in hand. (Well, in the trunk, actually, since its illegal to drive with a beer).

K/W Ribfest and Craft Beer Show

Yesterday I once again  had the pleasure of attending the annual Kitchener / Waterloo Ribfest and Craft Beer show in Victoria park.  Just the wife, the thief, and my current Padawan: Charles, were all along for the ride.  Once again the weather was amazing, and a good time was had by all, especially the Thief.  This year I decided it would be fun to live tweet/ Facebook update the entire event.  What follows is a basically unaltered transcript of the day, with a few added comments thrown in for context:

9:16am - Up and excited for ribs and beer!

11:58am - En route to Ribfest!  I can almost taste the beer.

12:36pm - Beer #1 - Flying Monkey- stereophonic wheat. Bitter and very hoppy for a wheat beer.  But a nice change up on a classic idea.

12:38pm - Beer #2 - Mill street - Walker's Blueberry Wheat - subtle blueberry undertones with a smooth finish.

12:54pm - Beer #3 - Nichol Brooke Brewery: Headstock IPA: a solid hoppy take on an old favourite with a smooth clean finish.

1:08pm - Beer #4 - Cameron's Brewery:Sirius Wheat Ale: smooth and clean with a fresh citrus finish.

At this point in the day I took the Thief for a walk over to the midway and won her a neon orange puppy dog stuffed animal at the balloon toss by breaking 3 balloons with 3 Darts.  First try.
Best Dad Ever.

1:31pm - Beer #5 - Beau's Brewery: Seasonale: a nutty creation with a very rich full bodied flavour.

Just the Wife took the Thief to the nearby Victoria Park Splash Pad to frolic in the sprinklers.  Charles and I held down the fort.

1:45pm - Standing in line for ribs at Camp 31, last year's winner.  Charles is fetching more beer.  Perfect day.

1:48pm - Beer #6 - Beau's Brewery: Lugnut: An interesting malt finish that is a delight to the palette.

2:12pm - Camp 31: Incredible sauce, with a super delightful BBQ zing! (These ribs were uber delicious, I really can't stress this enough).

2:14pm - Beer #7 - Lake of Bays Brewery:Crosswind Pale Ale: Clean and Smooth with a delightful fresh finish. My favourite so far.

2:35pm - Beer #8 - Stone Hammer Brewery: Premium Pilsner: Surprisingly light and refreshing. Clean and Crisp.

2:57pm - Beer #9 - Wellington Brewery:Trailhead Vienna style lager: Crisp and light with a slightly nutty aftertaste.Delightful.

Just the Wife and the Thief return from the splash pad, and The Thief decides it's finally time for a nap.  Just the wife wants ribs so I'm off to fetch us more.

3:05pm - 1/3 Rack from Blazing BBQ Ribhouse, winner of Best in Sauce, and Best Ribs.  Amazing.  Like consuming magical baby pig.  (My ability to use metaphors and similes was obviously broken by this point in the day).

3:13pm - Beer #10 - Railway City Brewery:Honey Elixir: Dark and Bitter with a strong finish.

3:22pm - Beer #11 - Railway City: Iron Spike Pale Ale: Hops, hops, and more hops, yum.

3:40pm - Beer #12 - Big rock: Traditional Ale: Dark and nutty with a smooth clean finish.

3:49pm - First rain at Ribfest in 3 years.  REFRESHING.  We were smart enough to score a table with an umbrella.

The Thief wakes up and takes the rain in stride.  It really only lasted about 10 minutes, and certainly didn't slow us down.

3:54pm - Beer #13 - Nichol Brooke Brewery: Green Apple Pilsner. Like biting into a Granny Smith Apple of awesomeness. Cider in beer form.

3:56pm - The Thief is dancing to the band, I am hammered, Charles is a step ahead of me, and Just The Wife is highly amused.
6 tokens remaining.

I am learning that the Thief loves live bands, she is a total groupie.  She was the center of attention with her awesome dance moves.

4:10pm - Beer #14 - Wellington Brewery Special Pale Ale: mmm...beer is still tastey...might be drunk...have to have another beer to be sure...

