Category: TV

“Well, what would you call it? A hobby? I’d say it’s more than that. Look at the consequences. The stakes are very high.”

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

This past Sunday, after a brutal week at work, I needed a day of nothing but downtime. Thankfully Lindsay was good with that.

We had an amazing breakfast (sausage, eggs, hashbrowns for Lindsay; pork chop w/ apple sauce, maple pecans, and mustard seed jus for me) at White Lily, then retreated home to drink Benjamin Bridge bubbly on the couch.

We spent the rest of the day finishing the first season of both Mindhunter (imdb | rotten tomatoes) and The Deuce (imdb | rotten tomatoes), both amazing series. I’d just finished season one of Fargo too…so much amazing TV to get through.

 

Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

The best of everything from 2016

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

As in previous years, I’ll just smash all these lists together for simplicity’s sake. All lists are in alphabetical order, unless otherwise noted.

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My favourite albums of 2016

I haven’t yet listened to the new ones from A Tribe Called Quest, Honeyblood, Kaytranada, Leonard Cohen, or Modern Baseball, but this is what I’ve liked so far this year. I’ll probably change my mind entirely by the spring.

My Woman by Angel Olsen

So much more mature and evolved than her last album, adding some fuzzy rock and punk to all that country torch, with the result feeling so much more plaintive and driven. Like Julien Baker last year, Angel Olsen sounds so much more beaten down by the world than you might expect.

IV by Black Mountain

Big, space-agey rock. It shares a number and name with Led Zeppelin’s biggest legacy album, and while it might not carry the weight to make it a similar classic, it was a largely overlooked powerhouse for 2016.

I Had A Dream That You Were Mine by Hamilton Leithauser w/ Rostam

While there’s a bit too much sameness as the album goes along, standouts like “A 1000 Times”, “The Morning Stars”, and “In A Black Out” are strong enough to outclimb most of the rest of the year’s offerings. I think I still prefer The Walkmen and Vampire Weekend as whole parts, but this is an interesting side/combo project.

iiidrops by Joey Purp

Usually taking a back seat to Chance The Rapper (who has the best guest spot on the album, name-dropping Ta-Nahisi Coates and lamenting dead iPhone batteries) but here using a killer combination of catchy melody, solid flow, soul samples, and thoughtful lyrics, Joey Purp had maybe the biggest surprise album of the year.

Thought Rock Fish Scale by Nap Eyes

These guys don’t sound like they’re from Halifax, really. They sound like they’re the reincarnation of Velvet Underground, if VU never got into the hard drugs and stayed a little more upbeat. And were from, you know, Halifax. I listened to this, and their previous album Whine Of The Mystic, heavily all year.

Skeleton Trees by Nick Cave

Sometimes raw emotion pours itself out into an album, and this is that. Written after (about? for?) the death of his son, the trademark Cave darkness takes on a new depth here. Still manages to be catchy/punchy though.

Positive Thinking by The Pack A.D.

I like that there are no surprises in a Pack A.D. album. You know what you’re getting. You still feel pummeled by it though. “Yes, I Know” is the standout here, but top to bottom it’s an enjoyable, solid album.

Cardinal by Pinegrove

Another surprise, this time swinging much more to the folk-ish side of things. Catchy, and the kind of thing you can listen to at home with your hipster friends (done) or in the car with your mother (also done). Side note: this is another one featuring pretty sharp lyrics…not a few minutes into the album the singer’s already referred to his “solipsistic moods.”

Ugly Cherries by PWR BTTM

Power-pop-punk played by a band who label themselves “aggressively queer” — this was the best straight (so to speak) up rock and roll album of the year. There are lots of great songs here, but “West Texas” has a special place in my heart. It makes me wish there’d been a gay storyline on Friday Night Lights.

Testarossa by Yoni & Geti

Maybe the most complex album on this list. It’s so thoughtful and earnest, but also feels slippery and hidden. I have a distinct memory of listening to it start to finish in the KLM lounge at Schipol airport in Amsterdam while waiting for a connection, and feeling more excited and at peace. Not many albums pull me back to a place like that.

Honourable mentions to the new ones from Danny Brown, Blonde Redhead, Joe Budden, Regina Spektor, and The Men.

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My favourite songs of 2016

  1. Adam Torres . “Juniper Arms”
  2. Alejandro Escovedo . “Horizontal”
  3. Black Mountain . “Space To Bakersfield”
  4. Dandy Warhols . “Doves”
  5. DTCV . “Histoire Seule”
  6. Frightened Rabbit . “A Lick Of Paint”
  7. Hamilton Leithauser . “In A Black Out”
  8. Joe Budden . “Uncle Joe”
  9. Joey Purp . “Girls@”
  10. Kendrick Lamar . “Untitled 02”
  11. Lucius . “Born Again Teen”
  12. Mitski . “Your Best American Girl”
  13. My Father’s Son . “Dying”
  14. Nap Eyes . “Lion In Chains”
  15. Pack AD . “Yes, I Know”
  16. Parquet Courts . “Dust”
  17. Pinegrove . “Old Friends”
  18. PWR BTTM . “West Texas”
  19. Radiohead . “True Love Waits”
  20. Rogue Wave . “Memento Mori”
  21. Schoolboy . “Ride Out”
  22. Seratones . “Choking On Your Spit”
  23. Tindersticks . “Hey Lucinda”
  24. Wye Oak . “Better (For Esther)”
  25. Yoni & Geti . “Allegheny”

