I've been going through one of those creative incubation periods. I can sometimes tell because one symptom is thinking of good blog post ideas but never seeing them to fruition. I've been inspired; I am riffing. ¶ One of the reasons why I like Martin Scorsese so much, as an artist, is because he's a personal artist. He is, if this isn't too pat, an honest filmmaker. He responds to criticism with a shoulder shrug. He does what he does well, technically, and everything else is just his spirit. You either dig that, or you don't. But his films resonate with people, emotionally, like my emotional connection to GoodFellas; to Taxi Driver; to Casino. He expresses his ideas without deception through film, and he has good ideas. He also feels the same way as I do about flying. ¶ I've been working to inject more cinema into my work of late. That's why I haven't been updating my feature illustration. As I mentioned above, I'm incubating a few competing ideas on what next to showcase on Siteway, so please stay tuned. By cinema I don't just mean my subject matter, although I do mean that, too. I also mean those elements of cinema that are so appealing: the still-grandness of it, the iconography of it, the spirit of film. In the short term I think it means I'll be depicting not just characters from film, but whole scenes. This involves more labour than pure portaiture, but it's where I'm headed, so there's no sense worrying about the degree of difficulty. ¶ I've got a bunch of work out there or coming soon. I've done a few illustrations lately for Canadian Home Workshop, Meetings & Incentive Travel, and you can continue to see my work in L.A. CityBeat and NewAngeles. ¶ We've been making a bunch of Cypriot meatballs lately. Kief-TE-thez, similar to Greek meatballs, are a combination of beef, pork, potato, parsley, cinnamon, mint, salt & pepper.

Here's my Mom's recipe:

about half a kg. ground meat, half pork and half beef
5 good size potatoes
1-2 onions
quite a few sprigs of parsley
1 egg
salt, pepper
cinnamon, a few shakes
dried mint, 1 tsp
Here's how I prepare it (which differs slightly from my mother's version). I grate the potatoes and add them (grated potato plus their juices) into a big bowl with the meat. Then I chop up the onions into tiny bits, and add them to the bowl, along with the egg, the parsley, and the rest. Then I form them into smallish balls (not the rugby-ball shaped ones you see in Greektown) about an inch in diameter. Heat up some vegetable oil in a large skillet and cook away. It's pretty involved, the frying that is, so get ready (apron, drink) and you'll be fine.

Labels: CareerTalk, Cinema, Clear, Recipe, Vague

¶ 4:01 PM

Did you know that you're a lucky man, he asked me, a drunken Ignatius-type. I do came out of my mouth. I knew he was right. He had caught me out, and maybe he was just crazy, but as Pauline and I discussed moments later, there wasn't much false about what had just transpired. ¶ It dawned on me last weekend, as I re-watched Brewster's Millions (1985), that it's critical Montgomery Brewster not tell anyone of his involvement in the will game that sets up the film. I used to think it was just a comedy-of-errors device. They have to think he's crazy to sell the tragedy of his final party. It's only temporarily sad, a false alarm. He believes that in the morning he will have the greater sum to live on for the rest of his life. And yet, there's a sadness in his belief. He's right, though it's not quite knowledge (someone has conned him along the way), but he's necessarily alone since everyone around him thinks he's lost more than just his inheritance. It was my favourite movie as a child and it still holds up. ¶ Number 3/10 in my series of people and ideas I admire went live today. It's a portrait of Søren Kierkegaard. I hope you enjoy it.

Labels: AdmirationOfBenefit, Cinema, Vague

¶ 2:11 PM

It's fashionable but I don't mind saying I'm a sucker for the last man on earth story. Even the empty New York sequences in Vanilla Sky were somehow thrilling, if only in dreams. I'm looking forward to seeing I Am Legend this holiday season. It's a version of 1971's Omega Man (both screenplays are based on Richard Matheson's novel, I Am Legend). The last man is the lone man, the first man. The Robinson Crusoe story writ large. ¶ Why don't you be like your friend Henry here. He's got a nice girl. He's settling down now. He's married. Pretty soon he'll have a nice family. And you're still bouncing around from girl to girl.—Tommy's Mother, GoodFellas. ¶ I think the pleasures of living in Toronto outweigh the pains. For me, for now, I'd rather be nowhere else. I love seeing store owners sweeping their front stoop, green grocer's sneaking a quick smoke, and FedEx drivers jumping in and out of their trucks. I walk through Kensington Market almost every day these days. Maybe I'll tire of it, but so far, I still get my kicks. The city can be summarized thusly: proximity to life; access to markets; accelerating movement. If we all struggle, then at least in the city, you don't struggle alone.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Vague

