Mike's Bloggity Blog

Okay, so please don’t hate me.   I found this new music video by a girl-duo group a few days ago and after some deliberation, I’ve decided that I kinda want to share it. My question is this:  Is it a really good pop-song?  Or a train-wreck of Instant Star proportions?

Who are are KaraMel you ask?  Well, I’m not too sure myself. As far as I can tell, half the group is Degrassi’s Cassie Steel.  The other 50% seems to be the daughter of Kei$ha and Sass Jordan. For now, it is a mystery. But I’ll look into and see what I can find out.

So about the song.  I can already  feel a ton of your rolling your eyes, but if I’m going to write about Canadian entertainment, I can’t always write about Polaris-prize quality music. And for what’s it worth, this song is ridiculously catchy.  So it should come with a warning, it will drive you crazy.  Oh and don’t think that because it is pop-song it is safe for the kids in your life.  That’s what I thought until they got to the whole “1, 2, 3, 4 get your undies on the floor” part.  Oops.  Sorry nephew and niece.

Fans of MTV’s 1 Girl, 5 Gays will recognize panelists Matt Barker and Daniel Tetro as some of the video’s dancers.  Tetro actually choreographed the whole thing!

So what do you think? Good?  Awful? Who cares?

When is the last time you rented a movie?  Like really, really rented a movie?

Harder than you think, eh?

For the last little while, in Canada’s major cities, you have been able rent movies from those red DVD Play boxes.   It is a great deal where you can rent any movie for about $1.79.  It was basically like a vending machine, without the chocolate bars.  Needless to say, I haven’t really been visiting a Blockbuster since this discovery. And no, I’ve never downloaded a movie either.  Still gotta pay for it, no matter how cheap it is.

Anyway, I opened my inbox this weekend to discover that Blockbuster has taken over DVD Play and those cool vending machine boxes will now be called Blockbuster Express. This seems like a great idea for a company that has been grasping at straws to keep its doors open. Essentially the service looks the exact same, but with some cooler features.  You don’t have to bring the movies back until 9pm the next day (it used to be 7pm.) Plus, you can get some movies for $1 now!

But this is where it gets a little confusing and  I might need Brett Wilson’s help to explain it.  If you can now rent Blockbuster movies for around $1, why would you ever go to the store?  I mean the only time I go now is to take advantage of their super cheap PV Bluray movies.  But now what?  I can’t help but feel bad for those movie nerds who love working in video stores?  What will become of them?  Who will they turn to?  How will they make friends?  So many questions.

So what do you think?  Will you use Blockbuster Express?  Or are you just going to wait for NetFlix to finally make its appearance in Canada in a few months?

Bold move Blockbuster, hope it works out.

Being Erica‘s third season premiere just finished and what did I tell you, was it shocking or was it SHOCKING?  We found out what was behind the door (group therapy!), Erica got a new office (goblins), a new crush (Adam!) and someone doesn’t think Dr. Tom is doing a very good job (Nadia!). Bet you didn’t see that stuff coming!?

If there is one thing that Being Erica is good at it is covering a lot of ground in 43 minutes.  So to help explain a little more about the episode, I asked series-star Erin Karpluk to help break it down!

Now what we know what is behind the green door.  What did you think was going to be behind the last season’s big mystery?!
Oh gosh!  I was just so curious what they would write.   Part of me was like, “Is it just a rabbit hole and just falls for eternity?” And unless we got cancelled, that wouldn’t be very exciting.  I was wondering if there was going to be a development in time-travel but when I got the script, I was like, “Aha!  There we go!”

We found out that she is now in phase 2 of therapy and that phase 3 of therapy is becoming a doctor. Think you’re ready?
I don’t think Erica is anywhere near ready to be a doctor!  That I know for sure! She has no right giving advice to someone…yet. She’s getting there and if it is the grand scope of things, it’s not going to happen this season.

Erica got to visit a new character’s past.  Adam seem to have a lot of stuff going on, what can you tell us about him?
Adam (Adam Fitzpatrick) is definitely that masculine part that we’ve brought to the show.   He’s got a very assertive energy that balances out Erica.  He really challenges Erica.  He is going through therapy himself and he has a darker past, more like Dr. Tom.  Him and Erica are very different but they learn a lot from each other.  And as we saw in the first episode, they get to go back into each other’s past and help each other.   It is kinda like field trips.