4:17pm - Beer #15 - Wellington Brewery Bootchuck IPA: Solid. Dark and Fabulous. Best IPA so far.

4:44pm - Beer #16 - Amsterdam Brewery:Thunder Alley Belgian Style Ale. BEST IN SHOW. Hands down. Incredible. My new favourite beer.

5:01pm - Beer #17 - NOT sure. CHARLES forgot what he got me.  It was good. Beer fail...or success...wait.  It was apparently an Amsterdam bootchuck again. Solid. Again. (Poor Charles, he didn't have access to my extensive notes, so he didn't realize that he was committing the cardinal sin of re-beering me with a brand I had already sampled and reviewed.  He was punished accordingly by being made to fetch our next beers.  Also, Amsterdam brewery doesn't even make the Bootchuck IPA, but this is what Charles told me it was so that was what got recorded.  Silly drunken padawan).

6:16pm - Beer #18 - Was apparently the Flying Monkey Amber: I will take Charles word for it. (good. Maybe even great - assuming it was infact the Flying Monkey Amber).

It was now time to go so we started to collect ourselves and work our way through the crowd.  I totally played "So, have you met Charles?" with a lovely blonde on the way out, as I am an excellent wingman.  They had a quick chat, and everyone laughed about it.

At this point we bundled ourselves back into the car, don't worry, the very responsible Just the Wife was driving, and headed out for our next adventure.  Once again it was a great day with great company, and I look forward to doing it again next year.

My new most favourite narrative voice

So I have to take a moment right away to thank Kat of www.nowopentosuggestions.blogspot.com (check out her blog, it's deep, and spunky, and quirky, and abstract, and thought provoking, and features way less run-on-sentences than mine) for lending me her copy of "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" and introducing me to the wonderful fucked up world of blogger Jenny Lawson. 

For those of you, like myself,  who had never heard of Lawson, allow me to explain.  She is an American blogger who has a very popular blog at www.thebloggess.com (subscribe to her feed now, you'll thank me later) who has now written a book that she has humbly sub-titled "a mostly true autobiography."

Lawson has a penchant for the whimsical, a wonderfully broken verbal filter, and a view of the world that is delightfully askew.

Her utter and total lack of a filter switch has catapulted her to the #1 spot as my new most favourite narrative voice.  Wether she is waxing poetic about the fact that Jesus was obviously a zombie, (one could likely argue that he was infact the original zombie, if one were so inclined) or sharing horrific childhood stories of her mis-guided, but obviously well intentioned  Father waking her in the middle of the night to introduce her to a magical squirrel...Lawson has a graphic, yet coy way with words that is guaranteed to confound the Glitterati.  I'm not even sure what that means, but it is actually a very Lawson-esque structured statement, so I'm keeping it.  Deal with it.

Lawson writes with such natural flow and rhythm about such odd ball, abstract, everyday, quasi-mundane topics that the reader can't help not only relate, but get utterly sucked into the twisted accounts of actual occurrences  from her life.  I found myself laughing out loud, much to the consternation of my oblivious co-workers, on more than one occasion during my initial read of this book.  My mirth at Lawson's anecdotes was so contagious that 3 other coworkers had asked to borrow this book before I was even half way through it.

This is ultimately the greatest praise that I can give this gifted word-smith.  Her work has so deeply inspired, and simultaneously unsettled me, that I urge everyone to pick up this book and read it for yourself.  Be warned, you will be offended.  Lawson actually guarantees it in an early chapter, in which she also expressly apologizes for whichever anecdote has managed to elicit an unfavourable response in you, the reader.  For me, it was the chapter focused specificially on a long string of dead fetuses...but everyone is different, and while this particular chapter got under my skin, you may think it is a barrel of laughs, only to be offended by the suspected reanimation of a beloved pug, or possibly the shear weight that taxidermy plays in Lawson's formative development.  Hard to say.  There are plenty of options. The important thing is that you read this book yourself, and form your own opinions.  Lawson isn't afraid of the fact that her voice may not fit certain socially acceptable standards.  She puts herself out there, with all her  naughty bits on display, daring you to delve deeper into her twisted little take on life. 