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My favourite movies of 2016

This has been my least-busy movie year in some time, so I still haven’t seen Hell or High Water, Moonlight, Don’t Think Twice, Manchester by the Sea, The Nice Guys, Doctor Strange, Tower, The Witch, La La Land, The Fits, Green Room, 13th, Gimme Danger, Queen of Katwe, Paterson, Lo and Behold – Reveries of the Connected World, Hail, Caesar!, Loving, Midnight Special, Jackie, or The Witness. I can’t even make it a top ten list — these five are the only really good films I saw this year. Expect this list to be heavily altered by the spring.

The Arrival

So nice to have thoughtful, challenging sci-fi in theatres: an interesting look at language and memory, with overtones of militarism and geopolitics, all wrapped up in an alien story. Terrific performance from Amy Adams too.

Birth Of A Nation

Not without its flaws, not the least of which was the director’s past spilling out onto newspaper pages just before the film opened TIFF, but still a significant, important, fairly gripping epic story. Kind of like Braveheart set in the American south.

Captain America: Civil War

The Marvel universe keeps hitting semi-regular home runs with the Captain America and Avengers installments. This third Cap was no exception — essentially another Avengers film, with all the same quick dialogue and fun action, these are smarter than an action movie has a right to be.

Prevenge

My favourite from this year’s TIFF, this was the story of a woman whose fetus instructed her to murder people. Darkly funny, with brief moments of savage and disgusting violence…somehow this wasn’t part of the Midnight Madness program.

Rogue One

A worthy addition to the Star Wars set, Rogue One had great visuals, excellent action, funny droid dialogue, and enough tie-ins to episode IV to satisfy any Star Wars nerd. I’m glad they can continue telling this story in decent films.

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My favourite TV shows of 2016

I hereby acknowledge that I haven’t yet watched any of Westworld, Atlanta, Better Call Saul, Better Things, BoJack Horseman, Luke Cage, Documentary Now!, Rectify, or the latest season of The Fall but this is what I did watch and like:

Billions

Any chance to have Paul Giamatti, Damien Lewis, and Maggie Siff all in the same place is fine with me. Sometimes the drama gets wound a little too tight, and sometimes not enough actually happens in an episode, but it’s still enjoyable for all the masterful scenery-chewing.

Black Mirror

So amazing. So unsettling and captivating and cool and disturbing and thrilling and insightful. There’s a reason why TIFF screened a few new episodes of it at this year’s festival — it’s operating at the level of top cinema.

Game Of Thrones

Still my only must-see show. Still the one I get excited about weeks in advance. It’s the only show for which I watch the after-show. I have Game Of Thrones beer from Ommegang aging in my wine fridge right now. I get panicky at the idea that there are only a handful of episodes left. Please, please, please don’t go. Please. Arya forever.

Last Week Tonight

Just as Jon Stewart left us, John Oliver arrived. But he could curse, and suffers no commercials. Hallelujah. These long-form rants are funny, pointed, and so necessary in a Trump-ish world. Sorry Trevor Noah, but this is The Daily Show now.

Masters of Sex

Still somehow compelling despite its soapiness — I give credit to Lizzy Caplan. I keep getting sucked back into this time and again. Even sideline characters who should mean nothing to me at this point are interesting, and the set design makes me miss Mad Men.

Mr. Robot

Season 2 was kind of a mess after the bad-ass arc of season 1, but it was still excellent. The whole show behaves like a buggy, maybe-hacked piece of software. I’ll take a sub-par Mr. Robot over just about any other season of TV.

Stranger Things

Seriously, I hate the 80s. Like, so much. But I loved this show. The kids, the music, the ridiculousness of it all, the D&D…it was more fun than is reasonable to pack into eight episodes. Bravo, Netflix. More like this!

The Night Manager

I know I’m cheating here a bit with a miniseries, but suck it, it’s my list. This contained more action, intrigue, character development, and twists than most series twice the length. Tom Hiddleston was great, but so too the rest of the cast — especially Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, and Tom Hollander.

The Night Of

So much terrific substance here: John Turturro’s feet, the cat, Bill Camp’s Detective Box, and all of the Riz Ahmed. Seriously, get this guy in/on more stuff. But even outside of him, it was terrific stuff. I just wish James Gandolfini had lived to see it through.

Silicon Valley

Still the funniest show on TV. The RIGBY “dictionary patch” from episode one this year was brilliant, the kind of thing that just enters the zeitgeist. So many terrific comedic actors, and a seemingly endless supply of valley bullshit to draw from.

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The best books I read in 2016

Okay, so I only read three books this year — but that’s still three more than last year.

