Avatar Special Edition in 3D in Winnipeg

So if you read the Winnipeg Sun or the Winnipeg Free Press, you got a blurb telling you that Avatar is coming back to theatres. Now, obviously its not coming back to the Imax, because our Imax theatre is weird and not affiliated with anything or anybody and has to beg for table scraps, whatever, but its not coming to Silver City cinemas either. Polo Park and St Vital.. nope. Cineplex isn't brining it back. However, it IS coming to Grant Park cinemas, which I deduced after going to the website of empire cinemas. They're all owned by the same company, but trying to figure out whats playing where is kindof ridiculously cumbersome.

In any case, Grant Park is probably my favourite cinema in the city anyways, so I'll check it out. A friend of mine didn't get to see Avatar upon its first run and is looking forward to it so I'm glad its showing again in Winnipeg. I've seen it on DVD, Imax 3D, and RealD 3d, and its best seen in 3D.

I'm a little dissapointed in Roger Ebert

Now, I don't expect Roger Ebert to go and review every movie that is out there. Three movies came out last week, Expendables, Eat Pray Love, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. He chose to see Eat Pray Love, and seemed to dislike it, which I take a bit of pleasure in but all the same, I am honestly disappointed that he didn't go see Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and I'll tell you why, because I have a blog and a surprising amount of free time.

I certainly wouldn't expect Ebert to go see the Expendables. We've all seen the expendables hundreds of times.. in a manner of speaking. It's just another mindless action movie. If you want that, you hardly need Roger Ebert or any other critic to tell you that. And clearly nobody did, as it won the box office handily. Certainly, based on box office, a lot of people held no inclination to see Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Roger Ebert is no different from a majority of people in North America in that regard.

Why didn't he go see it? I wonder. Could it be he's bored of Michael Cera? Perhaps, but I don't feel that is the case. Maybe he doesn't think much of Edgar Wright. Certainly Ebert never reviewed Hot Fuzz either. Who knows. I don't. However, the man found the time to review both Twilight and Twilight:New Moon, so.. I am thoroughly confused.

I personally believe it is because of the fact that Scott Pilgrim vs The World has a heavy video game influence, and Mr. Ebert is terrified of the mere thought of enjoying anything that would make it seem his thumbs could get anywhere close to a NES gamepad or even a movie heavily inspired by one. He wants to sweep his anti-video game ranting under the rug and does not want to bring it up again, even at the expense of missing out on something unique.

I think, however, the man has a duty to see this movie no matter how much he might think he will hate it beforehand. I think this BECAUSE of what he said all summer about video games. Who cares if he's not part of the generation that this movie is for. Lots of people enjoyed it even though they're not part of that demographic, because it is a fairly original movie with very creative direction. But thats my opinion. If Ebert thinks he will hate it, then he has to see this movie as penance for his brouhaha against videogames.

"Gary's Incredible Journey"

So I saw the cover of the Winnipeg Free Press on Friday. There was a huge article titled Gary Doer's Incredible Journey. Or something to that effect. Not that I would pay for any copy of the Winnipeg Free Press. Do paying members of the NDP get a free subscription? You'd think they would, considering it has become the NDP's party newsletter.

Anyways, no, what I do instead is imagine my own better storyline, possibly based on old Disney movies. Gary Doer was left behind by his family at, oh, lets say, Wapusk National Park (where they were doing photo ops). Gary, the two family dogs, and cat, had to travel kilometers of wilderness to reach the family home in Winnipeg. Now, obviously the cat was the sensible one, and the older dog was the leader, wheras Gary and the younger dog were rambunctious troublemakers and Gary got his snout full of porcupine quills during one unfortunate incident. Oh what an amusing event. In any case, they made it back home to Winnipeg only to realize, oh right, Washington D.C. Gary Doer is voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. Why not.

Know! To look into my face, is to look into the face.. OF EVIL

Perhaps Google's mantra "Do No Evil" actually has a different meaning from what everyone assumes. Perhaps it actually means "Do the type of Evil Dr. No from James Bond would feel comfortable doing", therefore, Do "No" Evil.

CBC is even more incompetent than I thought

The CBC, who have been whining about not having enough money for years, and who have not sufficiently answered my (and I know others) email questions about their switchover to digital here in Winnipeg, have finally revealed their latest gambit. Despite knowing for YEARS (at least 5 but surely more) that the digital switchover was coming, they apparently won't be ready on time in MAJOR CANADIAN MARKETS. Like Winnipeg. Until 2012. Two years away.

This is simply PATHETIC. In the USA, PBS were at the forefront of the digital conversion. Using it as a chance to reinvigorate public television. In England the BBC are continuously at the forefront of freeview and internet technology. But here in Canada, our public broadcaster can't be bothered to budget accordingly and fulfill their mandate.

Sure they found the money AWFUL QUICK for major markets like Toronto (having competition with American stations doesn't hurt) but here in Winnipeg, they're showing just how committed they are to Canadians who don't live in the golden horseshoe.

The CRTC must say NO, you are REQUIRED to have a digital signal in this area by the deadline or SHUT DOWN. There is no other option. Launch at 720P and share signal with SRC, I don't personally care, but fucking make it happen. There is no excuse for this level of incompetence. They have all the money in the world to throw at new digital channels like country canada or whatever the fuck that bullshit is called now.

Get your act together.

Disgusting.

For your consideration

The Golden Rule doesn't really work on Sado-Masochists.

Double Rainbow Foundation

Or Make a Wish foundation, whatever. I saw an ad with a kid next to a guy dressed up as Spider-Man saying something like "making dreams come true". And I thought, wow, I also had a dream to meet some random guy dressed up like Spider-Man.

I bet the kid really said "I wanna meet Spider-Man!" and was severely disapointed when spider-Man couldn't do any webslinging or wallcrawling. Probably because his powers were on the fritz because of.. oh.. some sort of mutagenic nightmare or something. Then Morbius comes in and asks for Plasma, and its funny cause they're in a hospital and its all ironic.

Oh.. I see what you did there

The Orange Rod answers the question nobody was asking while ignoring the ones people are. The way a good blog should.

Dead Kitty on Main street

Tonight I saw a kitten attempt to cross main street near redwood. It almost made it, but it got hit by a minivan. If my bus was on time I would not have seen it, so thanks a lot Winnipeg Transit. There was nothing I could do, in any case. It's rather sad that the blue/gray minivan decided to go full speed ahead and kill the thing when the car closest to the curb on the left hand lane slowed to a stop. I bet he was on a cell phone or something.

So if anyone out there is missing a kitten, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Though there is a Darwinistic sense to the whole thing. I've seen other cats and (more often) dogs wait for cars to stop coming before making a mad dash for the other side. If this teaches us anything, its this. You have your whole life ahead of you, don't rush into things, or the life ahead of you will instead be short. Sadly a tiny kitten could never be wise enough to grasp that.