¶ 12:56 PM

I've made some small changes to Siteway over the past few weeks. Do let me know if anything seems out of place on your browser. I have some additional tweaks in mind. Siteway has become very much a working site, even more than it had become, and overall I'm still very happy with the tone herein. One day soon I'd like to take Siteway to a place where an HTML/CSS/Ajax superstar can help me takes things even further. Ideally this will happen in early 2008. If you are said superstar, get in touch. ¶ I'm marketing myself as a P.I., a private illustrator, not just because I like film noir (though I can't deny its influence). I've long talked about how I have attempted to model my career on independent professionals like the working actor. Though there are many one-man shows, the private investigator has captured the imagination of story-tellers more per capita than all other freelancing careers combined. That's just conjecture. I believe it to be true, though, for all the obvious reasons and some less obvious ones. One less obvious reason is they typically embody the tension between, on the one hand, the law, the mainstream, the expected, and on the other, the truth. In other words, they're on the margins, self-sustaining and yet unselfish. And, while I can't claim to hold this position, I can certainly aspire to it. ¶ Watch for some of my illustrations in the upcoming Rich Lists issue of Forbes, hitting newsstands in late September.

Labels: Cinema, Forbes, Freelancing, Siteway

¶ 12:24 PM

The Dude: You're not wrong Walter. You're just an asshole. ¶ There are so many choice lines and scenes from The Big Lebowski but the aforementioned gets me every time. Like many things I enjoy today, I didn't enjoy this at first. But it only took a few more viewings for me to get into the character of The Dude. He's the unexpected anti-hero for the 1990s. And unlike Hud, the anti-hero for the 1960s, The Dude has apathy holding him back, not pride. With both, though, you're conflicted, and this is part of the fun. And with quite possibly Philip Seymour-Hoffman's best and funniest supporting role, I could watch this noir riff epic many times a year. ¶ I recently crossed the 25,000 views threshold over on my flickr photostream. I've been grateful for the feedback and inspiration I've found over on flickr.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Flickr

¶ 9:46 AM

I woke up to The Dark of the Sun playing in my head and it brought me the sort of sweet morning inner smile I haven't woken up to in about three weeks. Fucking finally! Excuse my expletive, if only because it's out of pure relief and not frustration, for once recently, and nobody is more relieved that yours truly. This has been the toughest chapter change I can ever recall, and only the Third Perspective knows why. Whatever the reasons, I hope they resonated with me somehow and that I'm stronger for it. Hey yeah yeah. ¶ I love, like many others, Francis Ford Copolla's integration of religious and gangster imagery in the Godfather trilogy. Especially poignant is Baptism and Murder, a sequence near the end of The Godfather. It's not so much Good versus Evil that makes this sequence work even if it does trade on that battle. It's the directing and editing restraint that does most of the work here to pull back from the potentially destructive cliché. The sequence places us in the church with Michael as he renounces Satan in baptizing his nephew and then in calm cuts we bear witness to his murderous commands executed in rough and gross ways. It's nowhere near a depiction of glamour—a mistaken distinction between film depiction and what the film depicts—instead it's a restrained interplay between the daily grind of priests versus hitmen. Michael Corleone's character continues to live with me and remains quite possibly the most complex cinematic characters ever. I depict him here as he lies to Kaye about murdering his brother-in-law. "No," he lies, flatly, to her one chance at asking about his affairs. But not merely a monster, he commits evil acts to protect in ways he never wanted and yet he is too weak to understand his greater responsibilities. ¶ I took last week off the weekly Siteway drawing but now I'm back and feeling like myself again and ready for more. The office is coming together slowly but surely and in time I'll have some new pictures up on flickr. ¶ Until next time, I bid you good day from Chinatown.

Labels: Cinema, Clear, FeaturedIllustration

¶ 10:24 AM

Over the weekend we built something approximating the desk of my dreams. Since deciding on the office I've been able to take more seriously some work-related ideas I've harbored for some time. Ideas including the acquisition of a large, angled, eight-foot long desktop where I could draw. So, I took a look around. I looked online, mostly, craigslist and the like, and I didn't find anything all that special. I had the idea it might be possible to build this desk in my head, but not being handy makes me dependent on some serious help. The help came, and so did the desk. On Friday we picked up lumber from Copps Buildall. On Saturday we built the skeletal structure and on Sunday we stained, re-constructed parts of it, and then finally attached the linoleum desktop. Seeing it emerge from mere lumber was nothing short of a wonder. Some pictures here, more coming. ¶ This week's illustration is brought to you by private eye inspiration: Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart. Released just over twenty years ago.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, WeekendUpdate