Most importantly in my mind, hidden amongst the rants and the shear shock value of the material are a few solid life lessons.  The one that resonated most with me: "We are defined not by our imperfect moments, but by our reactions to them." 

Truth Bomb. 

PS - Pull your socks up.

PPS - Confused?  Read the damn book y'all.

The Missing Costume Caper

A huge part of what we do for a living falls under the heading "Damage Control".  This is a phrase I coined years ago that has covered a huge array of scenarios that have included stroking egos, first response medical care, all kinds of creative problem solving, and just generally just making sure that the old phrase "The show must go on" actually gets applied and executed.
Luckily, when you surround yourself with a great team, the Damage Control becomes a team affair.  Today is a perfect example.
Today at the half hour call our lead actor brought it to our attention that various pieces of his costume were missing from his dressing room.  His socks, undershirt, and button up shirt were all MIA.  It just so happens that he had put these items into the laundry basket last night to be washed before today's matinee. 
Our wardrobe maintenance person had no recollection of having seen them in the laundry, and the items were not to be found by a more thorough search of the dressing room.  It is important to note at this point that we are up in Penetang where there is no onsite storage and little things like spare costume pieces often take 3-5 days to arrive.
  It was at this point that our technical director noted that the laundry basket sits right beside the garbage can in that dressing room. What are the odds?  Unfortunately the waste basket had been emptied by the cleaner earlier in the day.  On the up side the cleaner also wears two hats and is on our show call as a technician.  While I went upstairs to double check all of the washing machines and dryers, our 2 technicians went out to the onsite dumpster to attempt to find the large garbage bag that might contain the missing items.
Sure enough, having gone through the entire dumpster, they were able to find all of the missing items and return them to the backstage area by the 15 minute call.  We were able to get them laundered and dried in only 20 minutes, which meant only holding the show for 5 minutes.  Our actor started the show with a shirt that was a little damp, but he didnt mind.  Not so bad when you consider some of the possible alternatives.
Our poor actor was mortified at his honest mistake.  The rest of the company had a pretty good chuckle at his expense.  A big kudos goes out to Dan and Tristynn for diving into the dumpster to take one for the team.  Damage Control at its finest.

Why I love the beach at Sararas Road

When I was roughly seventeen years old I was introduced to a private beach 10.2km North of Grand Bend by a young lady that I was seeing at the time.  Up until that point in my life, all of my beach time had been spent on the beautiful white sand beachs of Ipperwash, 20 min south of Grand Bend, where my family has had a trailer for at least 30 years.  When you are raised 20 min from a great public beach, and also have a swimming pool in your back yard, there isn't alot of reasons to go looking for a new swimming hole.
The concept of a private beach changed all that for me.  While not technically private, it is far enough removed from the zoo that is the main beach at the Bend that it sees very little tourist traffic.
Located right on Highway 21 between Grand Bend and St. Joseph, the rocky beach at Sararas Road can be found at the bottom of a 40' cliff, well away from the eyes of passing motorists and day-trippers.  The most other people I have ever encountered at Sararas Road could easily be counted on two hands.  Hard to believe when you consider that the main Beach at Grand Bend can see upwards of 80,000 people on a long weekend in the Summer.
Since I have been lucky enough to work in the Grand Bend area for the last 12 years, the beach at Sararas Road has been the site of many wonderful afternoons and evenings spent basking in the summer sun, soaking up the rays and having a blast with my friends and Co workers.  The other draw? Besides being off the radar for tourists, unlike the other beaches in the area, the water at Sararas Road is virtually always crystal clear, and in late July/August, I swear that it is 5-9 degrees warmer than any of the other local beaches.
Some of my fondest memories of this beach involve late night, post show bonfires with the ever evolving gang from the Huron Country Playhouse.  Smores have been roasted, beverages consumed, and many a rendition of brown eyed girl butchered over the wrong 3 chords on a countles number of guitars. Trips to this beach have become a tradition with Playhouse Staff over the years, so much so that I especially enjoy introducing new employees to it each and every season.  Someone has to carry on the tradition once I'm gone...not that I'm going anywhere anytime soon.  One year we even planned an official Drayton Entertainment Social Comitee Day Trip down to this beach where 30+ of my coworkers drove down from Kitchener/Waterloo to spend the day at this specific beach.
Last week we had another opportunity to plan another imprompto trip to the beach at Sararas Road, and it was glorious.  I was the first to arrive at 2pm since my show had been cancelled, but I was soon joined by the rest of the gang.  All told there were  5 Stage Managers, 3 actors, 1 Costume Designer, 3 Technicians, and a Dresser in attendance.  A great blend of old friends and new friends, I couldn't have asked for better company. 
It was about 32 degrees in the sun plus humidity, and the crystal clear water was reminiscent of soaking in a bath tub.  Incredible.  As always, we came prepared with a selection of beverages, tall boys that you dare not drink on the local public beaches, and everyone did there own thing for the afternoon.  Some of the ladies brought books, while the rest of us frolicked in the water and on the sand.  Personally, I hardly left the water all afternoon, and thanks to copious amounts of sunscreen, I didnt burn.  This time ;)  We called it quits as the sun began to set, sinking into Lake Huron in a glorious display that lit up the July sky with a brilliant wash of pink, orange and red.  It was a day I won't soon forget.
A perfect Summer day.