Flash Boys by Michael Lewis

Read in a single morning whilst lying in a hammock on a beach in Costa Rica. Surf, sand, and outrage at the unfairness of the financial system. Just the way vacations should be. I’ve already started his newest one.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

I bought this within minutes of finishing the movie Everest, and read 2/3 of it that night, into the very wee hours. I wish I’d read it years ago when my dad first bought it. Gut-wrenching.

Tribe by Sebastian Junger

This was given to me partially as a joke, but I like Junger’s stuff so I didn’t mind. Wasn’t exactly memorable though. I read the whole thing on the flight to Kigali and gave it back to the original owner when I returned to Toronto.

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The best meals I ate in 2016

A bit more geographic variety in this year’s list. Listed in chronological order.

Alo, Toronto 

My second visit after a wine-tasting dinner, this was a full tasting menu affair, and confirmed for me that Alo is currently the best restaurant in Toronto. How something as simple as a bread course could be mind-blowing just shows the level at which they’re operating.

Breakfast at Kura, Costa Rica

It wasn’t fancy. It was just amazing. Fresh fruit, banana muffins, homemade bread with fresh jam, and coffee filtered through something that looked like a sock, old-school. That it was next to the most beautiful pool view I’d ever seen didn’t hurt.

Modern Steak, Calgary

Sitting by myself, at the bar, at this restaurant in a part of Calgary I’d never seen before (or since) while all the other conference attendees were at some rodeo, I had a tremendous bacon starter and an exceptional steak, and a hell of a quiet, good time.

Eigensinn Farm, Singhampton

It was transcendent the first time. It was even better the second time. Not enough words.

Heaven, Kigali

Truth be told, the food here — while slightly exotic — was only better-than-average (that said, my kuku paka was pretty damned tasty). But eating it overlooking the hills and lights of Kigali put it on this list.

Bocata, Montreal

Kind of a panicky, last-minute decision after flailing desperately for options over the course of an hour, this was a lucky stumble-in down in old Montreal. The kind of place where you occupy a teeny corner of a drafty old room, read the menu off a chalkboard, and then fall into course after delicious course and count your blessings as you rub your belly.

Buca Yorkville, Toronto

It’s been on everyone’s Toronto top-ten list for ages, but I’d just never made it there. And Christ, was I missing out. Definitely one of the best, and most adventurous, meals I’ve ever had in Toronto. Add to that the stunning room and ace service, and this has to be right up there with Alo for destination meals in the city.

Maison Publique, Montreal

Trip #2 to Montreal this year saw visit #1 to Maison Publique, a wonderfully cozy, friendly room with uber-French food and an uber-Canadian wine list. It’s since become a regular visit when in Montreal, and feels like my living room. God, I love it.

Carisma, Toronto

I’ve been here half a dozen times, but the last time might have been the best. The burrata and calamari (frequent orders) were somehow better, the pasta was tops, and the Sangiovese my guy recommended was mind-blowing. Sometimes the perfect comfort dinner makes the list, y’know?

Hawksworth, Vancouver

I stopped for lunch on my way to a meeting, sat at the bar, and ate a killer goddamn burger and fries with a glass of Freemark Abbey cab sauv and put the whole thing squarely in my lunch hall of fame.

Honourable mention: the garam masala duck breast at Pukka; the 1946 Don PX at Cava; the octopus starter from Charcut in Calgary; the bombas at Patria; the pork buns from some random dim sum food truck in Montreal while I’ll probably never find again.

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The best beer I drank in 2016

This is why I pay for an Untappd supporter membership: to be able to download my full beer consumption list. For the ones I remember to log, anyway.

Mackeson XXX Stout Milk Stout

No charming story, just a bottle I picked up at the LCBO and tried at home. Fantastic stuff though.

Trou du Diable L’Ours (#10) Sour Ale

One of a number of bottles (mostly sours) downed in an evening at Boxcar Social, which has become one of the more reliable bottled beer venues in Toronto.

Burdock BUMO Saison Farmhouse

A very special treat, Burdock’s first collaboration with Pearl Morissette winery, a saison/rosé hybrid brought over by friends before the latest Session beer festival.

Sawdust City 1606 Barrel-Aged Raspberry Stout

The best beer at this year’s Session festival, it was strong but well-balanced and well-integrated. Sawdust City killed it at Session.

Brauerei Fahr Fahr Away Hefeweizen

My favourite of the many beers I sampled in the warm sun on The National’s 8th Ave rooftop patio in Calgary: an out-freaking-standing hefeweizen.

Folly Flemish Cap Farmhouse Ale

My first visit to the new(ish) Bar Hop introduced me to an outstanding Folly flemish sour. I don’t know how Folly pulled this off…I wouldn’t have expected to find one of the best examples of this style I’ve ever encountered on Peter Street in Toronto.

Birrificio Del Ducato Mikkie = Cattivella Creme Brulee Stout

I had this during a quick stop at an old Amsterdam favourite, BeerTemple. As big and heavy and sweet as it sounds. As delicious too.

Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Barista Belgian Chocolate Quad

Put down at the Café Gollem in Amsterdam whilst sharing the bar with a cat who lives there and drinks his water out of a Westmalle glass. It should have been overwhelmingly sweet, but it wasn’t.