¶ 12:53 PM

Brad Pitt is this week's featured illustration. ¶ Last night was our fifth of ten sailing class and it proved to be worthy. The breeze was lackluster but the feeling was positive. My confidence, roughly speaking here, is slowly increasing. I'm convinced that this sort of thing is a private language: my confidence may very well be higher than those that report high confidence. I'm reluctant to overstate the case, however, because of a near infinite number of reasons that exist in the self. Having said that, I'm beginning to see the Matrix in the code, and that's always exciting. My strength is muted: I'm fairly good at everything, I excel at nothing. What's beginning to emerge is the first stages of second nature. Everyone is after second nature. ¶ We saw Robert Altman's Gosford Park last evening. Not only is this a beautifully shot film with enough plot to keep you playing along but it's also quite touching. I suspect achieving this sort of thing on film is not easy. ¶ I'm new to the Judd Apatow world, and, though I rank low on the "biggest fan" scale, I'm enjoying the ride immensely. Most recently in the form of Knocked Up and, as I've mentioned before on Siteway, Freaks & Geeks. It took me some time to warm to Seth Rogen, the actor. Suprisingly, he actually made gains with me in the silly and misguided You, Me, and Dupree. Only a certain kind of Matt Dillon fan can enjoy his silly movies, of which there are plently. If you're going to watch one, I'd say give One Night at McCool's a whirl. This is classic "oh I hated it/turned it off/walked out on it" material based largely on how hard it tried (and, as a result, failed), but to me it's still a fun distraction. I'd rather a dozen of these misguided ensemble Hollywood romps over so-called spoof comedies which peaked when I was in junior high. ¶ Some time ago I had Kavin build me a Flash browser for Siteway illustrations. You can see the beginnings of it implemented here. More to browse soon. ¶ I've put up some pictures of my soon-to-be new office in Toronto over on flickr. ¶ Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford? / Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes, the future.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Flickr, TV

¶ 10:28 AM

Gliding through Southwestern Ontario via rail, I have lucked into a complimentary net connexion which has allowed me to finish my work in the early PM. It clears my head and plate for the later evening. Aldershot! ¶ This thought occurred to me last evening: cinema is largely trauma, realised. I don't think that trauma = drama, but in many cinematic instances, it certainly helps. For example, a revenge story is more compelling when lives are on the line as opposed to mere pride. Gambling stories only work when someone loses their Everything and not just their One Thing. I thought, last night, that books were exempt from this grip but the truth is I haven't read enough to know. Seeing Walk The Line had me wondering if real pill poppers would see themselves on screen or not. I suppose this is just a tiny observation about subtlety in storytelling. In Disturbia, the acceptable film I saw a couple of weeks ago, the hero has our sympathies right at the outset: he loses his good-guy father in an accident that he witnesses. Any further actions this character is involved in reminds us to keep this in mind (poor kid). The film is weak, as a direct result from this choice, not just because their choice was obvious. It was just easier. And easier is usually easy to see. This is why the great debate about Commerce vs. Art in film is largely moot. All popular art is sold but not all popular art is easy. Hell, even unpopular "hard" art sells. The idea that these choices are more conservative is something we all agree on. I think even the executives who clearly water down most Hollywood productions would agree to the label of conservatism via focus groups (i.e. they listen to focus groups). The real question is: does conservatism help or hurt the form? This happens in a lot of mainstream media. Is it really a good idea to put celebrities and headlines over all magazine covers? Maybe. But to me it just looks like one missed opportunity after another. Opportunities to carve our new niches, new interest, and as a direct result, new money. Crying "the reader will be confused" is like saying "I'm unsure of my role here." The details of our lives are like fine needlepoint. Easily lost when looking at the dress, but perhaps the defining characteristic of the dress. This stuff matters. It always has, it always will. Care is like fuel for art. ¶ Earlier this week I worked on a Mike Myers illustration that will be in this Saturday's National Post, Toronto section. Which is nice, because I'll be in Toronto.

