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This year, the Concordia Shuffle is going virtual! CJLO is excited to present these mixes for shufflers to listen to and pump them up as they take their walks. From the best of the 80's to modern pop, there's hopefully something for everyone! 

To save the mp3, right click on the audio and click 'Save Link As'. 

Happy Shuffling! 

Stories by Hadassah Alencar 

Voice Luca Caruso-Moro

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Healthy kids must go to school 

All children without a medical exemption need to go back to school. 

A Quebec judge has denied a request to have distanced learning options for children who didn't qualify for medical exemption.

A larger legal challenge against Quebec’s back-to-school plan is still in motion. 

It argues the plan violates parents’ charter rights. 

70 schools with COVID-19 cases, 50 pending validation

In other news, at least 70 schools have recorded at least one case of COVID-19. 

The provincial list reports a total of 118 cases at these schools. 

50 other schools are being accessed for cases of coronavirus. 

Quebec judge apologizes for asking woman to remove hijab

A Quebec judge has apologized for asking a woman to remove her hijab.

This apology comes 5 years after the fact. Back in 2015, the judge told the woman the court was a secular place and no religious symbols should be worn. 

The woman refused to remove her hijab and her legal case was suspended. 

The judge's comment and decision to drop her case reached national and international headlines. 

On September 8, the judge now says she was wrong.

Note: This article was written in tandem by At the Movies co-hosts Remi Caron and Danny Aubry. Remi's section follows, with Danny's starting halfway through... 

I feel that time has been fast-tracked now that we are at week two coverage, or the final lap of the Fantasia International Film Festival. This is when I tend to find my groove and make an attempt to catch the movies that I may have wanted to see before the festival ends, even though we may see them later in theatres or on demand, since it always speaks volumes whenever one says they discovered that film or director at the Fantasia International Film Festival. I continued my way through the documentary section and got a chance to catch films that I was hearing good buzz about.

Class Action Park (Dir. Seth Porges and Chris Charles Scott) is a look at the water amusement park, Action Park, from the point of view of visitors and those who worked at the amusement park. From the attendees’ standpoint, it was the most unsafe water park with the widest of attractions that caused mayhem and pain upon those who decided to participate. As for those who worked at the park, it was described as a free-for-all ran by teenagers who, just like the park, did not have a set of rules in place. Well, that’s the youth culture of the 80’s and 90’s for you, compared to today’s cotton-coated world of safety. The scars and wounds one received from the park were mementos that you had visited the place. The documentary also dedicates time to the mastermind behind the park’s conception and amusements, Gene Mulvihill, as well some serious time spent with a family that lost their son due to an accident at the park. The film offers an interesting look at how culture and society have changed over the years in this documentary currently streaming on HBO Max and Canadian counterpart Crave.

Clapboard Jungle (Dir. Justin McConnell) is a movie about movie-making, but more specifically the ins and outs on finding the backing for your film and then selling it - one of the hardest processes aside from movie-making. We follow McConnell’s personal journey that is a film school of sorts, but rather the one he wishes he always had because he learns valuable lessons about the industry, but more specifically how to gain financing to complete your projects. The answer: a never-ending cycle of shooting film with the hopes that it gets picked up and peaks the interest of producers, so much that they would invest in your work on other projects. As well, some well known and independent directors give interviews and advice about the movie making process and how to market your film to the distributors or how to gain financing for future projects. This is more than just the standard film school approach, as McConnell takes the issue of financing the movie and seeking distribution as a self-guided approach for filmmakers, or the cinephiles that enjoy the films they see on screen.

12 Hour Shift (Dir. Brea Grant) is a dark comedy and cautionary tale about the cataclysms of fate and addiction. Nurse Mandy (Angela Bettis) is starting her 12 hour shift at a hospital. On the outside she is warm and friendly, however, she is an addict and is involved with illegal activities including harvesting organs for the black market to make money to feed her addiction. Chance encounters with the people who enter the emergency room, people turning up dead and feeding her addiction, while keeping cool calm and collective are all part of Mandy’s 12 hour shift. This cautionary tale from Grant is unlike other classic thrillers, where we already know who’s done the murder  but can we continue watching in the hopes that these characters get redeemed for the acts that they commit, which are sometimes seen as unredemable.

Dinner in America (Dir. Adam Rehmeier) was the final film I was able to catch up with. A romantic comedy of sorts with a punk rock edginess gave this film its genre-defining sound. Patty (Emily Skeggs) is seen as the outsider loner who works at a pet store and is constantly bullied for being different, as well she is obsessed with a punk rock band and its lead singer, Simon. Him, on the other hand, is to the point - a self-righteous arrogant jerk who sets fires and plays in a punk band. When a chance encounter between Patty and Simon takes place they bond over their love for the genre of music, but also find their own voices as they grapple with maturing in the real world while dealing with their romantic interest for one-another. Rehmeier’s Dinner in America is a politically incorrect comedy with all the rage of a punk that matches Simon’s self righteous arrogance in this coming of age romantic comedy about finding one’s voice.

