I Heart Edmonton

The city is about to look a lot like a Garth Brooks concert! BY EMIL TIEDEMANN What: Canadian Finals Rodeo When: Wednesday, Nov. 11-Sunday, Nov. 15 Where: Rexall Place (7424-118 Ave./ 780-471-7210) S INCE 1974 Edmonton has played host to Canada's national championship rodeo, the CFR ( Canadian Finals Rodeo ), which takes over Rexall Place & Northlands from Nov. 11-15. The 6-day rural-to-urban extravaganza will showcase the world's greatest rodeo athletes, all competing for more than $1.27 million, the richest purse in the history of the CFR. The 36th annual CFR is expected to draw in tens of thousands of fans from across the country (and beyond), and will coincide with Farmfair International 2009 (Nov. 6-15), "Canada's premier livestock showcase." And it looks like the CFR won't be leaving our town any time in the near future, recently announcing a contract extension with the CPRA ( Canadian Professional Rodeo Association ) that will keep the rodeo i...

'Frozen River' by Gabor Fur BY EMIL TIEDEMANN " S OME of the old movies have great composition, it's like a drug that I am drawn into when I see some of the images," revealed local photographer Gabor Fur when asked about his introduction to the art of photography. "It had become a hobby that is a necessity now." Fur, who happens to be an acquaintance of mine, was born in 1981 in Dunaujvaros, Hungary, a town with a population of less than 50,000. He moved to Canada with his parents in 1989 and now calls Edmonton home. His interest in American cinema, most notably Stanley Kubrick 's A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey , soon transitioned into a passion for still photography. Most of Fur's photos are black & white, including the one below, 'Frozen River ,' which captures the floating ice chunks of the North Saskatchewan River, just short of Edmonton's downtown. Fur uses a Canon 30D/EF DSLR. PHOTO POSTED WITH PERMISSION FR...

Local screenwriter, etc. puts on a show that we won't soon forget...even if we wanted to! BY EMIL TIEDEMANN H ALLOWEEN is just days away, so it seems that all the freaks are coming outta the woodwork. Edmonton writer Marty Chan 's The Bone House is no exception, but as we learn in this live theatre thriller, that's just the way we like it! Tuesday night (Oct. 27) was half-price night, so my inner cheapskate awakened and I headed down to Old Strathcona to take advantage of the sale ($11). There was already a lineup when I arrived at the TransAlta Arts Barns ' PCL Studio Theatre (10330-84 Ave.) a half hour before showtime (8:00PM). We took to our seats and The Bone House started soon after. There was a projection screen at the back of the small PCL stage, and to the right was a desk with a laptop and speakers. Black curtains surrounded us at every wall, from floor to ceiling, even shading the exit doors. It was a humble theatre, filled with about a hundred temporary se...

Live theater thriller is a creepy alternative to the big screen for the Halloween season What: "The Bone House" When: Thursday, Oct. 22-Saturday, Nov. 7 Where: TransAlta Arts Barns (10330-84 Ave.) " A horror show that rivals, maybe even surpasses, The Blair Witch Project for skin crawling creepiness and terror," bragged The Globe and Mail about Edmonton writer Marty Chan 's " The Bone House ," playing at the TransAlta Arts Barns ' PCL Studio Theatre (780-409-1910) from October 22nd to November 7th. The theatrical thriller is set around "mind hunter" Eugene Crowley (and his assistant Jacob ), who tells the story of the " Midnight Cowboy ," an infamous serial killer who prefers an audience for his murders. The subject of these types of murderers (ie. Bundy , Manson , Pickton ) becoming "celebrities" in our society arises, and the show also takes a look inside the mind of a killer. "Will the audience help Euge...

Not since The Blair Witch Project has a movie forced so many unsuspecting viewers to sleep with the lights on BY EMIL TIEDEMANN T OSSING and turning in my bed, alone at night, I kept imagining that some alter-dimension entity would tug my shielding blanket from my grip and then toss me around the room at its disposal. That's how I slept the night I paid 12 dollars and 50 cents to see Paranormal Activity at the Scotiabank Theatre ( West Edmonton Mall ), the only one in the city playing the do-it-yourself terror flick that was made for a reported $15,000. Israeli-born filmmaker Oren Peli (2010's Area 51 ) directed, scripted and even edited his cinematic inauguration, which is being hailed as the suburban Blair Witch Project , due to their familiar style of shooting and techniques. The one-time video game designer filmed the entire 86-minute movie at his own home in San Diego, using a hand-held home video camera to offshoot expenses and, of course, to induce an atmosphere of p...

Exploring Edmontonians' options when the multi-plex experience has worn thin BY EMIL TIEDEMANN A T any given time, year-round, anyone can head out to any of the city's seven multi-plexes to take in any of the dozens of new films playing to wide audiences. A few other movie houses in town (i.e. The Garneau , The Princess ) project films that are also recent, but perhaps aren't playing in most smaller cities. Then there's Metro Cinema ( Citadel Theatre ), which screens local or indie flicks you'll probably see nowhere else in the city or its surrounding areas. But what about the films of the "golden age of Hollywood"? Where can folks go to see the classics on the big screen all over again, or for the first time perhaps? Luckily, there's the Edmonton Film Society , a "nonprofit group dedicated to keeping the Hollywood movies of yesteryear in the public eye." The EFS hosts four series every year, each of which consist of eight films that are con...

