Category Archives: Movies

Reality…What a Concept

Posted on September 25, 2018 by garpinbc

On Sunday I finished reading the David Itzkoff’s, Robin, his biography of Robin Williams. I’ve always been a fan of Hollywood true stories, but they’re usually books about the Golden Age of Hollywood, like The Divine Feud, A Cast of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Memoir, Memoir/biography, Movies, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tears in Rain: Blade Runner (1982) from a queer perspective

Posted on October 11, 2017 by garpinbc

Anyone who is a fan of original the Blade Runner is familiar with its history: It was box office flop when it was released in 1982 and  got a second life when it was released on video—one of the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Movies, Queer Culture, The Eighties | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review of “Gentlemen of the Shade”

Posted on October 6, 2017 by garpinbc

Gentlemen of the Shade: My Own Private Idaho by Jen Sookfong Lee This is the second book in the “Pop Classic” series that I’ve read; the first being It Doesn’t Suck: Showgirls. I love film criticism, especially when it’s as … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Can-Lit, Criticism, Movies, Pop Culture, The Nineties | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is “BPM: Beats Per Minute” the AIDS epic we’ve been waiting for?

Posted on October 5, 2017 by garpinbc

On Monday night I saw the French film, BPM: Beats Per Minute, at the Vancouver International Film Festival. The story follows the members of the Paris chapter of ACT-UP in the early nineties. At the time the film takes place, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Politics, Pop Culture, Queer Culture, The Eighties, The Nineties | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The other 40th anniversary

Posted on October 1, 2017 by garpinbc

One of the benefits of having a good revue cinema in your neighbourhood is that it forces you to see old movies you’ve been putting off renting. On Monday I went and saw Close Encounters of the Third Kind at … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Commercial Drive, Memoir, Movies, Rio Theatre, The Seventies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

That thing I didn’t do in Toronto

Posted on June 11, 2017 by garpinbc

Visiting Toronto always feels like I’m watching a home movie about my life. Toronto was the first city I lived in on my own after I left home. It’s been nearly 30 years since I moved to Vancouver, but whenever … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Movies, Queer Culture, The Eighties, The Seventies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Old Friends: Revisiting Armistead Maupin and the Tales of the City.

Posted on May 14, 2017 by garpinbc

On Friday I saw the new Armistead Maupin documentary, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin. The movie is basically a love letter to Armistead Maupin and the Tales of the City. I liked the film, even though there were moments … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Humor, LGBT, Memoir, Movies, Pop Culture, Queer Culture, The Eighties, The Seventies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s hard out there for a debt collector: Watching Skip Tracer on National Canadian Film Day

Posted on April 27, 2017 by garpinbc

I’ve always been a champion of Canadian film. Growing up, I was the only person I knew who watched the Genie Awards telecast. I also recognized the directors Sandy Wilson (My American Cousin), and Patricia Rozema (I’ve Heard the Mermaids … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Movies, Pop Culture, The Seventies, Vancouver | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Watching Blazing Saddles in the current political climate

Posted on September 24, 2016 by garpinbc

If there’s an upside to the rash of celebrity deaths this year, it’s that The Rio Theatre has been honouring the deceased with retrospectives of their best movies. First it was Bowie, then it was Prince, and lately it’s been … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Commercial Drive, Current Events, Humor, Memoir, Movies, Politics, Rio Theatre, The Seventies, Vancouver | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Lady on the Train

Posted on September 4, 2016 by garpinbc

I come from a large family, so I have a lot respect people’s personal space. If I’m you’re neighbour, I’ll try to keep the volume of my music and TV down. I don’t man-spread on public transit, and I take … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Commercial Drive, Humor, Memoir, Movies, Rio Theatre, Vancouver | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment