Melora Koepke

Father figure: Oldman as debauched-wolf-killer in RRH remake. Ratings: You can’t live with ‘em, and you can’t make a studio movie without ‘em. When director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Lords of Dogtown) decided with her production team that she’d like to rejig the ancient folktale of Little Red Riding Hood as teen entertainment for the Twilight demographic, with […]

Women on the Verge: Sucker Punch puts weapons of destruction in the hands of babes A sucker punch is synonymous with what’s called a “dirty hit,” or misogynistically, a “bitch move.” It’s a hit that takes the recipient unawares, usually from behind. But Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch is nothing if not full frontal (though not […]

Dirty oil, sold dirt cheap: Montreal filmmaker Shannon Walsh’s H2Oil digs deep into Alberta’s multi-billion-dollar oil industry As Canadians, we are the proud owners of what may be the most environmentally destructive undertaking of our or any other era. The multi-billion-dollar industry that extracts oil from the Athabasca oil sands is internationally controversial and environmentally […]

Montreal director makes dreams come true in her first feature, The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom Next week, Tara Johns’ first feature, The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom, will close the Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois – a huge honour for any film, especially a first feature from an anglo filmmaker, shot and set […]

Shot in Halifax: HwaS is transgressive independent cinema at its very best…or worst, depending on the time of day Forget lobster, bar fiddles and the Cabot Trail – once Hobo With a Shotgun hits screens next week, Nova Scotia may soon be famous for gore-spattered urban decay. The aptly named debut feature directed by 28-year-old Jason […]

New York’s master of pork buns visits Montreal to hawk cookbook, Banh mi By the time I get to meet David Chang, the interview has been put off twice because of what a good time he’s having in Montreal. Chang, whose four Manhattan restaurants – Momofuku, Ssäm Bar, Milk Bar and the new-ish, two-Michelin-starred Ko […]

All Sex Workers want for Christmas is a Charter Challenge, etc Why is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Émilie Laliberté’s Christmas wish list? Our cover model is a sex worker and spokeswoman for Stella, Montreal’s community organization by and for sex workers. There is still a long way to go before sex workers […]

I arrive at Price Canyon Ranch just as the sun is setting behind the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Half a dozen riders are ravenously tucking into ranch-raised flatiron steaks as I sit down across from the head wrangler, Randy Barnhart. I expect questions about my riding experience, but he just grins and asks if […]

Expectations are high for Due Date, screenwriter/director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to last year’s The Hangover, a dirty little flick set on the seedy side of Sin City, starring semi-unknown actors, that became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The Hangover‘s most memorable quality, besides the Phil Collins/Mike Tyson cameo, wasthe wildcard in a movie of wildcards: Zach […]

I’ve been missing Mexico lately, maybe it’s the winter in the air in Montreal. Here’s an article about museums in the D.F. I wrote for onAir, Air Canada’s newsletter. A few stolen moments contemplating Rivera’s splendid four-part Carnaval de la Vida Mexicana – a riot of colour and emotion that stretches across a north wall […]