The Amazing Spider-Man

I have always been a fan of Super Hero movies, especially the big, blockbuster films featuring what I think of as The Big 3 (Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man).  Theses were the heroes of my childhood, and the way that they have been depicted over the years has always been an important factor in shaping my sense of pop culture.

Sadly all of these franchises have had their low points over the years. Superman 4, Bad. Superman Returns, Painful. Batman and Robin, Awful. Spider- Man 3, Garbage.  In each of these cases it wasn't long before the studios rebooted the series with fresh talent and direction in an effort to revive the franchise.

Spider-Man is the latest series to receive this treatment, and the timing couldn't be better.  It has only been 5 years since Spiderman 3 disapointed audiences around the world.  Despite introducing a much anticipated villan in Venom, the film was a hot mess.  Fans of Spidey wanted more, but they didn't want it to be in any way influenced by the failings of the last film.

The Amazing Spiderman opened on Tuesday with a slight revision on the origin story, a new leading man, Andrew Garfield in the role of Peter Parker, and a new Director, Marc Webb.  It was certainly one of the most anticipated movies of the Summer, right up there with The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rising. ( How cool is it that the 3 biggest movies of the summer are all Super Hero flicks!).

Marc Webb's new reboot of the Spiderman Franchise lives up to the hype.  Earning 59.3 Million dollars in its first two days, it immedietly catpulted to the #2 position for biggest 4th of July Opening ever (Transformers still holds that coveted #1 spot).

This is a leaner, meaner Spider-Man than what you are used to from poor, down trodden, love struck Tobey McGuire.  In this film, Spidey is still in high school when he gets bit by his radio-active spider.  He has a skateboard, he has a cell phone, most importantly, he has DEPTH.  While he is definitely not one of the cool kids, Andrew Garfield portrays him with an assurance and self-confidence that has been missing from the previous series.  He comes across as a little shy and quirky when first dealing with his love interest Gwen Stacy, played by Garfield's current real life girlfriend Emma Stone, but gone is the sad, lost, little puppy. Good riddance.

Speaking of Emma Stone, the two have some pretty great chemistry on screen.  When they do flirt, or when eventually things turn serious, nothing seems forced or false.  Anyone who has seen Christian Bale and Katie Holmes in Batman Begins (Great movie, terrible chemistry) can attest to how important good chemistry between a hero and his love interest is to a story line.

Point of fact, this time around, they also highlight the fact that Parker has an advanced technological mind through various inventions he has created around his Aunt and Uncle's home, including the eventual creation of his web slinger technology.  Fans of the comics should enjoy this montage after all the bad press the first series got for simply explaining these away as a by product of Parker's spider bite.

As with any super hero movie, special effects play a huge role with this film.  Spidey's trade mark acrobatics and web slinging are beautifully rendered throughout.  Just slow enough to follow with the naked eye, but quick enough to look effortless and fluid, Webb allows the audience to track Spider-Man in a manner that lets the audience feel like they are in on the action.  A couple of times, he even incorporates a Point of View perspective that lets the audience experience Spidey's acrobatic feats first hand.  FUN! Especially in Imax 3D.