Would you say Adam in the new Kai?
Hmmmm.  Yup.  I would say that.

Things changed for Erica pretty much right away.  How she’s handling it?
The huge thing in the premiere was Erica’s bewilderment that Dr. Tom has other patients.   There is a certain amount of resentment and jealously in thinking she is the only one.  Then she walks into this room and sees that Dr. Tom has been doing these treatments with other people.  The whole episode was really about expressing yourself fully, which I think we really saw in Erica as it progressed.

What can you tell us about the other people in in group therapy with you?
Rebecca (Melanie Scrofano) has been there the longest.  She was an actress who didn’t make and now she owns a clothing store in Kensington.  Jeff’s (Fab Fabrizio) character is a little of a science nerd, a little bit quieter.  He’s been there quite a while.  Camilla (Kim Roberts) is bus driver who was an alcoholic who almost ran a bus into a pole.  And then Adam came from a violent background and now he is a gardener.

What’s group therapy been like so far?
It really reminds me a lot of being in an acting class, you know where you put your trust into everyone and you having your acting teacher.   This adds a lot of different levels to it and it’s nice to have other people to go back with, now we have all these people.

Anyone else want to pretend they are in University?

I can’t see you but hopefully one of you raised you hands, makes me feel a lot less creepy.

TD Canada Trust is currently running a contest called Pump It Up. Stupid name association with Jersey Shore aside, it is actually pretty cool contest and makes me jealous that I’m not still in a university like Van Wilder.

Universities across Canada are competing for 1 of 3 amazing concerts featuring Metric, OK Go and Key N Krates. And for once, schools outside of Ontario have a chance of winning. (Makes me wish the 6/49 was kinda like that too!)

The reason I’m so excited about this contest is that my alma-mater is currently winning for the Eastern Canada group! That’s right, St. Thomas University and its 2500 students have a strong hold on the number one spot and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they stay there. And yes, I do have a University degree. Actually I have two. Surprised? Me too.

As of when I wrote this blog post, The University of Calgary is currently holding down the #1 spot for the Western region. Randomly, a school in Nunavut has the number two spot? Am I the only one who didn’t know that Nunavut had a post-secondary school? Trent has the top spot for

So if you want, you can do what I did and pretend you are university student to vote for STU. I guess you don’t have to vote for STU, but look at pretty it is. How could you not?

Sidenote: The website is super annoying. I feel like people with ADD would think that it is too much.

Dear Being Erica fans,

This is possibly the hardest review I’ve ever had to write.  Why?  Because I don’t know how to tell you a single thing about the show’s third season premiere without spoiling it.  Seriously.  The show takes such a drastic turn in the first five minutes, that it makes it impossible to review without ruining the whole surprise.

But what I can tell you is that Being Erica is still great. Especially, now it is infused with some Inception-like confusingness (new word?), which makes the show even more exciting. As with every season it has completely transformed itself and now has the possibility for so many new and different story lines.  Erin Karpluk has amazing control of her role as Erica and can perfectly adapt to comedy, action and drama.  I’m still upset about her missing Gemini nomination.  If CBC was smart, they’d send this episode in for consideration next year.

And that’s pretty much all I can tell you. Maybe we’ll talk more after you’ve all seen it.  I’d love to know what you think. Oh and fans of Julianne will be happy, she’s all over this episode like me to a McLobster.

Favourite line of the episode: “Looks like Fraggle Rock, sounds like Queer as Folk.”

EXCLUSIVE: Make sure you check back after tonight’s episode.  I’ll have a brand new exclusive interview with Erin Karpluk about the season premiere!!!

Congrats to the Montreal band Karkwa for winning the Polaris Music Prize on Monday night!  It was a star-studded and amazing night for Canadian music and it was a fantastic moment to watch the band’s shocked faces as they were announced at the winners of the $20,000.

They were up against some pretty big names, so I bet Karkwa weren’t the ones that were surprised!

Haven’t heard of Karkwa before?  That’s totally fine.  That’s why the Polaris Music Prize exists,  so YOU can discover great Canadian music.

Click here to listen to them on Myspace.

Better yet, click here to download their album on Itunes.

It is only $9.99.  You know you’ve bought crap on Itunes before so why not support local, home-grown talent?

Congrats Karkwa!!!

If you missed the live stream, you can catch it on MuchMusic this Saturday!

Get ready to watch HISTORY!

