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With the Matrix creators, the Wachowski Brothers at the helm of an anime remake, you know that you’re going to be in for a good show. It took me a while to see Speed Racer, yet missing the Imax and watching it home probably doesn’t really do it justice.

Story-wise, I’m not sure how it really followed the anime original. I’m assumed it didn’t deviate too strongly and as a newcomer, it seemed fairly straightforward to me. Just a simple story of the capitalistic attitudes changing the nature of racing against the passion of a single racer out to do the only thing he really knows how to do. Fortunately this racing isn’t like any that you’ve seen before, including a combination between classic formula-car like racing, bumper cars and Wacky Wheels or Mario Kart.

I’m surprised that such a uniquely styled movie, Speed Racer had the number of Hollywood stars that it did, including the likes of Emile Hirsch (from Into the Wild), Oscar winning Susan Sarandon, Christinna Ricci (long gone from the days of the Addams Family) and Golden Globe winner, John Goodman. Although I doubt any of their performances will will any awards, they fit into their characters perfectly, and continue to make the anime film come to life.

The highlight for me is simply the intoxicating, super rich visuals – fast moving backgrounds, flash camera pans between drivers as they talk to each other in their cars, and the overly saturated colours that make this comic book almost too real. Combine this with the futuristic cars and the totally scripted, yet perfectly timed comic book twists and poky fight scenes, this movie easily delights the senses.

I sense that this movie will be less the hollywood classic, than a cult figure amongst a certain set of people. After all, I don’t think the hollywood vision is what the Wachoski brothers set out to do. When you look at it as an attempt to convert the over the top antics of Japanese animated movie, into a fusion of the possible and impossible, and still make it look and feel natural, I reckon they did a very good job.

TheKua.com Rating: 8.5 out of 10

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I find there is something special about seeing Covent Garden at the height of summer. Perhaps it’s the open air bars and pubs that flood out on to the streets, the smiles on everyone’s faces as you pass them by, or the light and entertaining performances of the street artists. This year, Covent Garden, brings something new in addition to their normal stalls, at least as far as I know until the end of August, their Night Market. I remember filling out a survey about what might attract people to the area, and I’m glad to see that some of that feedback seems to have paid off.

Instead of peppering the cobblestones with even more arts, and crafts, they decided to compliment the existing stalls and restaurants with a bunch of more informal and casual food and produce. The organisers even set up a stage featuring a set of of people either showcasing their wares, or simply sharing their passions with the passer-bys. When I went along before the pub, I was fortunate enough to see Willie (of Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory fame) demonstrating the chocolate infused gazpacho recipe I remember seeing on his TV show. I respect the fact that he is very much the same person he portrayed himself on the TV show – very well spoken, clearly passionate about his chocolate (or more correctly, Cacao), and just wanting to share that passion with the rest of the world. It also didn’t hurt that the audience got a sampling of his creations.

The rest of the new part of the market includes a Champagne and Oyster Bar, a spit roast pork stand, plenty of various bakeries and lots of other stalls offering things to either nibble or, or to take home for a later occasion. I think next week may be the last week this continues to run for, and with summer looking like it’s finally reached an end, it’s definitely worth the visit especially if you’re in the nearby area.

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I’m glad that Australian performer, Xavier Rudd, was the first gig that I’ve been to since returning to the UK. I became a big fan of his when I first witnessed his amazing one man band antics at Splendour in the Grass. You just have to have some respect for a guy that manages to strum a guitar or sitar, whilst alternating between several didgeridoos, beating a set of drums with his feet and occasionally sweeping his hand over a bunch of chimes and do so in a way that makes some stunning sounds. It’s obvious that over the years, Rudd’s music has evolved and developed. Time Out described his style now as much darker and edgier, whilst I would argue that he’s a lot more heavily influenced by heavier rock than the blues and roots style I’d describe his first acclaimed album as.

Although not being a very tall chap, Rudd still managed a respectable presence on stage on Thursday at Kentish Town’s The Forum, with only a few arm waves enough to calm or energise the audience depending on his whims. With this tour being centred around his new album, it became evident that he played a lot of his newer music as the audience only sang along to maybe two songs all up. I was right down the front and it was evident everyone still appreciated the passion and the amount of his own energy he put into the performance. Obviously being composed of many other Australian people, the crowd was easy going, all around friendly and polite despite how hot it got down the front.

It was a great way to break up the week, and indulge in some great easy going music in a nice and airy venue.

TheKua.Com Rating: 7 out of 10

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Last night I saw The Dark Knight and what did I think? Two words. Very impressive. There are many elements that make it really worth watching, particularly on the big screen. I was quite impressed by the (novel) lack of excessive CGI effects, or over the top explosions, instead replaced by classic elements of a movie that make it so different, such as the progressive development of many of its characters and a plot that left you questioning and asking for more.

I have to applaud Ledger’s performance and although I’m not sure if it’s Oscar worthy, I’d definitely agree with many of the reviews that it was spectacular, even spookier than Nicholson’s rendition back in the day. I think the most impressive aspect to Ledger’s Joker is that it’s clear that he is a madman, and not just a slightly zany villain with a sense of humour. Everything from his posture, this agitated mannerisms, and the random actions all point towards his questionable mental stability and lack of moral boundaries.

