Month: August 2014

[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Shadows are Abound in Vasilisa, A Review

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe.

Vasilisa the BeautifulPresented by
Ouroboros Shadow Pictures

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe. However, this presentation is very dark and it has the feel of belonging in Fantasia more than as a light-hearted animated stand-alone product.

In this stage-version, shadow puppetry, sombre music and dance is used to tell the tale of a young girl tasked by a wicked step-mother to bring back fire from the witch, Baba Yaga. In her spiritual journey through the woods, she learns about courage as she faces the terror borne from the elements. Baba Yaga is the Russian version of the Wild Man of the Woods from Celtic tradition. The only reason to seek this type of “creature” out is to find wisdom.

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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] ] The Search for Paleoncology, A Review

Paleoncology

Presented by Moon Dinosaur Theatre
Directed by Andrew Young

You wouldn’t think that a play about a woman in a dinosaur onesie could make you cry, but give Paleoncology one hour and you may shed a tear too. Written and performed by UVic alumni Kira Hall, she plays Lea, a young woman dealing with the knowledge that her brother Daniel has untreatable cancer by turning to her childhood love of dinosaurs. Lea’s struggle to deal with something emotionally devastating has affected her on all levels, including her job. Her move back to her parents’ home isn’t met with warmth. They expect more out of life from their daughter — even more so now that their eldest child is terminally ill.

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A Commentary on “Deep Breath.” Is Doctor Who Alive Yet?

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

doctor-who-1-460x683The energy is not quite there in the Ben Wheatley directed premiere of Doctor Who featuring Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. Either he is having trouble keeping up with the manic persona that Capaldi is playing up or he has no idea in what to do in a steampunk tale where robots are stealing human body organs to insure their survival. This director handles the drama and tension well, but the story just does not work.

The episode written by Steven Moffat is dull and muddled. It can not decide how much time should be spent between the two lead characters figuring out what’s going on or with the Paternoster Gang who does. This trio of characters — Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax — are always a hoot to watch, and to see them return as potential regulars is fantastic.

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Sin City: A Review to Kill For

Written by Ed Sum and James Robert Shaw

SinCityADameToKillForE: Perhaps it’s wise to see Sin City first before seeing the second film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. After nine long years, that’s required in order to understand at least two of the tales that make up this sequel. With one story, knowing a bit more than the summary Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) or Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) provides can make this particular tale all the more appreciative. Or in this film’s case, see a marked retribution in what Callahan faced from the first film. For some fans of this marked neo noir piece, she’s perhaps one of the best eye candy to grace the screen.

J: There isn’t much to say about this film plot wise, guns blaze, people die and somehow characters cross paths. But if you haven’t read the comic books, the film may leave you in the dark. The film is just one big mess. Storywise it is like Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez threw a bunch of comic strips in the air and whatever order it came down in, that is how the movie was shot.

E: Bear in mind one fact. James has not read the comics and I only read one collected works in graphic novel format. This film could fare better if it had inter-titles to separate the four tales being presented. Two were written for this sequel specifically. They were “The Long Bad Night” and “Nancy’s Last Dance.” From the comics, the other two are “Just Another Saturday Night” and “A Dame to Kill For.” The latter being the central theme to this anthology of tales were the black widow, or rather, the femme fatale everyone has to be careful with is Ava Lord (played by Eva Green). And oh boy, was she smokin’!

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[Victoria, BC] How to do the Nerdy Fringe 2014 Edition

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

DV 2007-08 ProgramEvery year, there’s a uniqueness to be found at the Victoria Fringe Festival that will bring out the pop culture enthusiasts when it starts today and runs till August 31st. These theatre productions cater to a smaller crowd than a large one in the scale of Broadway, and they usually cater to niche audiences.

Last year had shows like “An Improvised Quentin Tarantino,” “Geek Life” and “Bing Bang Query: A Dirk Darrow Investigation” to draw me out. Some I’ve reviewed and others I just wanted to sit back and enjoy.

To go further back in time of what I’ve seen: P.I. Darrow proves that he’s “NCSSI (Not [A] Completely Serious Supernatural Investigator).” Although Fringe theatre does not usually support returning acts, it’s really the luck of the random lottery that sees some performers get to play three or four years in a row before fortune favours someone else. I miss seeing the maestro Colin Godbout on the roster since he did some fantastic guitar playing which includes “Music on the Orient Express” (2011). I first discovered him playing all the tunes associated with “Route 66” back in 2010. Those two years were great since it offered the Steampunk inspired “Tara Firm and the Lunar War Chronicles,” rock n’ roll themed “Z-Day: The Anthem for the Post-Zombie Apocalypse,” and the darkly choreographed “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” It was those shows which made me become a Fringe addict.

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Happy Birthday to Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred!

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

drwho_mccoy_ace1

Words need not be repeated in what I wrote last year in a public letter to Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred wishing them a Happy Birthday!

Another 365 days have passed and I’d be remiss in not to wish the two performers another ’round of cheers. Time can only go backwards to what I fondly love of the old series that doesn’t quite appear in the new. Although I’ll watch anything Doctor Who related on the telly, it’s the classic series that I enjoyed the most. You two helped make that time in front of the television (even on reruns and rebroadcasts) always well spent.

Sometime today, I’ll be watching a best of the Seventh Doctor to fondly recall your time together on-screen. Remembrance of the Daleks and Survival are definitely on the list!

Cheers to another year!