Birrificio Del Ducato Chrysopolis Lambic

Yet another amazing beer sampled in Amsterdam, this time at Craft & Draft, and the second from this Italian brewery. It was one of the best sours I’ve ever tried. Incredibly strong and sour, but so so good.

Le Saint Bock Harvest Ghosts American Brown Ale w/ Bhut Jolokia Pepper

The second beer I’ve ever had with ghost pepper in it, and this one was almost as good. Such a well-balanced brown, and with all that heat in the back of the throat, just makes it a special combination. Granted, I tend not to log all the beers I drink when in Quebec, so this will have to represent la belle province on my list.

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My favourite moments of 2016

It feels a little weird to write this given a major event this year, which I’ll talk about in my next post, but here goes:

  1. The time in, on, and around the pool at Kura Design Villas in Costa Rica
  2. Spending an entire morning in the hammock on the beach at Latitude 10, also in Costa Rica
  3. Ziplining through the Costa Rican jungle canopy
  4. Sabering open my first bottle of sparkling at Bat Lake
  5. Cheering throughout the Raptors’ best-ever playoff run
  6. As is often the case, standing in the Session beer festival in the middle of Yonge/Dundas square with a killer beer and good friends
  7. Dodging the sun on the rooftop patio at the new(ish) Bar Hop with Andrew & Denise
  8. Visit #2 to Eigensinn Farm
  9. Coming face to face with two families of gorillas in Rwanda
  10. Watching the resident cat drink from a Westmalle beer goblet at Café Gollem in Amsterdam
  11. Seeing the brushwork in the Vermeers up-close at the Rijksmuseum
  12. Alex, the bartender at the impressive Craft & Draft in Amsterdam
  13. Watching The Hip’s final concert in our friends’ back yard
  14. Sitting on the Patria patio with my brother Tim in a t-shirt, even in early October
  15. The Jays sweeping the Rangers
  16. Finally returning to the Dieu Du Ciel brewpub
  17. Sitting in the tiny garage-like tasting room at Blood Brothers after hitting a bunch of art galleries
  18. Talking Canadian wine with the staff at Maison Publique in Montreal
  19. Stumbling upon both kinds of Gueuze Tilquin at Pub Pit Caribou
  20. Freezing my way through the MLS Cup final, even though Toronto FC lost

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Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

Cover photo by Seth Granville, used under Creative Commons license

“Show me a hero, and I’ll write you a tragedy.”

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Being sick, and then really sick, and then less sick, and then cold-ish, and now just slightly underpowered, has meant that I’ve had time to watch a lot of TV, including some mini-series.

I really liked The Night Manager (imdb | rotten tomatoes). I’m hit and miss with Tom Hiddleston (note: Nellie is not. She is very, very hit.) but he was terrific in this, and so was everyone else in the series. Could have done with another two episodes since the middle (middleston?) felt a bit rushed, and there were a few characters who could have done with a touch more development, but overall excellent. Very clever dialogue too.

Speaking of dialogue, Show Me A Hero (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was adapted by David Simon from Lisa Belkin’s book and it told such a deep, detailed story about one long, unbelievable (and, of course, utterly believable) story of Yonkers in the late 80s as integrated low-income housing was forced on them. Oscar Isaac was outstanding, as is often the case, and a few other surprising turns (Jon Bernthal, Winona Ryder, Catherine Keener) added to it. Recommended, especially if pneumonia fells you and you have six hours to kill.

We’ve also started watching Bloodline (imdb | rotten tomatoes) but I’m not sure yet if I like it. It could be an interesting, if slow-building, story, but apart from Kyle Chandler and Chloe Sevigny I despise literally every other major character on the show.

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Cover photo by Seth Granville, used under Creative Commons license

Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

The best of everything from 2015

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

As with last year, rather than write a bunch of separate posts I’m putting all these lists together. All are in alphabetical order unless otherwise noted.

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MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2015

I haven’t listened to the new ones from Dead Weather, Unwound, Waxahatchee, or Wolf Alice yet, but as of right now this is my top ten. Be forewarned: I will almost certainly edit this list by April.

Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes

It took me a while to really warm up to this one — it carries more funk and soul than its predecessor. After a while I came around, and realized that Alabama Shakes might be investing a new little niche here.

Sprained Ankle by Julien Baker

No. No album by a 19-year-old should sound this broken, this world-weary, this real. This good. Just…no.

Depression Cherry by Beach House

Like all their albums, I couldn’t tell you the name of any one song, but the thing as a whole is like a beautiful (slightly) abstract painting. Also: amazing to listen to if you need to concentrate and zen out.

Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

I listen to a lot of post-rock, but no one can touch GY!BE as king of the operatic, bombastic, crunching instrumental soundtrack of our impending doom and/or nirvana.

Art Angels by Grimes

I should not like this album as much as I do. The pitched-up vocals and Taiwanese rapping and drum machines and general dance-iness should drive me nuts. And yet I keep on listening to it, over and over and over and over and over.

Momentary Masters by Albert Hammond Jr

I never cared for The Strokes, nor most of the members’ solo projects, but this one is catchy from start to finish. Even the misbegotten Dylan cover somehow appeals.

