Author: Ed Sum

I'm a freelance videographer and entertainment journalist (Absolute Underground Magazine, Two Hungry Blokes, and Otaku no Culture) with a wide range of interests. From archaeology to popular culture to paranormal studies, there's no stone unturned. Digging for the past and embracing "The Future" is my mantra.

In Victoria, BC Cherry Bomb Toys is Back in Business on Yates! Isn’t That Great?

The good news for locals, tourists and toy collectors coming to Downtown Victoria is that Cherry Bomb Toys is back in business!

Cherry Bomb Toys with B Woodward!In Victoria, BC, Cherry Bomb Toys has moved, and it’s now nestled on the same side of the street along with Interactivity Board Game Cafe and Haunted Manor: Mini-Golf + Ping-Pong Lounge. This much beloved family run toy store has lots of memories contained in its now bigger location, and as everything is located on one floor, The National Toy Museum of Canada will occupy the back half of the space. For this weekend, there’ll be a few random giveaways to thank those who supported them over the years and bring even more smiles to what’s been done to show they have no intention of ever closing shop.

They held their grand (re)opening Friday, May 26th with customers old and new wandering through during the afternoon. There’s still a few bits that weren’t ready, like a new storefront sign. I have no doubt it’ll be scaled to size, but for the nostalgia, the original hangs over the payment counter. The museum isn’t quite ready yet for people to wander through, but Biagio Woodward promises it’ll be spectacular.

Cherry Bomb Toys Inside the Store

They even have a huge custom mural for geeks to love. This can be seen on the below slideshow. Also, there’s a nook with classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines! Woodward said that these games will change on a seasonal basis. But for now, there’s Atari’s Tempest, Missile Command and Asteroids Deluxe! I was overjoyed since they got two of my most favourite games out! They are on loan from Quazars Arcade.

Cherry Bomb Toys Arcade Corner!

And they’re open just in time for the coming tourist season. Cruise ships are finally returning to the capital of British Columbia. Although my only gripe with that is that they don’t stay long to allow passengers to thoroughly enjoy this city (it’s sometimes for a brief 6 hours, if not less, and not all stores stay open for them). Some may argue that’s enough to entice you to plan for a longer visit, but once shops offer regular evening hours, I’m sure things will pick up again. The following photo gallery is a peek at what local shoppers and tourists can expect!

Presenting The New Cherry Bomb Toys Store!

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Presenting The Top Three Shorts From The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!

We offer our choices as the best short film winners from the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film FestivalThe 39th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival had lots of shorts and a bunch of movies to enjoy. It wasn’t too hard to decide on what to check out since, like other events worldwide, to restart properly following the global health scare is tough. To begin, I’ll look at my three most favourite shorts, and although two of them follow upon a similar theme, just where it goes is different:

Mom if I were a Vampire Short PosterMom, If I Were a Vampire

Wen (Ting Chiu) doesn’t want to be a momma’s girl, and life at school is rough in other departments. But when she gets in with the right crowd, with Jo (Yu-Xuan Wang) as the “it” girl, the friendship forged is no different from what I recall from Vampire Princess Miyu, a classic anime I have fond memories of.

Although there’s no similar character dynamic since most of the manga and animated series involved the title role without a human companion, what’s presented here would make for a good jumping in point for a live-action adaptation! In this case, it’s to expand upon. The LGTBQ angle isn’t anything new, but how its handled is quite deft!

In what the two characters encounter are bullies and stalkers. Also, I think Wen wants to be turned. She has a lot of feelings to get out and to explore that requires a longer story. This piece made by Deborah Devyn Chuang is certainly worth seeking for the neo-noir colour aesthetics!

Continue reading “Presenting The Top Three Shorts From The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!”

When Rock n’ Roll isn’t Enough. YOSHIKI Classical World Tour and Where to Buy Tickets

After THE LAST ROCKSTARS, there’s now Yoshiki Classical World Tour 10th Anniversary with Orchestra 2023 Requiem! ’nuff said.

Yoshiki at Japan Expo 2014YOSHIKI definitely doesn’t want to slow down following the success of many recent endeavours. Not only is he the leader of THE LAST ROCKSTARS which had a stellar debut and show last February, he’s ready for more! Yoshiki Classical World Tour 10th Anniversary with Orchestra 2023 Requiem promises to be big, and he’s headed to Tokyo Garden Theatre (Tokyo), Royal Albert Hall (London), Dolby Theatre (L.A.), and Carnegie Hall (New York).

The details were announced last week and what’s revealed is that he’ll not only recreate the magic from classical composers Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff, but also play at these historic centres famous for their acoustics. This tour will be the first time a Japanese artist has headlined at these venues (technically second for Carnegie), and this concert will celebrate the tenth anniversary of his Yoshiki Classical album which reached #1 on iTunes Classical charts in 10 countries.

Continue reading “When Rock n’ Roll isn’t Enough. YOSHIKI Classical World Tour and Where to Buy Tickets”

A Passage Beyond Fortune and Chinese Way of Life in Moosejaw. An Interview with Weiye Su.

The reason why this director made A Passage Beyond Fortune is because of the false information being spread for the sake of bringing in the money.

Now available to stream on TheNFB.caA Passage Beyond Fortune's filmmaker Weiye Su

Weiye Su is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker with a goal, and that’s to dispel the myths concerning the underground tunnels that exist underneath the city of Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. What’s offered is a falsehood. After his family relocated here many years ago, what he wanted to discover about the past concerning fellow Chinese as this country was being built is important. He knew very early on their stories aren’t as well known, and he’s given one family a chance to be heard in A Passage Beyond Fortune.

Ultimately, this mini-documentary is about the legacies that those Asians crafted with their own hands. Although the United States is considered a land of opportunities more so than Canada, both have an important place in history. As most scholars know, in those early settlement years and even throughout the Depression, not everyone treated foreigners kindly. This filmmaker’s goal is to explore the proper cultural contexts and reverence, than to present stigmatized notions on what life was like back then. He also recommends reading Brian S. Osborne’s essay, Moose Jaw’s Tunnel Vision: Mystery, History, and the Construction of ‘Canada’s Most Notorious City.’

Continue reading “A Passage Beyond Fortune and Chinese Way of Life in Moosejaw. An Interview with Weiye Su.”

When Evil Dead Rise Takes the Franchise to New Places, the Results are…

All I can hope for is that we have more details in Evil Dead Rise unfold in the same vein as Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Evil Dead Rise PosterSpoiler Alert

Lee Cronin‘s Evil Dead Rise takes the Sam Raimi’s horror franchise to all new places, and there’s no rhyme or reason behind it. There’s no mention of the deadites, and some new world building has me believing they’ve existed since time immemorial! Even though plenty of character and visual aesthetics from the classic exist in this latest, they felt tacked on than worked into the tale.

A certain formula has to be followed. Characters have to be introduced, the Naturom Demonto needs to be found, and the terror gets awakened. The early movies didn’t go far in terms of what it means to unleash the demons in the psychological sense, but here, we’re treated to a deeper story:

Beth (Lily Sullivan) is pregnant, and she hopes to get some help from her sister. Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) may well not be the right person. She’s a single mother raising three kids–Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). She’s not without her problems too; her husband left her, and if that’s not enough, the L.A. apartment she lives in is condemned, and she really should move.  Continue reading “When Evil Dead Rise Takes the Franchise to New Places, the Results are…”

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