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Empty seats at the Summer Olympics
Although the events were supposedly sold-out, rows of seats were empty on the first full day of competition at the London Summer Olympics. Olympics organizers have now begun investigating the cause.
Empty seats filled the stadiums of swimming heats, volleyball and gymnastic equestrian events.
According to CBC, Jeremy Hunt, Britain’s Culture Secretary, believes that the empty seats belonged to the Olympic family members, corporate sponsors, IOC members, athletes and other accredited officials.
However, it is unclear why these empty seats were not offered to the public.
James Pearce, BBC Olympics correspondent, noticed that most of the empty seats were in the lower-tier, meaning that they were VIP. Pearce believes the true fans in the top tiers should have been allowed to move down after 10 minutes.
London organizers had been trying to avoid this problem as it had occurred in the past. The Athens games were in the same situation as well Beijing.
Organizers now plan to call in school children, teachers and soldiers to fill in these empty seats.
Fantasia Madness - Week One
As the Fantasia International Film Festival enters its second week, CJLO's film correspondent Andrea Boulet has been busy viewing and reviewing the best films the festival has to offer! Check out Andrea's latest blog below for her take on week one, and be sure to read her reviews of two creepy and bizarre tales of kidnapping: The Tall Man written and directed by Pascal Laugier, and Wrong written and directed by Quentin Dupieux.
Stay tuned for more Fantasia Festival madness on CJLO!
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It has already been over a week at the Fantasia film festival, and things are not about to slow down. The festival is fired up like a well-oiled machine ready for another two whole weeks!!! Fantasia has a way of sucking you in and not letting go, but this is not a bad thing! It is a mysterious and enchanting experience. Can you believe that they are screening over 160 films in the span of three weeks? They are spoiling us Montreal! Along with the incredible selection of films you can have the chance to meet the minds behind the projects. They roam the festival just like you and me and are super willing to answer any questions you have over some beers at Irish Embassy on Bishop street.
The past week has been a whirlwind experience and I need more. When I get to a screening you can see the anticipation on the faces of those who are there waiting in line with you. Their eyes are wide and ready to experience something new and exciting in cinema. The real film geek comes out and is ready to party, genre film style! This festival is a chance to meet new people who love films just as much as you do. You cannot get the same experience at any old Hollywood super blockbuster at the Scotiabank Theatre, especially after paying an arm and a leg for your ticket. At Fantasia, one film is only nine bucks and you can see ten films for eighty bucks, WHAT A DEAL!
If you pass up on what Fantasia has to offer than you are simply a freaking fool. This festival lets you explore cinema from all over the globe! It is mesmerizing and super inspirational. I have seen seven films so far and they have all been new and unique experiences. Watching these films and being at this festival for the past week has given me goose bumps, the shivers, it has turned me on to an incredible degree, it has inspired my own filmmaking, and it has inspired my writing and my curiosity for film. Fantasia can offer you everything you could ask for in a night at the movies, and for another two whole weeks! GO EXPERIENCE FANTASIA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
-Andrea Boulet
@AndreaMtl
Fantasia 2012 - Wrong
Directed by Quentin Dupieux
Written by Quentin Dupieux
Cast Jack Plotnick, Steve Little, Eric Judor, William Fichner, Alexis Dziena
Produced by Gregory Bernard, Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Nicolas Lhermitte
If you have ever had a pet disappear, you have felt the panic that settles in. You call their name over and over, but they never come. You squeeze their favorite toy up in the air hoping they will hear it, but nothing. Our handsome and gentile leading man, Dolph (Jack Plotnick) has lost his dear canine, and he becomes so obsessed about finding the whereabouts of his beloved pooch. With advice from his bizarre neighbour, Dolph continues his daily routine in the hopes of becoming so distracted and that he stops thinking about his dog. In the end, Dolph concludes that his dog has been kidnapped and receives the help of a private detective (Steve Little).
Wrong is one of the most peculiar films I have seen in a long time! It is quirky and delirious. It grabs a hold of your brain and shakes it around a bit. It is perplexing, and you will probably ask yourself, "what the fuck is going on?" Nevertheless, the film is boundary-pushing and very complex with all these little subplots that intertwine, and writer/director Quentin Dupieux really spins the universe on its head.
The performances in this film stand out and are very memorable. Each character is freaking weird and has many layers to them. Once you start to unravel those layers, it just gets more and more bizarre. William Fichtner's performance as Master Chang is hilarious, and he delivers some great dialogue and lots of laughs.
Once this film reaches the "big crisis," the plot becomes more alluring, and the audience is dying to know what happened to that damn dog! I didn't want to look away and I wanted to know more. Wrong is light and hilariously unique. It seemed a little long towards the end, but it all came together beautifully. Go and see this film if you like confusion and want to have your mind boggled. I guarantee that the discussion you have with friends after the end credits will be lengthy and intriguing.
-Andrea Boulet
@AndreaMtl
Jun Lin laid to rest
Slain Concordia student Jun Lin was laid to rest on Thursday morning at a public funeral.
About 50 people came to pay their respects at Cote-des-Neiges Funeral Complex.
A brief service was led by Father Henry Rodriguez, who read Bible excerpts and spoke highly of Lin, who was brutally dismembered and killed last May.
"His death was cruel, horrible and indignant. He was a victim. It has been a difficult time for his family, and society," said Rodriguez.
His mother was too overwhelmed to attend the service, but Lin's father sat at the front, flanked by family friends, his sobs audible throughout the service.
Two photos of the smiling computer sciences student sat next to arrangements of white and pink flowers at the front of the room - Lin’s ashes in a red box.