How The Spark Loves The Tinder by Monk Parker

Stark. Tremulous. And…old-timey, I guess? I mean, c’mon…there’s more than one song featuring a musical saw. I feel like I’m in the Ozarks when I listen to this.

Summertime ’06 by Vince Staples

I know everyone was all about Kendrick Lamar this year, but I listened to both albums back-to-back and Summertime ’06 just felt so much more vital to me. I get that To Pimp A Butterfly is a good album, but in my mind it suffered for being directly compared to this underdog, and not showing well.

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Beautiful, and thoroughly haunting, especially when you realize he’s singing about — and to — a dead parent.

The Most Lamentable Tragedy by Titus Andronicus

A rock opera crossed with an epic Hobbit-esque journey. This is almost too much of a slog, given the length and the raggedness of Titus’ music, but moments of brilliance and raw emotion save it.

Honorable mention: Painted Shut by Hop Along, Into The Air by Cold Beat, To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, High by Royal Headache, No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney.

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MY FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2015

Offered without comment.

  1. Alabama Shakes . “Miss You”
  2. Albert Hammond Jr . “Side Boob”
  3. Beach House . “PPP”
  4. Dr Dre . “One Shot One Kill (feat. Snoop)”
  5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor . “Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’”
  6. Grimes . “Scream”
  7. Heartless Bastards . “Tristessa”
  8. Julien Baker . “Rejoice”
  9. Kendrick Lamar . “How Much A Dollar Cost”
  10. Monk Parker . “Sadly Yes”
  11. Partner . “Hot Knives”
  12. Royal Headache . “My Own Fantasy”
  13. Sleater-Kinney . “No Cities To Love”
  14. Sufjan Stevens . “Fourth Of July”
  15. Titus Andronicus . “More Perfect Union”
  16. U.S. Girls . “Sororal Feelings”
  17. Vacation . “I Wish I Could Be Someone Else”
  18. Waxahatchee . “Breathless”
  19. Winter Passing . “Fruits Of Gloom”
  20. Wolf Alice . “Bros”

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MY FAVOURITE MOVIES OF 2015

As usual, we use the last few days of the year, and first few weeks of next year, to catch up on all the best movies. Blame Hollywood — they release everything critically-acclaimed after August. That means we haven’t yet watched ’71, 99 Homes, A Most Violent Year, Beasts of No Nation, The Big Short, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Carol, Creed, Dope, The Gift, Going Clear, The Hateful Eight, Inside Out, Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck, Mississippi Grind, Mommy, Phoenix, The Revenant, Room, Slow West, Spotlight, Spy, Steve Jobs, What We Do In The Shadows, or While We’re Young, so this list is woefully incomplete. That said, here’s the top ten as of right now:

Ant-Man

Marvel made a movie to match its hero: smaller, subtler. Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas were unlikely primary players in a superhero movie, but that just added to the off-kilterness of the movie. Plus: Michael Peña.

Ex Machina

A worthy addition to the robot-ethics, what-is-consciousness-anyway? pantheon of films. The interior of the set is so stark, so claustrophobic as to make the actual robots seem warm and soulful. And Oscar Isaac is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors.

It Follows

A clever, original horror movie which is also an allegory for promiscuity. But mainly a very creepy horror movie. Nellie couldn’t sleep for a few nights after this one, and looked very warily at anyone who appeared to be following her.

Mad Max: Fury Road

You wouldn’t think a Mad Max film would make this list, but wow…what a movie. Relentless action, a bold return to practical effects (with CGI supplements), welcome feminist themes throughout…a thinking person’s bad-ass action movie.

The Martian

Formulaic, sure, but it’s just done so well. Gripping, funny, engaging, charming, and a great escape for what’s a surprisingly long running time.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Again — not one I would’ve expected on the year-end top-ten list. There’s no secret weapon here; it’s a standard-issue M:I movie…which is to say, highly entertaining. At some point Cruise will have to stop making these, but for now: carry on, Mr. Hunt.

Sicario

The best of our TIFF selections this year. The back third suffers a little, but the first two acts are among the best I’d seen all year. The shootout scene at the border crossing was immaculately executed, Emily Blunt was outstanding, and the political undercurrents give it more depth than a standard procedural.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Getting over the bar set by the prequels wasn’t hard. This probably isn’t even a great movie, but it’s a great Star Wars movie, and Star Wars means a lot to me, so here it is on the list. Judging by the critical reviews, I don’t think I’m alone in my reasoning here. 38 years ago Episode IV sent Hollywood down a bad path by creating an over-reliance on special effects, which drifted too far into CGI at the cost of its own soul. Hopefully Episode VII manages to change how studios make big sweeping stories, and make them feel human again.

Trainwreck

Suffers a little from the Judd Apatow disease (that is: it runs about 20 minutes longer than it needs to) but Amy Schumer’s charisma and Bill Hader’s charm keep you right in this one. So does LeBron James, surprisingly.

Where To Invade Next

Not exactly great filmmaking — not Moore’s best, even — but so hopeful that I just had to like it. Plus, seeing a rough cut with the director (and several of the stars) in the crowd gave this one some added weight which might not carry into other venues, but it was one of the few highlights of our TIFF this year.