Labels: Cinema, NationalPost, SitewayWorld, Train

¶ 12:58 PM

"If you take drawing seriously, you never quite feel you've arrived. Your ambition is always for something a little better than anything you've yet done."—Edward Sorel, from Unauthorized Portraits, a good book. ¶ Last week was informally pitch week which means I sent out a few dozen e-mail and postal pitches to art directors near and far. It's an absolutely thrilling part of the business, but along for the ride are fear and vulnerability. But hey, that's the gig. ¶ We went to see Disturbia (2007) last week and while I can't reasonably recommend this film, it did get me thinking about Rear Window (1954) (obviously) and from there my thoughts moved to Alfred Hitchcock. One of my favourite films of Hitchcock's is Frenzy (1972) which I think shows how clearly how Brian De Palma was influenced as he began making films. The blood is thick and deep (De Palma favors fire-engine red), clothing stinks of cigarette smoke, hair is matted and messy, and the violence absolutely brutal. It's the kind of movie I would have feared as a boy. Right from the outset, it's a harsh London depicted. It's a London that's the urban cousin of Peckinpah's rural England in Straw Dogs (1971). What I like most about it is the art direction feels like equal parts controlled and organic. It's like a play on the streets. It is, for many reasons, genius art direction. Moreover, the plot and pacing are above average: there's a tie-strangler on the loose and our man Dick Blaney is suspect number one! ¶ This week I illustrate Alfred Hitchcock. I find myself drawn even more to artists like Hitchcock. There's a certain holism to his films which I not only find comforting, but fascinating. I'll keep you posted on my informal study of his work.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Freelancing, Quotation

¶ 1:31 PM

The night before seeing Conan O'Brien we were on the Upper West of Manhattan at the 92nd Y to see Charles Grodin. I have mixed feelings about the night. On the one hand, it was awesome to see one of my favourite comedic actors speak, great to ask him a question, and satisfying to have him answer it. On the other hand, I thought the moderator/interviewer inflexible with regard to her agenda given how Grodin was taking the night. As a result, there was a disconnect that was palpable. In any case, I asked Mr. Grodin if he had intended It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here to be inspirational as I had taken it to be. He answered in the negative, insinuating that he had essentially obtained a good measure of success despite the rejection all around him. In other words, I don't think the rejection ever stops, and so in that book, even if it seemed like the world was against him, this wasn't the case. He had a supporter, Lee Strasberg. It reminded me very much of when I went to see Bob Newhart with Jay back in Hamilton a few years ago. ¶ Charles Grodin stars in such pictures as Clifford, The Heartbreak Kid, and my personal favourite, Albert Brooks' Real Life.

Labels: Cinema, Heroes, NYC

¶ 12:51 PM

I was impressed by the overall feel of the 64th Annual Golden Globes and wonder quite seriously if we'll throw a Golden Globes party next year. Then again, it might have just been a good year. Was impressed with: Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese (whose acceptance speech for best director was genuine, sweet-hearted, and geeky), Alec Baldwin, and Hugh Laurie. I thought Tina Fey looked beautiful. I remember the award shows of my early 20s in an underwhelming light (we don't always looks back with a nostalgic view!) but this year's award season shows some real promise. For God's sake I need to see The Departed.

Labels: Cinema, Nostalgia, TV

¶ 10:15 AM

Recently decided to give NBC's My Name is Earl a whirl and found it to be a nice little enjoyable treat. My favourite Jason Lee turn is his short-lived character in Tony Scott's Enemy of the State. If you watch carefully you'll notice that the game console they use to transport the video card is a Turbo Grafx-16 portable, the TurboExpress. I owned one of these in high school. I got a rebate for paying a small business loan on time and used that rebate to buy it. It was awesome. ¶ Caught a matinee of Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men on Saturday. It and I were a perfect match, despite it being so heavy (though not heavy-handed in this writer's humble opinion). I notice that Cuarón also directed Great Expectations from 1998. A thoroughly underrated gem, I loved the big bold strokes of that film. ¶ Hey Toronto: thanks for yet another great weekend. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, but you need to feed that heart, and semi-regular visits is just the right fuel.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, TV, WeekendUpdate

¶ 11:49 AM

When I was living in Nottingham I dreamed of living at the Revue Cinema in Toronto. Now it's for sale and I'm dreaming of owning it. Man, I wish I had $1.275 million. An open letter to the person who buys this, as I probably won't win the lottery in time: please don't ruin this institution. I'll buy it in 10 years, so just keep the property in good shape. Thanks.

Labels: Cinema, Open Letter

¶ 6:15 PM

"Glenda. You don't offer a man like Jack a drink in those piddling little glasses. Give him the bloody bottle."—John Osbourne playing Cyrill Kinnear ¶ From the moment that Michael Caine boards the Newcastle train from London you know you're in for a film treat on the scale of a The Conversation or perhaps even GoodFellas. Get Carter (1971) isn't just good British gangster film, this is classic cinema that transcends genre. You don't even have to be an Anglophile to enjoy this picture. If you've ever spent any time in any working class town (Canadian substitutes include: Sudbury, Hamilton, Sydney) you'll appreciate this location-heavy film. Real extras (watch for the six-fingered man early on), real locations, and documentary filmmaking techniques make Carter extremely enjoyable to watch. Add to that a taught script and possibly Caine's best performance, and you've got a film worth owning. To boot: it doesn't feel dated. And when you consider the dramatic pretense, it could have—and easily so. ¶ My drawing of Jack Carter here. ¶ More on Wikipedia.

Labels: Cinema, Flickr, Quotation

¶ 10:16 AM

Cynicism has always been my enemy. It has overcome me on many occasions in part because it's a strong and worthy opponent. In fact, there's even some good to cynicism, but on the whole it's something I try to avoid. My heart swelled last night as I watched the least cynical movie I've seen in a long time that also didn't make me cringe: Keeping up with the Steins is, in many ways, a bad title for a such a sweet-hearted film that doesn't bother much with the competition implied. It helps, for me, that Jeremy Piven stars, but he's not even the best part (although he does have some of the better lines). The everyboy hero, played perfectly by Daryl Sabara, is the best reason to see this movie. He brought me right back to 12 going on 13. I was expecting snot-nosed friends, back-stabbing, and other forms of "comedic" antics. There's none to be found and yet I still laughed out loud. Wow, who would have thought that honest writing translates well to the screen?

Labels: Cinema, SitewaySelect

¶ 12:54 PM

Illustration update: Brandon Flowers in Monday's Post (AL3) and Richard Ford in Tuesday's (AL1). ¶ Last week was exhausting, and though I don't feel like I've recovered, I do feel ready to take on the week. ¶ Lost in La Mancha, moving, and worth seeing. The Barbarian Invasions, also moving, also worth seeing. ¶ And now, sweet, sweet Zzzzzzzzzzz....

Labels: Cinema, NationalPost, WeekendUpdate

¶ 1:20 AM

Hold me to this: in the next couple of years it will become fashionable for youths to drive in cars with the interior light on. ¶ Been a bit of a golden age for freeware, have you noticed? I've had the good fortune of using the following: AllSnap, Taskbar Shuffle, and FastStone Capture. The software you're about to enjoy is free, clean, and easy. ¶ Have you seen Mickey Rourke in Body Heat? He's really really great in it. He has a good voice.

Labels: Cinema, Freeware

¶ 8:33 PM

It's Edward Woodward, star of the original Wicker Man (1973) and TV's The Equalizer (1985-1989). I'm not familiar with either of these works, but I've long been intrigued by Mr. Woodward.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, TV

¶ 1:06 AM

You know that guy or girl you meet in the first week of school that you're not sure about but you're totally taken with? They might become your best friend or they might be a temporary trip. That's the way I feel about Johnny Knoxville. For better or for worse, I'm not familiar with the Jackass franchise, but I have been really charmed by his performances in John Waters' Dirty Shame and in the medium-controversial film, The Ringer. It's the time of year where, for many people in the West, school begins. New friends and new beginnings. And yes, I had every intention of drawing something with a San Franciscan theme tonight, but you learn early that the intention is only a small piece of the puzzle. ¶ It's great to be back. The honeymoon was awesome. I've got a Freddie Mercury portrait in the National Post tomorrow. I'm watching Entourage, and I've just enjoyed my second glass of EastDell Black Cab. ¶ I've uploaded some pics from the last little while. More soon. ¶ Sleep well.

Labels: Cinema, Flickr, San Francisco, Wine

¶ 11:43 PM

I've just now put on Scanners, a film directed by a Canadian, David Cronenberg. It is paused as I write this. It occured to me earlier tonight, and just now, that it's quite a gift, film. On the one hand, it's "simply another mode of expression" and on the other, we know it is much more. We knew it from the beginning, and only now does the punch of photography wind us. We love life so much, that we not only act it out, but we tape it. We record and edit human actions to such a fine degree that the result is, in some rare cases, art! And that is the thought I'm reminded of tonight. And we laugh at the cynics and the broken in show business. But be honest. Who doesn't love a great show? ¶ THANK YOU !!!

