By Jeff Kubik
We’ve all been there, found ourselves stuck somewhere we never imagined ourselves being in. Driven by necessity or impulse, we’ve worked awful jobs, said awful things and made awful decisions. But we’ve never lost ourselves there, have we? Underneath it all, there’s still a caring human being, right? But, after all, aren’t those experiences the… Continue reading Theatre wank: the good kind
By Jeff Kubik
Sometimes life can feel menacing, almost predatory. The people in our lives tear us in a thousand different directions while the world we live in makes demands of us we can’t hope to fulfil. We are consumed by our consumer culture and digested in a mix of gender roles and social expectations. Little wonder Margaret… Continue reading Mmm… woman
By Jeff Kubik
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is a despondent place, with one of the highest per capita crime rates in the world and a staggering community of addiction. For filmmaker Nettie Wild, seeing this decayed place firsthand was a horrifying, surreal experience. "It wasn’t just seeing one or two people shooting up," she recalls. "It was as many… Continue reading Urban addiction
By Jeff Kubik
Neddy Wile [JK: What first drew you to this project?] “Vancouver’s my home town and it’s in a lot of trouble, but I have to say I came to this film reluctantly because I didn’t want to make just another movie about how God awful it is in the downtown east side of Vancouver. But… Continue reading Interview transcript for Nettie Wild interview
By Jeff Kubik
So, you’re a video store clerk who finds himself dreaming about the silver screen, a struggling student with dreams of becoming the next Alfred Hitchcock. You’re a dreamer without a medium and you’ve been told since day one that the things which make you happy are fantasies you can’t possibly pursue. Well, there are a… Continue reading Dreams and celluloid for $100
By Jeff Kubik
Playwright, journalist and cartoonist, Alan Cho is a figure of harsh derision and brackish demeanor. His regular comic strip “All Dead Babies Go to Heaven” has raised the ire of prominent groups on campus as well as sensible human beings across the world. This week, the Gauntlet had the rare opportunity to speak to Mr.… Continue reading Alan Cho exposed: the man behind the Dead Babies
By Jeff Kubik
I don’t think it’s ever going to be alright again.” Two years ago I found myself in a dark place that didn’t seem to have a way out. I went through those motions I could manage and abandoned virtually everything else, convinced I was completely alone. I remember missing the deadline for an application to… Continue reading Quiet Desperation
By Jeff Kubik
Twenty-three-year-old U of C student Jennifer Connolly isn’t used to interviews quite yet which is, in a way, appropriate. After two years writing for the Gauntlet, I’m still not quite used to giving them. “It’s kind of scary,” admits Connolly. “I’m afraid I’m going to say something stupid.”I assure her not to worry. As a… Continue reading From school to the stage
By Jeff Kubik
Is there something to be learned from the noble carrot? Wisdom is flaky pastry? Can you find salvation in an eclair? Enter the kitchen of Antonin Carême–if you don’t elevate your consciousness, you can at least be assured a good meal. For those uninitiated in one of Calgary’s most famous puppet theatre companies, rest assured:… Continue reading Spiritual cookery and the French Revolution take the stage
By Jeff Kubik
We are at the height of a roaring variety show. Big band percussion meets limousine after limousine as their bloated, wealthy passengers waddle down the red carpet amid the crush of fans and flashbulbs. On stage, The Triplets of Belleville sing while act after bizarre act is introduced. A Fred Astaire look-alike is consumed by… Continue reading The French mafia, kidnapped cyclists and frogs