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MY FAVOURITE TV SHOWS OF 2015

Apparently we should be watching Better Call Saul, Bojack Horseman, Fargo, Master Of None, Nathan For You, Show Me A Hero, Transparent, and UnREAL, but we aren’t yet. And I just started on Sense8 so I haven’t formed an opinion quite yet. I did, however, form an opinion about season 2 of True Detective: that it sucked. It sucked even more in retrospect than it did in the moment. Here’s what I did like this year though:

Daredevil (Netflix)

This series, like the Affleck film, had all kinds of potential to go wrong. It didn’t. It found the dark edge it needed, it cast Matt Murdock perfectly, and the surrounding characters (especially Fisk) are all excellent.

Game Of Thrones (HBO)

Still the series I get more psyched about weeks in advance, and this year they strode ahead of the books into unfamiliar territory, which only makes me look forward to it that much more.

Hannibal (NBC)

Unlike last year my top ten list includes a show from a major American network. We came to Hannibal late, else it would have been on my list every year it aired: both leads were stellar, and it’s so visually stunning. Though how a show this violent could be shown on American network TV I’ll never understand.

Homeland (Showtime)

Season 5 got them back to the spy craft basics: subterfuge, politics, ambition, patriotism, leak morality, distrust, cold war echoes, and so on. It was all over the place, but expected us to keep up, and for the most part it was fun — not bludgeoning — to do so.

House Of Cards (Netflix)

The weakest of the three seasons, but still gripping and binge-worthy. I still clear a weekend for this show.

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

This one came out of nowhere. I like how Marvel, as with Daredevil, gives us characters more powerful than humans, but not near-god Avenger types. Jessica is so flawed and so vulnerable that her struggles seem more relate-able than, say, Iron Man’s.

Mad Men (AMC)

I know the final season dragged in parts, but that ending made it worth it. Funnily enough, though, the enduring final image of the series for me was of Peggy, strutting down the hall with a box of her stuff, pornographic octopus painting under her arm, sunglasses on, cigarette dangling from her mouth, with a fuck-you grin.

Making A Murderer (Netflix)

I’m barely a few episodes into this and I’m hooked. Don’t tell me what happens.

Mr. Robot (USA)

Another one that came out of nowhere. I had no idea what to expect, but the first five minutes of the series had me completely hooked. Strained the Mr. Robot plot device for too long, and got a little too out-there at times, but good twists and an excellent lead can take you a long way.

Walking Dead (AMC)

I’m certainly feeling less interested in this show each season, and they almost lost me a couple of times this year, but they still manage to pull me back in. Realistically, as long as Nellie’s obsessed with this show, I don’t think I could stop watching it if I tried.

Honorable mention: Narcos, Orange Is The New Black, Silicon Valley.

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THE BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2015

None. Not one. Isn’t that sad?

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THE BEST MEALS I ATE IN 2015

As with last year I haven’t bothered including anything home-cooked, even by friends who can cook the shit out of a meal. These are in chronological order.

Café Amelie, New Orleans

We ate very well on our trip to New Orleans (how could you not?) but my favourite meal was probably in this quiet courtyard, covered by trees, surrounded by happy Mardi Gras crowds, and featuring an absolutely outstanding shrimp, corn, and cajun spice penne.

Rose & Sons, Toronto

This had been on my to-try list forever, and it didn’t disappoint. Just high-concept comfort food: fried chicken, mac & cheese, onion rings, cornbread, and good wine.

Markthalle Neun, Berlin

Yeah, sure, while in Berlin we also ate at FACIL, which has two Michelin stars, but my most memorable meal was when we inadvertently stumbled into Markthalle Neun, which is kind of like St. Lawrence Market, in search of a small brewery. We found it, drank their tap list, and gathered food from around the market for our lunch. I bought something called Berlin Balls and ate them with Heidenpeters’ pale ale, and it was just the best.

Our friend Matt @ Maison Relaxio, St-Joseph-de-Sorel

I know I said I was leaving home-cooked meals off this list, but our friend Matt made this one, centered around burgers made of pork and beef and stuffed with motherfucking goose confit, at a big cottage north of Montreal. Paired with all the stellar wine and beer we had acquired in the previous 24 hours, it was a memorable meal in a birthday trip full of them.

Salle À Manger, Montreal

Speaking of that birthday trip, this meal was the following night. Our numbers had swelled from 10 to 16, and Nellie had arranged dinner at this cool spot in the Plateau. We ate family-style, and I lost track of the courses, though I do remember — and will never forget — the entire roasted suckling pig. I ate a lot of it, paired with an outstanding Loire cab franc our friend Kaylea had picked out. We destroyed some people that night, and our friend J-P ate the pig’s face. Epic.

The Chase, Toronto

I’m not really much of one for seafood, but this place does it right. I ate there on someone else’s dime, thank goodness, and was more than impressed with the octopus/chorizo appetizer and the halibut for two, not to mention the wine selection and the service.

