Epsiode 021: Daoist/Buddhist Space Buddy Cops

In this episode, I’m taking with my friend and Star Wars geek  Jason Dueck about the Jedi. Jason's a fellow former writer for Area of Effect and spearheaded their podcast, Infinity Plus 1.

Jason describes what he thinks many fans get wrong about these most famous of Star Wars characters. We talk about characters who live by strict codes and how that functions narratively.  Jason gets into the prequel representations of Jedi, Luke's reformation of the Jedi in the now non-canonical Star Wars Legends, and the portrayal of Luke in Rian Johnson's controversial The Last Jedi.

You can follow Jason on Twitter @vorpaljason

I respectfully acknowledge that I live in and work on Treaty One Territory and in the traditional homeland of the Métis nation.

Episode 020: I Wish My Brother George Was Here

This week, I'm sharing the audio of an interview I did with my friend and mentor, George Toles. Those of you familiar with the structure and style of my interviews will notice that this one is different. George invited me to record a conversation for his Hitchcock class about two of my favourite Hitchcock films, The 39 Steps and North By Northwest. So he's interviewing me. It’s a huge honour to have been asked. and it was a delightful conversation. We talked for almost three hours - only an hour of which we recorded. I'm grateful he's allowed me to use the audio for Geek 4.

George is an academic, a teacher, a screenwriter, director, actor. He is Distinguished Professor in the English, Theatre, Film and Media Department at the University of Manitoba. To some, people he’s best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Guy Maddin. George wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for such films as Archangel (1990), Careful (1992), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), The Saddest Music in the World (2003), and Keyhole (2011). He also wrote the dialogue for Guy’s docu-fantasy, My Winnipeg (2007). He wrote the screenplay for Neil Burns’ stop motion film, Edison and Leo (2008). He’s published dozens of scholarly essay and two books on film, A House Made of Light and the book on Paul Thomas Anderson for The University of Illinois Press’s director series.

George Toles as Countess Knotkers In Guy Maddin’s Careful (1992)

Episode 019: Bizarre Cards

This week, I talk about one of my latest obessions: strange Victorian greeting cards. It started over the Christmas holidays, with posting these weird Christmas cards on my social media. I’ve moved on to New Years Cards and am currently sharing bizarre Victorian Valentine’s Day cards.

One for the pot?

A loving Christmas greeting....from this ex bird.

Nothing says “Happy Christmas” like a jester teasing a man in the stocks

Let’s have a good old fashioned Christmas.... kidnapping and traumatizing children.

When Tommy Snowman told Meg that she'd ”always be in his heart, ” she understood that very differently than Tommy.

I see this restaurant serves children.

Gnomes

Ice cold