Canada’s indie movie theatres say industry is in crisis

Canada’s independent cinema industry is in crisis, its owners say, as they face mounting challenges from streaming services and restrictive Hollywood studio rules. Sixty per cent of independent movie theatre operators were at a loss at the end of their most recent fiscal year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Network of Independent … Read more

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and music? It’s what Allex Chan, aka Room307, wants – singer on his songs, being ‘sentimental’ and his guitar

“I was always into music growing up, but it wasn’t until university that I began exploring music production,” says Chan. “I learned a bit of guitar on YouTube. Back then, we were playing a lot of post-punk, noise, shoegaze and psychedelic rock, which didn’t require much skill.” Chan was studying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) when … Read more

Hamilton writer of popular Netflix sequel Code 8 on what it was like to film in his hometown

The new Netflix movie Code 8 Part II is set in the fictional Lincoln City, but some of the millions of viewers who have streamed it in its first few days may recognize Ontario on the screen. The film was shot in a few cities in the province, including Hamilton, whose history helped inspire the fictional setting, said co-writer and … Read more

Director of Mickey Mouse slasher film fully expects you to hate-watch it

As It Happens6:28Director of Mickey Mouse slasher film is totally cool with you hate-watching it The director of a Mickey Mouse slasher movie has a message for all the haters out there: Bring it on. The trailer for Mickey’s Mouse Trap dropped on Jan. 1, the same day the beloved Disney icon’s earliest iteration entered … Read more

E-readers were supposed to kill printed books. Instead, they’re booming

Cost of Living8:55The return of the bookstore When e-readers like the Amazon Kindle burst onto the scene, showing up next to menorahs and under Christmas trees in the early 2000s, they were predicted to bring about the death of the print book — and maybe the independent bookstore too. But publishing sales data and on the … Read more