Every Time I… pop-up, Toronto

Our friend Adam jointly held a pop-up dinner (he was the chef) on Dundas West back in August, with the pairing centered around cider. Cider’s not exactly my thing, but the food was good, and one course — the smoked perch croquette — was one of the very best things I ate all year, and was strong enough to make this list on its own.

Rasa, Toronto

Any time T-Bone and I get together for dinner, it’s going to be someplace good. She picked this one on Harbord, and every single dish was top-notch. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if they’d air-conditioned the place and I hadn’t sweat to death.

Alo, Toronto

I’d read good things about Alo, but hadn’t managed to get in until Pearl Morissette invited people to a tasting of their new California wines. The wines were, in fact, terrific, but so was the food. So much so that we’ve already made plans to go back in January.

NAO, Toronto

For years Jacobs & Co. has been the king of the steakhouse in Toronto, but after two visits to NAO we now see them as 1 and 1a. Our second time there, when we could try more variety in the menu and the sommelier (who remembered us) offered up three outstanding off-menu bottles for us to try, NAO was solidified as a new favourite in the city.

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THE BEST BEERS I DRANK IN 2015

Using Untappd makes it easy for me to look back and find the best (new) beers I try each year. I need a similar app for wine. And whisky. And maybe coffee. Anyway, these are the ten best, in the order I drank them:

Heidenpeters Pale Ale

In Heidenpeters’ little stall in the back corner of Berlin’s Markthalle Neun, I found my favourite pale of the year. Hopfenreich, which we visited later that day, was a cooler place with far more beer, but this was just such an unexpected surprise.

Oast House Coffee Milk Stout

I had this at C’est What right after we got off the plane from Berlin (it seems to be our go-to place, post-flight) and probably needed the coffee as much as I needed a beer. Coffee stouts and milk stouts are two of my favourite styles; Oast House pulled off the combo.

Black Oak Cinnamon, Rum Soaked Raisin Vanilla Nut Brown Ale

I drank this one sitting at Bar Volo, with Nellie and brother #2, watching the rain pour down around us. It sounds more like a cake than a beer, but Black Oak makes one of the more reliable nut browns out there, so layering in a few treats just put it over the top.

Sawdust City Until Tomorrow Ingrid

One of my two favourites at this year’s Session festival, this was a sour barrel-aged cranberry Saison. Better than it had any right to be. Pale red tint, hence the rather rude acronym. Added bonus: the Sawdust City guys there were hammered, and decided to sing “O Canada” on stage.

Side Launch Syrah Vice

My other favourite at Session, this was a hefeweizen aged in Tawse Syrah barrels. So Side Launch’s wheat (which I love) aged in barrels from Tawse (which I love)…pretty sure this one was destined to be on my year-end list.

Vanderghinste Oud Bruin

I honestly don’t even remember what brought me to Beerbistro on a Friday night — normally it would be too packed in there at 6pm. Looks like we were taking down some Belgians though, and this was one of the best sours (or, Flanders red, to be specific) I’d ever tried.

Oast House Biere De Mars

A bottle we’d brought home from Oast the weekend before, and a stellar farmhouse. Oast, by the way, is the only brewery to make my list twice this year.

Stone City Devil And the Deep

My favourite from this year’s Cask Days 2015. I ended up drinking a lot of sours (all the stouts and porters seemed to be sold out) but this was the best of the lot. Stone City has really impressed me so far.

Viven Smoked Porter

A random grab from the LCBO’s winter release, this one was a classic example of a porter. Very lightly smoked, despite the name.

Tatamagouche Dreadnot (Rum Barrel-Aged)

Shared this with both brothers at brother #2’s house last week. We tried a lot from Tatamagouche, one of the newer Nova Scotia craft breweries, but this imperial black IPA was the best of the bunch. I wish I’d had time to pick another one up to bring back to Toronto. It would age nicely, I imagine.

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MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS OF 2015

Obviously I can’t remember them all, but this is my best guess at my twenty favourite (non-work) moments from 2015, in chronological order.

  1. Standing on the frozen Bat Lake during a New Year’s Day snowstorm
  2. The gold medal game at the World Juniors
  3. Watching Lundi Gras parades from the Avenue Pub balcony
  4. Singing along with the Treme Brass Band at d.b.a. on Mardi Gras
  5. Watching The Hip play Fully Completely in its entirety at the ACC
  6. Sitting on the Bier Markt patio the day the no-smoking law took effect
  7. A black-tie dinner at the historic Tempelhof airport in Berlin
  8. Looking at Istanbul from a boat on the Bosphorus
  9. Discovering what kokorec is after I’d already eaten two of them
  10. Finally seeing Rush in concert, and especially seeing them play “Losing It” live for the first and only time
  11. Drinking a beer on my buddy Joe’s boat in the middle of a lake
  12. Watching Jon Stewart end his Daily Show show run, dancing with his crew to “Born To Run”
  13. One night at Maison Relaxio
  14. Going to church in Montreal (aka Dieu Du Ciel brewery on Sunday morning)
  15. Drinking craft beer on a tall ship in Toronto harbour
  16. Playing bocce by headlight
  17. Seeing the Rheostatics reunite to honor the Group Of Seven
  18. Jose Bautista’s homer and subsequent bat flip
  19. Drinking half a bottle of Crown Royal Northern Rye whiskey with my brothers sitting around brother #2’s kitchen
  20. New year’s eve. Hasn’t even happened yet, but I’m calling it.