Labels: Cinema, Musings

¶ 11:55 PM

By now the verdict is in, and even I didn't predict that Snakes on a Plane would be such a watchable movie. It's a good thing I didn't realise how gory it was for that might have turned me off. The T&A was a nice surprise. We simply had a blast at the Paramount, and there was yelling and screaming and laughing in every direction. When Samuel L. Jacksons uttered the climactic line the audience erupted in perfect concert with the arc of the film. Not since I was hoodwinked by The Sixth Sense have I had such an interactive experience at the cinema. The marketing principles you learn at agencies aren't wrong, they're just rarely applied with total embrace ("You're not wrong, Walter. You're just an asshole."). It's about doing it all the way through, not just what's expected (see Election). Congratulations, New Line! You've marketed a completely realised entertainment product. And yeah, DVD sales will be low, but they will never forget Snakes on a Plane. ¶ I've been meaning to write for some time now. One thought I had recently was that they do make films like they used to, it's just not the fashion like it used to be. A good example of this is Richard Donner's 16 Blocks. You say they don't make non-CG cop-chase action flicks? Yep, they do. It's just that it's The Scott Brothers and Michael Bay producing these days. And I like Tony Scott, don't get me wrong, or perhaps I should say that I used to like his work. I think recent;y he's overdosed on style and actually forgotten substance. His magic trick in the 1990s was that he appeared to drop substance, but he never did. But fashion fades, and because I'm writing about it here, it means the era of The Rock (good as it might have been) might finally be coming to a close. ¶ Recently I've been getting in touch with my euphoric side. My floating-on-air side. ¶ Due to the aforementioned chapter-transition, I'll be taking a small break from updating Siteway for the next couple of weeks. You better like my illustration of Nelville Flynn himself, Samuel L. Jackson!

Labels: Cinema

¶ 9:46 PM

An open letter to Paul Walker: Nobody has given you credit yet, but you earned it in Running Scared. Good for you for choosing so wisely, and for choosing so smartly. Running Scared won't be recognized for its goodness for many years. That's too bad, but, in many other ways, that's good. You are in a gem of a film. Congrats.

Labels: Cinema, Open Letter

¶ 1:14 AM

In eary 1989 most of my family went to Australia (we lived in this suburb of Sydney) in an around-the-world trip that radically altered my life. I remember during the Christmas holidays of 1988 it dawned on me, for real, that this was going to happen. And soon. That feeling was overwhelmingly euphoric. I'd stay awake at night thinking of all the people we'd meet, things we'd see. I remember thinking that seeing what packaged goods look like in other countries would be very cool (this was pre-WWW). ¶ This past weekend, when it finally dawned on me all that our next chapter will bring, I had a very similar feeling. It's a feeling related to endless opportunities and the anticipation of discovering new worlds. ¶ Last month I had the opportunity to sketch David Cronenberg during a blogger Q&A session (lead by Rocketboom's Andrew Baron) at the AGO. Photojunkie took some pictures and today I complete a finished portrait of David Cronenberg. ¶ Huge thanks to Glen and Chris from The Movers out of Toronto for helping out with our move in a massive way and another shoutout to The Nortons who saved the day in London. A special note of thanks to Al, from Payless For Everything Furniture who moved our Steelcase desk from the street to our awesome new apartment. Thank you thank you thank you!

Labels: ArtShow, Australia, Cinema, Londontown

¶ 12:49 AM

Now it's on. This weekend officially marked the beginning of the next chapter. Pauline and I jumped into packing mode today even though we had still been very much focused on matters of levity and immediacy until very recently. Friday night was a gas, and Saturday proved not only successful, but simply fun, and now we both have our wardrobe taken care of for the wedding. ¶ Phases come, phases go. Right now I'm into more things than I care to list, and one of those things is watching films and television shows while I draw. Currently I'm addicted to every movie I missed this spring along with HBO's Entourage to which I've been addicted since winter. Here's to Siteway's man of the moment, Jeremy Piven. He has helped create one of television's best characters of all time, Ari Gold.

Labels: Cinema, TV, WeekendUpdate

¶ 12:32 AM

I drew Wayne Coyne from the band The Flaming Lips in June for a wedding gift for a couple that got married in May. When I dressed up for Hallowe'en as my older self (dyed white hair plus fake ponch) I was told I looked like Coyne. Having studied his face for the above portrait I can say confidently that we do not have similar faces. ¶ Speaking of weddings, we went to a great one this weekend. It was in London, so we had ample opportunity to tell new friends and old about our upcoming move to the Forrest City while simultaneously celebrating a couple doing the opposite. We met some great people from Arizona, Japan, and down the street. It felt good, but it also felt very real. ¶ Have lately been boring people with: talking about Grizzly Man, sharing stories from Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything and Michael Crichton's The Great Train Robbery. Thanks for humouring me. ¶ Today was a near-perfect conclusion to the weekend. I lazed about by the pool, read, drank some beer, and then cooked up some sausages before heading back to the big smoke. For a moment it felt like I was on vacation and it was great. ¶ Good night. Here's to the meat of the summer.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Londontown, WeekendUpdate

¶ 9:58 PM

Had the pleasure of attending a Q&A session at the AGO with Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg yesterday evening. There were about a dozen bloggers who were there to take photos, write notes, ask questions, and, in my case, sketch. He was at the AGO to celebrate the launch of the Andy Warhol exhibit he guest-curated subtitled Supernova: Stars, Deaths, and Disasters, 1962-1964. Much thanks to Matthew Ross over at the AGO who was good enough to make this happen. ¶ With all that in mind, may I present my portrait of Andy Warhol.