Spoiler alert… (more…)

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Last weekend, Calgary hosted the four day annual Sled Island Festival. This year it expanded to include arts, movies and plenty of live music events, many dotted around downtown bars and pubs. It culminated in a two day epic down at the Mewata Barracks with a perfect set up of two stages right next to each other providing almost endless music to the masses.

Although both headliners, Broken Social Scene and Mogwai disappointed to end each day on an upbeat note, instead playing slower melodic tunes, the rest of the festival provided some awesome goodness including the amazingly enchanting duo, Tegan and Sara. Calgary weather held strong for the two days, with sunshine lasting until extremely late in the evening and the occasional cool wind providing relief from the dry heat.

Although this festival didn’t have any huge names, it provided an opportunity for the local talent to shine. Local band ChixDiggit (shown above) had plenty of funny little jokes and got the audience in on much of their act. Their music, more suited for live entertainment than probably on a CD was a great addition to the festival line up.

Saturday saw the San Francisco based band, Still Flyin’ barely fitting on their stage although their fun music and antics helped to make the festival a success. And yes, that is a person dressed up in a spiderman outfit. Other bands definitely worth checking out include Jane Vain and the Dark Matter\ and The Cryptomaniacs.

It’s great to see Calgary host such a great festival, showing more culture than what it’s probably known for.

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I don’t normally go out to cinemas to see mainstream movies, and when someone asked me along to see, Heavy Metal In Baghdad as part of the Sled Island Festival, it sounded pretty interesting.

The synopsis is pretty simple: What’s it like as a heavy metal band trying to get by in Baghdad?

This movie follows this band over a series of years, and combines two worlds we don’t normally associate being together – that of teenagers wanting some outlet to have fun, and the war time stories we typically hear on the news. Bringing them together provides some real insight and a very moving portrayal of a world we rarely think about. Everything seems very surreal, from the young guys talk about how lucky they are to be alive in their mid to late twenties, to the efforts of their families to get them out and keep them out of the country, and the sounds of shooting and bombings in the air at night.

TheKua.com Rating: 8 out of 10

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This weekend, I had signed up to help out Virgin Unite, a charity organisation who were in town for the Virgin Festival. Being the first time Calgary hosted the festival, they wanted a couple of people to help man their tent, signing people up for their quarterly newsletter.

What a hard life it was, with the tent in a pretty good view of the main stage, and with anyone signing up for the newsletter newsletter automatically going into the draw to win a guitar signed by Wolfmother. We had a huge variety of people passing through – those who’d just sign up without even understanding what it was about, those who wanted to win the drum kit instead of the guitar, and those who wanted to find out even more about the charity. I was surprised by the few people who said they didn’t have a computer (and thus didn’t have an email address to enter). I also ran into a few people from my current client as well, having a good chat about the festival vibes.

Although manning the tent was pretty exhausting (trying to explain to people what the deal was over any of the music for six hours straight) we had enough people to rotate around for a couple of breaks. One of the girls from Virgin also gave me a VIP wristband, opening up access to the VIP tent, a chilled out zone with a private bar and less in-demand toilets. Combined with a free dinner from Moxie, I thought what a great experience it’d been already. That was until, they also scored me a pass to get into the Molson VIP tent to see an intimate acoustic set by The Fratellis.

A perfect festival day with plenty of sun, plenty of awesome festival vibes and some pretty gorgeous people, all topped up with some good times fuelled by charity. Sweet. Gallery from the day can be found here.

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It’s easy to find a bunch of Australians in Calgary – normally all you have to do is go up to the ski hills in Banff and Lake Louise. It’s much more difficult trying to find a bunch of Aussies perform an astonishing 61 circus acts in 60 minutes. Fortunately, Circa and its four performers not only manage to pull it off without the potential droll, but they manage to make it a blast for everyone in the audience. Tonight I was lucky enough to see them on the opening night with the folks from Theatre Junction at The Grand. Their first night wasn’t a completely full house, although the the standing ovation at the end demonstrated exactly how much value everyone received for the price of their ticket.

To say that the performers, made up of one lady and three gentlemen, are charismatic would be an understatement. Their witty commentary and perfect timing takes you on a journey through the different circus acts where you literally laugh, cry and cringe your way through some mind-bending physical feats. With only just the four of them, they cover pretty much all types of circus acts including juggling, tumbling, acrobatics, slapstick, magic, and some more unique combinations involving some modern props like a fitness ball.

Although on first thought, an hour isn’t really a long time for a show, I’m just amazed at how energised the entire hour felt and with the breadth of the performance, I’m sure that everyone walked out of there extremely satisfied. Of course with so much pressure on the performers, some of the acts didn’t quite go according to plan and given their format, you at least knew that particular act would draw to a close very quickly.

Definitely go and see these guys, if for nothing else but a light hearted evening. It’s an hour of your life you’ll definitely appreciate.

TheKua.com Rating: 9 out of 10

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