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Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

Cover photo by Jason Sweeney, used under Creative Commons license

“Please, tell me you are seeing this, too.”

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

In between all the nice weather this past weekend we decided to binge-watch a new show: Narcos (imdb | rotten tomatoes), another Netflix joint. It’s not an acting masterclass, but they told the story really well. I remember hearing Pablo Escobar’s name when I was young, but didn’t really absorb much detail about him beyond being a drug lord, so I was really hearing and seeing this fairly unbelievable story for the first time. That’s what made it so compelling. We killed it in three days.

On Monday we decided to watch the first episode of another new show which has just started airing here: Mr. Robot (imdb | rotten tomatoes). I was hooked in the first five minutes.

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Cover photo by Jason Sweeney, used under Creative Commons license

Chuck, roll 212.

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

While I try to gather my thoughts, pictures, liver, and gratitude from last weekend, I have to comment on last night’s Daily Show finale. It was, basically, perfect.

The collection of so many former correspondents. Jon’s final guidance on combating bullshit. The Scorsese-homage tour behind the scenes. The staff’s joyous dancing around the studio as Bruce Springsteen played “Born To Run”. But most of all, Stephen Colbert’s touching (and terrifying to Stewart for its earnestness) surprise thank-you on behalf of the former correspondents.

Watching him try so desperately to not acknowledge the impact he’s had on people, and then watching him jump up and down in a massive group hug with them afterwards, is so much of what I admire about the man. We see so little of him personally, but over 16 years tiny bits and pieces have given me a respect for him that went beyond the show, even if I couldn’t quite articulate it.

And now, a constant part of my life since I started watching (in 2001? 2002 maybe?) is done. Well, the show is there, but it can’t — and shouldn’t — be the same. I’m so glad we went to New York nine years ago to watch a taping. I couldn’t tell you who the guest was, but who cares? That’s not why we were there. That’s not why we watched.

Thanks Jon.

Cover photo by Steve Cox, used under Creative Commons

Crimefighter

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I’ve started watching the new series Daredevil (imdb) on Netflix. It’s pretty good so far, and it needed the freedom of someone like HBO or Netflix to let it breathe. Read: it’s really violent. But so is Daredevil.

It also has, at the end of episode 2, one of the best fight scenes I’ve ever seen.

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Cover photo by Steve Cox, used under Creative Commons

Heluva Good dip weekend

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Last week our friends Kaylea & Matt offered to have us up to the cottage. We accepted; I needed a weekend off, and Nellie really needed a weekend off.

We dashed out of work and caught a Go Train to Barrie, where Kaylea picked us up and brought us to their place. We celebrated by breaking out some sparkling:

We had reservations at the Local Gastropub and, after some taxi qualms, took our seats in a booth by the bar. I had the battered cod n’ chips; Nellie had the triple smoked ontario bacon mac n’ cheese. We were in the mood for apostrophes apparently. I drank a Wellington brown ale and a Side Launch dark lager. We cabbed home and all fell asleep in front of the TV. It had been a long day.

The next day Kaylea had to work so Matt, Nellie, and I went for breakfast at the Midway Diner, which is exactly as authentic as it sounds. Nellie and I had full-on greasy breakfast: sausage (bacon for her), eggs, hash browns, toast, OJ, coffee/tea. It was goddamn delicious, and it more or less held us over until dinner.

Once Kaylea got back we loaded up the car, made a stop at Barnstormer for some beer, and drove to the cottage. We relaxed for a bit with some Barnstormers and then two amazing bottles of sparkling — a Benjamin Bridge 2008 Estate Brut which had just arrived in our mailbox that day, and a Two Sisters “Lush” sparkling rosé — until it was nearly dinner time, and Matt began prepping the meal.

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And quel meal it was:

  • roasted red pepper soup with shrimp and cumin (Creekside 2012 Reserve Viognier)
  • salmon in beurre blanc (Pentage 2012 Sauv Blanc / Semillon)
  • pappardelle with sausage and tomato (Niagara Teaching College 2011 “Dean’s List Desicatto” Cabernet Franc)
  • grilled ribeye (Black Hills 2013 Nota Bené bordeaux blend)
  • Pilliteri 2008 merlot icewine

We did our best to absorb all that, and eventually all fell asleep from the effort.

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The next morning we all slept in, except for when Kaylea’s phone alarm went off and it sounded like a jaunty police chase. Once we finally woke up Matt and Nellie prepared another big greasy breakfast (plenty of bacon, eggs, toast, Caesars, etc.) and we generally lay about for the whole day. Well, Matt and Nellie went for a walk, and I did some work, and we all watched many hours of news, but other than that: layabouts.

Finally we had to pack up the car, load up on Tim Horton’s, drop Matt off back in Barrie, and drive down to Toronto. The remaining trio of us ordered pizza, settled in to watch The Walking Dead, and went directly into pyjama mode.

Good weekend. Great weekend. But I’m going to pay for it this week.