Labels: ArtShow, Cinema, FeaturedIllustration, Flickr

¶ 11:11 PM

Phew. Last week was unquestionably my busiest since I moved into the freelance arena. It felt good this weekend to unwind out of town. I let myself think about other things and it was a nice change. I don't think I'm stressed, but I certainly did have to remind myself to relax and slink back in my chair. I did. Ended up at the Runt Club on Friday night where we demolished several pitchers of beer as the conversation flowed and flowed. It was so much fun. I love the Runt Club, that much you can say about me with certainty. I had the pasta architect: penne, alfredo, grilled chicken and shrimp. ¶ More sensual delights awaited us: spicy jambalaya, one of the best table wines I've ever had (EastDell Estates Black Cab VQA), more cold beer, popcorn, iced tea, and on Sunday evening, a home-made bacon cheeseburger. ¶ My thoughts were varied. At one point I traced my excitement for the unfolding world with the day I saw Back to the Future at the Oxford. I'd already seen the greatness of Ghostbusters and realised that the world had the potential to contain so many good things! It was a hyperbolic thought. But those thoughts gave me great comfort. I wonder: how many people my age have a similar mental landscape?

Labels: Cinema, Freelancing, Londontown, Vague, Wine

¶ 11:41 PM

My first non-book cover illustration was published in today's Globe and Mail's 7 section. It's of Garrison Keillor, Lindsay Lohan, Lily Tomlin, and Meryl Streep. They are all players in the new Robert Altman film, A Prairie Home Companion. It was an absolute pleasure to work on. ¶ The busiest week of my career is wrapping up today. I have a significant client meeting with the agency I'm working with coming right up and then after that I daresay I'm in the homestretch.

Labels: Cinema, Freelancing

¶ 8:27 AM

I very much enjoyed reading this review.

Labels: Cinema

¶ 1:03 AM

Concert films have been on my mind lately and the other week I picked up a DVD I'd been looking to aquire for some time. It was Martin Scorsese's concert film, The Last Waltz. I watched it last week. On Friday afternoon I went to see Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Two amazing films by two amazing directors about two amazing cultural phenomena. I've always enjoyed Robbie Robertson, especially in the film, and it was a pure pleasure to illustrate him this evening. ¶ During the first act of the Oscars this evening Pontiac leaned over and asked me if we could spend the first chapter of our marriage watching nothing but great films. I smiled ear to ear, in part because I adored the sentiment, but also because that would be something I'd be totally keen on. You did good tonight, Jon. You were funny, professional, and best of all, classic. Congratulations.

Labels: Cinema, FeaturedIllustration

¶ 2:26 AM

"This film didn't really come together till Mos Def showed up with the character. No one knew what he was going to do. All we knew was that we were fortunate enough to get him. And he showed up with a character that was just genius. That's not him. He doesn't talk like that. He doesn't act like that. He's a very smart creative young man. And it changed the fabric of the film. And it changed the way we all looked at the film. There is sort of a spontaneous chemistry happening in this film that I'm not sure would have happened had it been another actor. I was asked yesterday: how do you feel working with a rapper turned actor? I don't think about him in that way at all. I think that he is an actor, and if he wants to do poetry, then he can do that. If he wants to rap, then he can do that. But he is an actor and he's a very creative guy. And everybody benefited from his performance in this film, especially me and especially my character." —Bruce Willis, on Mos Def, regarding 16 Blocks.

Labels: Cinema

¶ 11:28 PM

There's this great character-driven scene two-thirds into GoodFellas where the worry-wort gangster Henry Hill is concerned about the police buzz surrounding the Lufthansa Heist. He walks into the bar where he and his cronies hang out, and his shoulders are bunched up in that red leather jacket of his, eyes open, and brows raised. Jimmy Conway, in a scene previous, was losing his shit on the thugs who were spending big money on Caddys and furs which was attracting attention from the coppers. In this scene, though, he's the picture of calm. No worries. Australian, even. Tommy DeVito, the monster, is the picture of calm, too. "There's nothing to worry about. Everything is beautiful." But, Henry insists, what about the FBI? The Lufthansa reports on the radio? What about... "He hasn't heard," they say. You see, Tommy was to be a made man, and that has overshadowed everything in these mens lives. It actually doesn't matter that the FBI is hot on their heels, at least for now, because they're celebrating something. And you can just see the relief on Hill's face. The worrying, for now, can rest. ¶ Pontiac effortlessly turned out her second-ever Butternut squash and Cheddar and Beer soup last night to a receptive stomach/soul. I cobbled together a salad, but it was her soup that turned things around for me. Guess what's for lunch? ¶ My ad in Communication Arts (March/April 2006) is now on newsstands! Page 10.