Even though this was a shortened Fantasia festival without an in-person audience, I feel that the festival always has a great lineup, and 2020 was no different. Whether I’m looking for my selective genre of horror, action, comedy or even an entertaining documentary, Fantasia has it all and will always be the genre-defining film festival that we come to love no matter what the forces of nature throw at us. This proves that no matter what comes next, Fantasia will always be there in the summer: a solid remedy for beating the heat and catching a movie.

And here are Danny’s thoughts on week two…

Within the second week of Fantasia I’ve once again had the joy and privilege of watching several more films through cyberspace. The films which stuck out to me the most this week were The Columnist, Yankee, and Paper Tigers. The underlying theme which these films have in common is revenge, which has allowed me to process my thoughts on revenge films and the genre itself.

The Columnist is a horror film whose main character is a journalist named Femkie Boot. Regardless of the fact that her boyfriend Steven tells her not to check Twitter to see what people are saying about her, she does it anyway. When she checks Twitter she often sees that people tweet horrible things in regards to her work and her as a person. This upsets her to a point where eventually she seeks revenge on those people by tracking them down and murdering them. Just like other mass murderers in the past, she leaves a specific mark on all of her victims. This is a film I would recommend to everyone because I feel that the lessons to be learned within it are that cyberbullying is a serious issue which is not taken seriously enough - and for all those who aspire to be journalists, you must possess thick skin and be able to take criticism, no matter how bad it is.

Yankee is a drama film whose main character Skylar flees from the United States in order to escape from her physically abusive father. She goes to live with her drug-dealing cousin Kev in Drummondville, Quebec. Kev gets Skylar into illegal fighting in order for her to pay her debts to him. Kev also asks one of his clients to teach her how to fight. Throughout the film Kev is also at times physically abusive towards Skylar, but at the same time Skylar’s fighting skills increase. Skylar’s hostile relationship with her cousin leads her to develop a taste for violence and revenge. This is a film that I would recommend to everyone because the important lesson to be learned is that if someone gets bullied often enough, it can lead them to become violent and vengeful.

Paper Tigers is an action-comedy film whose main characters are Danny, Hing, and Jim. These three individuals were trained in Kung fu by their master, Sifu Cheung, and became his disciples. Sadly, they went their separate ways and did not see each other for decades. However, Sifu Cheung’s murder reunited them a while later. Once reunited, they looked into avenging Sifu Cheung’s death by taking revenge on his killer. Finding the killer involved a series of investigations where they found that they had no choice but to retrace their Kung Fu routes. It is a film that I would recommend to everyone because I feel that it is a good action film which involves seeking justice.

Despite the Covid-19 crisis and all of the issues that surround it, I feel grateful that Fantasia has managed to once again provide me with the opportunity to watch, review. and critique its films. I enjoyed watching all of these films in the comfort of my own home and enjoyed the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival altogether. With revenge being the underlying theme of the films I’ve reviewed for week two, what I have to say about it is that I am not for it. I do confess that I like to see revenge within the action film genre, because it can be entertaining, however, I don’t like people seeking revenge in real life. When someone has wronged you, the best thing to do is let karma work its course. Fighting should be used strictly for self defense, and seeking justice ideally should not involve violent acts. In a perfect world violence and acts of revenge would only be seen on the movie screen.

Remi and Danny host At the Movies which features everything new and noteworthy in the world of cinema. The show goes live every Tuesday at 8:00AM.

Stay tuned for more Fantasia coverage starting next week as we talk about our second week of films we watched at the festival. Be sure not to miss At The Movies Extra on September 8th at 9:00 AM for our Fantasia wrap-up party, the first episode where our co-hosts as well as other members of CJLO reunite - so don’t miss it!

CJLO is a proud sponsor of the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Note: This article was written in tandem by At the Movies co-hosts Remi Caron and Danny Aubry. Remi's section follows, with Danny's starting halfway through...

The Fantasia International Film Festival kicked off their programming last Thursday, August 20th. The first week had so much content to cover and I tried my best to make time for everything, albeit with a tight schedule.

It was a Fantasia first for me as I finally got to experience a DJ XL5 Zappin’ Party with a screening of DJ XL5 Nine Lives Zappin Party. As a first time experience I enjoyed it. However, these experiences are best enjoyed alongside the Fantasia audience (the film festival went online this year). DJ XL5’s Zappin' parties have been a Fantasia staple and are a collection of short videos that are shown in context or out of context, as the viewer dertermines. Think of it as channel surfing on television past midnight whether mindless or not. These shorts are not for everyone, but still have something that the regular Fantasia audience will enjoy. Those involved in this zappin' collage of shorts were iRony - taking on a commentary about our plugged-in society, an edited video titled Evil James Bond Vs World War Z, and the Quebec short paying homage to It with Clown: L’attaque des Clowns. However, since this is a cat-centric themed Zappin' party there is no excuse to stay for the catshorts, including Simon’s Cat.