The villan of the movie is also very well executed.  Dr. Curtis Connors, played by Rhys Ifans, is a brillaint bio-engineer / herpetologist toiling away at Oscorp, looking for what basicially amounts to the key to human regeneration (Think Wolverine's healing factor mixed with a healthy dose of the Gieco gecko). When the suits at Oscorp threaten to pull the plug on his research, Connors injects himself with his serum, transforming him into The Lizard.  Big, mean, and able to actually act through the CG animation, unlike poor William Dafoe in that stupid Green Goblin mask from the first film, the Lizard is an interesting and engaging nemisis for Spider-Man to tangle with.

The big surprise for me is actually how much time Spidey spends with his mask off.  This is not a hero traditionally known for hanging around with his face visable and identity exposed to the general public, but this time around there are plenty of scenes where Garfield spends time in the suit without the mask.

Of course it is impossible not to mention the suit.  Spidey's red and blue spandex is one of the most recognizable costumes out there, and the design team once again does a brilliant job rendering him in vivid, textured detail.  As always, my only complaint about the suit is that poor Peter Parker hypotheticially created it himself from scratch, something that a wardrobe designer friend of mine tells me is not nearly as easy as it looks! That aside, in the suit Andrew Garfield, and all of his stunt doubles, certainly look like Spider-Man.

Spider-Man co-creator and Marvel comics icon, Stan Lee makes his mandatory appearance in the fim (his 17th appearance in films featuring his characters for those of you keeping track).  As always, Stan's quick cameo acts as a fun-filled wink at the real fanboys in the audience, you know who you are.

Those same fans will be happy to hear that this film has officially been confirmed as the first in a new trilogy of movies featuring Spider-man.  For insight on who will menace Spidey in the next film, be sure to stick around through the credits after the movie.  As always with a Marvel film, there is a short teaser scene that introduces us to someone very important in the Spider-Man mythos.

Brave, the latest offering from Pixar

Since I am working out of town and away from my family for the summer, I have plenty of free time to see all the big summer movies that catch my eye.
This time around, I decided to see what Pixar would do with their latest film, Brave.  I know what your thinking.  That's a kids movie.  You're right.  It is, but I have always appreciated the beauty and incredible production values that the Disney/Pixar partnership have brought to the table, so I figured that this film would be worth seeing. 

Set in the Highlands of Scotland at an undisclosed time in the middle ages, Brave is the story of young Princess Merida, Daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor.  Merida is a strong willed, vibrant soul who wants to be free to make her own decisions in life.  Her Parents have other plans, as they feel that she is of an age to be married.  It is their desire to find a suitor to be chosen from amongst the clans that owe fealty to her father, thus cemeting the aliances that hold the kingdom together, and establishing the dynasty of a new King.  While tom boy Merida has her Father wrapped around her little finger, she and her Mother are often at odds when it comes to her expected behaviour and future path in life.

Central to the plot is the strained relationship between the princess and her mother, a story that I'm sure many young women, and their mothers, can relate to.  Knowing what I did about the movie from the various trailers I had seen, I was a more than a little surprised to see the actual direction that this central conflict took.  Pleasantly surprised.

Since this is a Disney movie, I was happy to see them include a wealth of Scottish folklore and elements of magic throughout the piece.  The bear fixated Woodcarver (read: witch) and the cutsey wil-o-wisps add a nice traditional touch to this coming of age story.

Pixar once again raises the bar by which all animation is measured.  The scenery, textures, physics, and characters in this films are ridiculously well crafted.  Everything is just so vibrant and fluid in stunning 3D that they leap from the screen right into your heart.  Merida's unruly mane of red curls earns special mention, as I can only imagine the time and effort that went into the animation process for something that has almost zero impact on the story itself.  Yes, of course, estectially speakng, the willful Scottish lass should be a ginger, but these untamed tresses have to be seen to be believed!

Great for a night out for the family (assuming your kids are older than mine), if you like Disney and Pixar, Brave is an experience that shouldn't be missed.