Labels: Cinema, Cooking, Freelancing

¶ 11:23 AM

Big thanks to John Paolozzi over at CBC Radio 3 for writing a cool post about Siteway. ¶ Watching the fire as we grow / well, I'm sold ¶ Notwithstanding some far-out weekends, up to now February has been a bit of a bust. I knew it would be, somehow (clairvoyance, what?) but in any case, it's already looking up. I'm unable to see how bracing oneself is necessary. And that's what February has been all about so far. But there are some good things just around the corner. PLN and I have some art going up at Poor John's Cafe (1610 Queen Street West) starting March 1, 2006, I have a print ad appearing in Communication Arts (March/April 2006 issue), and I'm helping Shy with some branding for his new restaurant opening this June. ¶ Another March date I'm looking forward to? Dave Chappelle's Block Party opens March 3rd. I haven't been this excited to see a movie in many moons! Look, from my perspective, Dave Chappelle is just a regular dude with anxieties that I can relate to in an unambiguous way. He appeared somewhat vague to Oprah on her show, but to me it was as clear as a Peter Jennings report. Sure, he dances with paranoia a little more tightly than I, but anyone should be able to see how his disposition is perfectly normal.

Labels: Cinema, Freelancing

¶ 11:58 AM

"...the movie hits hard in the way it shows Tupac transformed from the boy who wrote poetry, studied ballet and tried out for TV sitcoms—he's almost a dork—to the thug activist of All Eyez on Me and 2Pacalypse Now, and the agitating actor of Juice and Gridlock'd. Lazin's remarkable achievement is to catch Tupac in the act of discovering himself. It's something to see."—Peter Travers ¶ This transformation is one of the better aspects of Tupac: Resurrection; a transformation that happens right before your eyes without enough time to really process. The only word that works to describe his power as an icon is his spirit. There was simply too much life pumping through his blood; too much for this world. But it's not like an episode of Driven, you know? I found it deeply inspiring but not in a rags to riches sense. I simply felt more comfortable in my skin, more disposed to accept life as it happens, and very proud of my Tupac Shakur illustration. It is also a haunting film. In one scene there is footage of Tupac talking to a crowd in his recording studio, emphatic that they didn't have time to waste. That more tracks needed to be worked on. His early death seemed totally self-known. Let me see if I can put this in the right way without lapsing into meaningless hyperbole. The film has definitely marked for me a certain point in time; a coming together of culminating events which has reaffirmed my desire for growth and self-honesty coupled with the knowledge of impermanence. ¶ I'm the proud new owner of an AMD Athlon PC running Windows XP. I had considerable drama in getting it off the ground but now we're cruising at a nice altitude. I'm simultaneously working on new illustration techniques, new ideas, and new software. It's that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling which doesn't do wonders for productivity but it does help the momentum. For about two years now I have had the idea of animating Kafka's The Metamorphosis (Coming soon).

Labels: Cinema

¶ 9:25 AM

I haven't updated my blog in some time so here goes. School continues to go well and I have some fairly exciting projects I'm working on for Siteway. The final philosopher caricature, Bertrand Russell, should be ready for late July. I've also recently launched the EdPhil Books site. I saw Devil in a Blue Dress again yesterday at the library. I think this might be my favourite Denzel Washington performance. Don Cheadle as 'Mouse' alone makes the film worth watching.

Labels: Cinema, Freelancing, Philosophy, UK

¶ 6:18 AM

Finally saw Dead Man last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Also caught Scorsese's Cape Fear and The Devil's Advocate. A Saturday night well spent.

Labels: Cinema, WeekendUpdate

¶ 1:06 PM

Was floored by the flu this week. Am feeling much better now. Went to see Ghost Dog last week at the Broadway. It was excellent. Thanks to everyone that has voted for me. Keep the votes coming, and soon my banner will appear on that list. In other news, I have started compiling a film journal which will include a listing for every film I can remember seeing, where I saw it, and with whom. I think I can reach one thousand. When I do, I'll post it.

Labels: Cinema, SitewayWorld

¶ 9:52 AM