The documentary that I feel is an urgent call for 2020 is Feels Good Man (Dir. Arthur Jones), which chronicles cartoonist Matt Furie and his character from the Boy’s Club comic, Pepe the Frog. Pepe took on a life of his own when the character would become a meme followed by a symbol of hate idolized by the Alt-Right movement. Jones follows Furie’s journey to claim his character back as well as showcase that Pepe can be a symbol of peace and love, rather living in the face of hate.

Tiny Time: King For A Day (Dir. Johan von Sydow) is an autobiographical documentary on American singer and entertainer Tiny Tim, who from birth to stardom was a singer/entertainer that was misunderstood but beloved by those who understood him. Even though there was success in his life, Tiny Tim was always dealing with personal demons, which can be seen through his diary entries. We also see the later portion of his career as he dealt with a tumultuous love life and staying relevant despite the fact that he thought negatively of himself and his moral dilemmas that plagued him. The film takes a personal approach to the most popular and enigmatic figures of popular music with diary entries voiced over by Weird Al Yankovic - in the same way that Yankovic is a character in himself like Tim, who sometimes has found it hard for people to understand his music.

Sanzaru (Dir. Xia Mangus) is a slow-paced thriller that thrives on attention to detail. Evelyn, a young Filipina nurse, is tasked with taking care of the family matriarch, while at the same time taking in her nephew. When things start going strange, taking care of the family matriarch becomes more of a challenge as mysterious voices start being heard in their home, meaning they aren’t alone. Mangus is a director to be on the lookout for future projects for his bold ambitious work in the genre of horror and thriller, with a distinct eye for visuals and attention to detail that are incredibly important within this genre.

My final film of the week was You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Dir. David Darg and Price James). As a Hollywood star in the 90’s, David Arquette is sometimes referred to as one of the worst things that happened to professional wrestling, winning the World Championship Wrestling belt. This is stated because of the fact that Arquette was known as the Hollywood actor that took away the belt from a legitimate pro wrestler that had been training all his life for the title. He was seen as the outsider by that point and was shunned by some of the wrestling community. However, this did not stop Arquette from having passion for the sport, which is the main focus of this documentary - part of which shows him training and entering the ring again. There was still the Hollywood outsider mentality to Arquette coming back, however, for him it was never about the title - it was all about gaining respect, which is seen throughout this film alongside the pain that is inflicted in this lifestyle. It is a raw in-your-face unapologetic look at the life of a Hollywood actor that has faced rejection and personal problems, but has found respect amongst one of his deepest passions, wrestling.

And here are Danny's thoughts on week one...

As we continue to do our best to stay inside as much as possible due to COVID-19, I’ve been finding ways to separate my world from the world outside of me. My participation in the Fantasia Film Festival by watching its films through my laptop has made it even easier for me to separate those worlds. Although I have had the pleasure of watching several films within the first week of the festival, the films I’d like to review for my first week at Fantasia are Fried Barry, Cosmic Candy and The Block Island Sound. What interests me the most about these three films is the underlying theme they have in common: outer space.

Fried Barry focuses on a low life drug addict named Barry who is a lousy husband and a deadbeat dad. He finds himself abducted by aliens after another one of his heroine binges. During his abduction, an alien entity takes over his mind. The alien entity leads him to become even more of a drifter, which therefore takes him on a series of misadventures where crazy things occur. I personally liked the film because I have an appreciation for sci-fi and the supernatural, athough I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, as it is very graphic and requires a strong stomach.

Cosmic Candy focuses on an eccentric grocery store clerk named Anna who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She is both addicted to her medication and something called “Cosmic Candy.” Anna’s world takes an upside-down turn when her nine year old neighbor Persia’s father goes missing. Anna then takes on a mother role for Persia and quickly realizes all of the hardships that come with being a parent. Anna’s addiction to Cosmic Candy leads her to fantasize about a big pink bubble picking her up and taking her to outer space. This is a film that I would recommend to everyone because I feel that Anna is a very relatable character. We’ve all felt the need to escape this world at some point in our lives, and we also find that even once you have reached adulthood, you still have some growing up to do.

The Block Island Sound focuses on a character named Harry who is socially difficult and not easy to get along with. When strange things occur within his town, he refuses to believe his friend Dale when he suggests that it’s all happening due to something supernatural. He chooses not to believe Dale until strange things start happening to him. We see Harry’s behavior change when he starts expressing zombie-like tendencies. Harry’s sister Audrey explains to her daughter what being a marine biologist entails, that alone hints at the idea of how certain species seek to study less intelligent species. This is a film which I would recommend to everyone because I feel that the story is very well written and it is currently my favorite film of the festival.

My first week of Fantasia allowed me to escape from this world through its films. Next week I shall review films with a different theme in common.

Remi and Danny host At the Movies which features everything new and noteworthy in the world of cinema. The show goes live every Tuesday at 8:00AM.

Stay tuned for more Fantasia coverage starting next week as we talk about our second week of films we watched at the festival. Be sure not to miss At The Movies Extra on September 8th at 9:00 AM for our Fantasia wrap-up party, the first episode where our co-hosts as well as other members of CJLO reunite - so don’t miss it!

CJLO is a proud sponsor of the Fantasia International Film Festival.