Tonight CBC will make broadcast history with their first showing of Queen Elizabeth in 3D!

Queen Elizabeth 3D is the first 3D television program to be Canadian-shot, produced and transmitted nationally on this scale. The documentary includes 3D footage of the Queen’s most recent trip to Canada, including her reviewing the Canadian naval fleet in Halifax, and attending Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa and the Queen’s Plate in Toronto, as well as archival colour 3D footage from 1953 and new material shot at Buckingham Palace.

I just picked mine my 3D glasses and it’s not too late to get yours.  You can go to any one of the more than 3,100 Canada Post outlets across the country to pick yours up. When I went on Friday, there were still a ton available.  But since the show debuts tonight, you are going to want to make sure you go to Canada Post at some point today.  There are about two million pairs up for grabs.  I’m guessing you’ll get quite the headache if you watch it without the glasses!

I can’t believe I’m this excited to watch a show about the Queen.
Oh and if you miss it tonight, you can catch again on the CBC News Network on Wednesday, September 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

(Photo: Me and my roomie ready for the Queen!)

One of my favourite movie theatres in Calgary is in deep, deep trouble.

I went to The Uptown on Saturday afternoon to catch the eye-opening documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and my friends and I were quickly informed that the theatre was open but that they  didn’t have heat. Which if you’ve been in Calgary in the last couple weeks, you know it is a problem. This city has been down-right chilly!

When we asked why there was no heat, the cashier told us it had been cut off!  And not because the art-house movie theatre wasn’t paying their bills.  Instead, the building’s owner allegedly is trying to force The Uptown out and has decided to try and freeze them out!  Isn’t that crazy?  Now I’ve seen every episode of Ally McBeal and I don’t think that is legal.  The owner of the theatre is apparantly a lawyer, so you can expect a fight until the bloody end.

In my opinion, it would be devastating to lose The Uptown as a movie theatre.  This city really only has three cinemas that regularly show independent movies and special features.  We literally cannot afford to lose The Uptown.  I hope this quickly blows over.

On the plus side, the theatre gave us some comfy blankets during the movie to keep us warm.  I guess it was kinda gross to share blankets with strangers, but it was so cozy, I couldn’t help but think of a really cool business idea.  Why doesn’t someone start selling blankets for like $10 at theatres!  That would be awesome!

Good luck Uptown!

(photo via FFWD)

Just wanted to take a minute to remind you to catch two great shows that are on TV tonight!

Call Me Fitz premieres tonight on HBO Canada and stars Jason Priestly as Fitz, a substance abusing scoundrel, who torments his naive co workers, sleeps with any woman who has a pulse and thinks his life is perfect. Basically this guy would punch Brandon Walsh in the throat.  And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to do that?  I didn’t get a screen to review but if you are impatient, you can watch the first episode online right now!

Call Me Fitz premieres tonight at 8pmET/MST.

Right after that, make sure you head on over to Showcase to watch the second episode of Lost Girl, the show that is already breaking ratings records.  This week our favourite Fae Bo tries to protect a girl in jeopardy but may end up in a lot more trouble herself.  If you missed the pilot of the best underworld show since Buffy, you can catch up online just in time for episode two!

Sounds like a great night to stay in!

I love, love, love this story!

Say what you want about Justin Bieber, the kid and his fans are a phenomenon.  I’m not talking about his music, I could care less about his music.  And I’m not just saying that because I’m still and always will be a fan of Hanson. That’s right, I said it. Not the Moffats, it is all about Hanson.  Face it, we could all use a little more Mmm Bop in our lives. And scene.

For the past couple of weeks, Bieber has been making his way across Canada for his first national tour.  With him he brings hype this country has not seen for a very long time. Sorry Belinda, you just can’t compete.  It seems that tweens will do ANYTHING to get their hands on Justin and/or tickets.  It really is crazy.  The local radio stations are also having a great time with it.  Here in Calgary, AMP 90.3 held an event called Bieber-palooza.  It was essentially hundreds of screaming teens packed into Eau Claire for the entire day clamouring for tickets.

This past week, a radio station decided to take it one step and make Bieber fans work for their tickets and in the end, for their community.   C95 in Saskatoon started a contest where whoever collected the most food for the Saskatoon Food Bank won front row tickets and backstage passes to meet Justin Bieber. The response was not only amazing, it was almost overwhelming.  By the time the contest ended, the food bank had collected more than 21,000 cans of soup!