According to his parents, Montreal was Lin’s favourite city; so, they decided to leave him to rest where he was happiest.
Once Lin's ashes were taken for burial, his mother, along with a few volunteers, announced plans to ensure the Chinese student's memory lives on.
Though the details have yet to be worked out, the charity would help young people in distress.
"Jun Lin lived such a short life. We believe the creation of this foundation will preserve his memory," said a volunteer translator.
The family also thanked the governments of Canada and China, Immigration Canada and Canadians for their continued support.
The family has said they will remain in Montreal until March, around when the trial should pick up for Lin's accused killer, Luka Magnotta.
Fantasia 2012 - The Tall Man
Directed by Pascal Laugier
Written by Pascal Laugier
Cast Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B. Davis
Produced by Clement Miserez, Kevin Dewalt, Steven Schneider, Jean Charles Levy
-Andrea Boulet
@AndreaMtl
Suspicious package received in Colorado
A suspicious package was delivered to the University of Colorado-Denver earlier this week.
In a report by the Associated Press, the package turned over to authorities is believed to have been sent by shooting suspect James Holmes.
Multiple sources have reported that the package includes a notebook with drawings and descriptions of a mass attack. The package was addressed to a school psychiatrist.
Holmes is accused of shooting dead 12 people and wounding 58 in a packed movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado on July 20th. He is due to appear in court for the second time this Monday.
Meanwhile, the first victim in the tragedy was laid to rest on Wednesday in Colorado. More victims are expected to be buried in their respective hometowns this weekend and early next week.
Security headaches at the games
Security has become front and centre as the 2012 Summer Olympics Games have kicked off in London.
In a report by CNN issued on Thursday, the biggest assignment will be to protect to more than 100 heads of state and dignitaries present.
U.S. intelligence agencies will work closely with their British counterparts to analyze all threat information that may come in during the games.
Security came into question earlier this month when a private security contractor failed to commit the number of agents needed for protection. This prompted the UK to call in more than 18 000 troops to help out.
The operation will last for 66 days and will cover over 1000 venues serving the Olympic and Paralympic games.
Flickr Photo by: Department for Communities and Local Government
Financial donors to meet Concordia University administration
Concordia University executives will soon meet former professors Jack and Judith Kornblatt regarding their previous financial donations to the school.
According to CTV News the Kornblatts have decided to stop donating money to the school after over forty years.
They stated that their reason to cease their donations is because the administration uses the money for illegitimate causes.
University President Frederick Lowy says he hopes to assure the Kornblatts that money is always spent to benefit the school.
Rough Diamond Collective present Hua Li on Let Them Eat Cake, July 27th
Tune in to Let Them Eat Cake on July 27th from 11am-1pm for a Rough Diamond Collective pre-show exclusive. Rough Diamond is bringing Mykki Blanco all the way from New York to Montreal and I'm happy to have the Collective on the air the day of the show. I will be talking with Concordia's own Peggy Hogan who will be opening as her new electronic side-project, Hua Li. There may also be a chance that Mykki Blanco will be joining us in the studio as well!
Show Details
JULY 27 - ROYAL PHOENIX - 8$/10$ - PRE-SALE @ PHOENIX & PHONOPOLIS
MYKKI BLANCO'S vogue-punk goth-rap combines the best of ballroom glamour, heavy rap intensity, NYC's blazing downtown art scene. Not only has Mykki has been laying down heat in the studio all year, she PUTS IN WORK ON STAGE--her live show has justifiably become an NYC performance art legend.
☆☆☆☆☆YOUR MIND WILL BE SMASHED INTO ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND GLITTERING SMITHEREENS☆☆☆☆☆
Opening the show, HUA LI, the electronic alias of rising MTL jazz singer PEGGY HOGAN, will deliver haunting and emotive music to send chills down your spine and twist the sweetest knife to your gut, leaving you blissfully craving more. HUA LI moves sinuously between smoky intensity and powerfully driving dance rhythms.
Hot Chip - In Our Heads
In Our Heads is Hot Chip’s fifth full-length album. And while I will on occasion selfishly pine for that seemingly made in mom’s basement, lo-fi sound I first heard years ago, it would be selfish of me to expect the band to simply revisit those sounds. This album provides us with a well-produced polished sound, with the guys keen to speak of their relationships in a light-hearted way.
Throughout, In Our Heads offers us a nostalgic 80s synth-pop feel while mostly keeping a big pulsing beat, and interlacing sonic delights that are a pleasure to the ears. Listening to the album I found myself mentally wandering into a Hot Chip show, imagining the feel and vibe of certain songs played live.
One of the great things about groove-oriented albums such as this is that if done right, you can simply melt into the individual tracks, making time inconsequential. Several tracks on the album do this and they stand out.
The album’s first track, “Motion Sickness”, starts off slowly then builds to that big synth sound Hot Chip does so well. “Don’t Deny Your Heart” is fantastic as it takes us from this ethereal feel encompassing the song into a head-bobbing groove Quincy Jones would be proud of, and then bringing us back again to ensure that we remember the lightness of the track. To be honest, I had this one on repeat.
Things really take off at “Night and Day” the albums most musically interesting song with a bass line that makes the body shake and weave. “Flutes” follows nicely, a song with an infectious rhythm chant-like beginning slowly returning us to the head-bobbing state we found ourselves earlier. “Ends Of The Earth” continues this trend, transforming itself into a vehicle that will actually transport us to those very ends.
Even the slower “Now There Is Nothing” works for me because it lets us inside Alexis Taylor, who we learn spends his time in his thoughts lost in his mind, a feeling we can all relate to as well.
This album is a fun listen that will at times get you moving and shaking, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
FINAL MARK: B+
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