By Matt Oakes
Smoking stinks and everybody knows it. So why do so many of us do it?Simple. Because we can and because it’s cool.Smokers are a social bunch, and being social is cool. We form crowds in bars and doorways while jealous non-smokers walk by wishing they had as many friends as we do. Research shows we… Continue reading Cigarettes and superheroes
By Matt Oakes
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is definitely an animated film, not a cartoon. Its screenplay resembles a regular live-action feature film. It assumes few of the stereotypical anime characteristics of overly-dramatized action sequences and senseless violence. Call it a psychological thriller, call it a voyage of self discovery or call it a twisted romance. Whatever it… Continue reading The lost art of anime
By Matt Oakes
This weekend, the newly completed Information and Communication Technology building will be hit by a tsunami of Japanese visual culture. The timing couldn’t be better–somebody needs to wash the dust and slime off the walls. The University of Calgary’s annual animation celebration, Otaku no Festival will exhibit Japanese animated film culture. Organized by the U… Continue reading Reading between the subtitles
By Matt Oakes
In an old fire hall in the heart of Inglewood lies the Hose and Hound. The ‘Hose’ attracts an eclectic crowd with its welcoming atmosphere and top notch bar staff. The excellent selection of liquids can keep a patron busy for hours while pool tables and dart boards offer alternate entertainment, if needed. Along with… Continue reading Hose and Hound
By Matt Oakes
Contrary to the opinion of local punk act Chixdiggit, Henry Rollins is a lot of fun. Taking the Ballroom by storm last Thursday night, Rollins thrilled the sold out crowd with his in-your-face style of angst-driven humour. Since the breakup of his band Black Flag in 1986, Rollins has travelled the world to promote his… Continue reading Rockin’ with Rollins
By Matt Oakes
My regrets go out to all the fans of Orb. The latest effort from Alex Peterson and company has fallen short of the bar they set for themselves in 1997 with the release of Orblivion. The last three years have seen the realm of ambient house catch up with the aging electronic pioneer. Nevertheless, Cydonia… Continue reading Cyclonia
By Matt Oakes
We had it coming. The latest release from legendary guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck is a superb example of what can happen when a Fender Stratocaster falls into precisely the proper hands. Naturally, this CD serves as a showcase for Beck’s undisputed guitar mastery. Accompanying him is the reunited personnel from 1999’s Who Else! including guitarist… Continue reading You Had It Coming
By Matt Oakes
"Lonely? Bored? Go out and cause trouble. Meet people." Sat., Feb. 3, Jello Biafra struck a chord with a sold-out MacEwan Hall Ballroom full of like-minded enthusiasts and cautious skeptics with such advice. Biafra, an irreverent social critic and former lead singer and song- writer of the punk rock band The Dead Kennedys, used every… Continue reading Jello not light on issues
By Matt Oakes
"War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength." Many believe the maxim spawned in George Orwell’s 1984 are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Are you dissatisfied with spoon-fed corporate propaganda about how to live your life as a happy little capitalist? Do you feel we lack true options in regards to the media messages we are… Continue reading 1984 may be closer than you think
By Matt Oakes
For those of you who don’t keep track of current events in the world of sport, on the night of Feb. 3, NBC is going to hit you over the head with a grey, foldable metal chair. Ouch. It’s gonna hurt. Indeed, the likely-painful XFL season opener is just over two weeks away and only… Continue reading Violence, sex and indiscretion