YouTube video shows off Edmonton's most popular festivals BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T'S time to face facts, autumn has settled in and winter seems to be right around the corner, which means that Edmonton's world-renowned festival season has come to an end. Sure, there are a handful of smaller fests going on as we speak or are coming up soon, but all the major ones have wrapped up for the year, including the Fringe , Folk Fest , Capital Ex , A Taste of Edmonton , Heritage Days and the Street Performers Festival . In fact, it was earlier this month that the last of the big ones, the Edmonton International Film Festival , had ended its '09 season, which led us into the lesser-known DEDfest Horror Film Festival (Oct. 15-18) and the North of Nowhere Expo (Oct.16-31). Although Edmontonians have bid farewell to one of the most prolific festival schedules in North America, we're a year-round festival city and it's only time that stands in the way for the next round of the bi...

An alternative to Halloween pub crawls and house parties is waiting for you at The Iron Horse BY MEGAN DART What: "Dead Centre of Town: Ghost Town" When: 9PM/ Thursday, October 29 Where: The Iron Horse (8101 Gateway Blvd.) M ORE than one hundred years ago, [the current Iron Horse ] building used to be a train station, did you know that? Back for another night of gory good times, Catch the Keys Productions is proud to present the third annual " Dead Centre of Town: Ghost Train ." Set in the city's first train station on the south side of the river, "Dead Centre of Town" is an interactive Halloween experience that digs up and dances with the dirty, dusty, sometimes still bloody bones of the sadly forgotten history of Edmonton. Featuring the wicked talents of: Stuart Hoye , Adam Keefe , Christine Lesiak , Ryland Alexander , Vincent Forcier , Clarice Eckford , Kathryn Evans , John Evans , Paul Bezaire , Sheena Haug , Michael Caron , Matt Schuurman and...

Halloween is around the corner, so Deadmonton is gearing up with a slew of things to do... - E DMONTON Ghost Tours is already a week into their ghost walks in Old Strathcona (10322-83 Ave.), which will set you back just $5 "per soul." The walks take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights ( October 12-29 ) at 7PM and go for about an hour. There is no pre-booking, and organizers ask that you arrive 15 minutes early. - Edmontonians with pets are encouraged to spend Friday night ( October 23 ) at the ACTSS ' (Animal Cancer Therapy Subsidization Society) 9th " Annual Hal loween Extravaganza ," which includes dinner, games, a silent auction, pet cancer tributes, and even a pet costume contest. The event is hosted at the Palace Banquet & Conference Facility . Call 780-497-9776 for ticket info. - On Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 (6-11PM), anyone is welcome to head down to Fort Edmonton Park 's " Spooktacular ," which...

The arts take center stage at the 13th annual Edmonton fest BY EMIL TIEDEMANN N IGHT of Artists XIII kicks off at 6PM on Thursday, November 5th, at the TransAlta Arts Barn (10330-84 ave.) in O ld Strathcona , where more than 20 artists will be featured, displaying their work in live music, visual art, poetry, dance, fashion and more. The annual arts festival was founded in 1997 by globally showcased St. Albert artist Phil Alain , who also transitioned the event into the national NOA magazine. It had begun as a solo show in St. Albert, but has since evolved into a national stage for the arts community. " Think Outside the Box " is this year's theme, running from the 5th until Saturday, November 7th, featuring artists like Lewis Lavoie , Heather Brewster , Bear Lamont , Chris Riley , Bonnie Hood , and Alain himself. Thursday's passes ($50) are sold out, but Friday ($25/ $30 @ door) and weekend passes ($50/ includes VIP Gala) are still available at TIX on the Square ...

The living dead and psychologically-challenged make for one hell of a good time at the country's best fest of its kind BY EMIL TIEDEMANN D O you enjoy watching decapitations in slow motion? How about reanimated corpses snacking on fresh " BRAINS "? Perhaps you're into gory torture scenes that test your gag reflexes? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you're either demented like myself or you'd be a shoe-in for Canada's premier horror film festival, DEDfest , which runs through until this evening (Sunday, Oct. 18). Friday night was Day 2 (of 4) of DEDfest, which is the reincarnation of last year's Deadmonton Film Festival , a gathering of horror movie fans that went "on hiatus" when co-founder Matt Acosta decided to pursue filmmaking on a more full-time basis. The news left me balling on my bedroom floor, screaming "Why?! Why?!" at the top of my smoke-cloaked lungs, clenching my reddened fists at the Lord...

Patiently waiting Edmonton hip-hop fans filled Rexall for Jay-Z & co. BY EMIL TIEDEMANN W HO knew Edmonton--a city with no less than three rock stations--had so much love for Jay-Z ?! I certainly didn't, which explains why I spent half the concert staring out at the adoring crowd instead of the sleek stage at Rexall Place Tuesday night (Oct. 13). Myself and 9,000 strangers-to-me ventured out into the below-zero evening to catch a glimpse of a rare occasion in our town...a rap mogul, live in concert. Jay-Z's guest appearance in Edmonton followed the news of three recent hip-hop concert cancellations, in Lil' Wayne , Mos Def and Kanye West , the latter of whom called off his whole tour shortly after the bullshit he pulled at the MTV awards last month. But Jay-Z stuck to the script and put on a ferocious presentation that caught me offguard. He's a seasoned entertainer and he knows exactly what he's doing, after 20 years in the industry, which could be why the gu...

' Edmonton ' has a heart-on for our new Twitter page! Follow us into the future... " I Heart Edmonton is excited to join the Twitter movement!," proclaimed our first post on Twitter, one of the world's largest social networks, and an extremely resourceful and communal tool that will surely go a long way in promoting all there is to see and do in the city of Edmonton. "I Heart" finally teamed up with Twitter as of yesterday (October 11), and we're excited to see where it takes us in the future. "I Heart" welcomes your feedback, ideas, comments, and even your pet peeves via Twitter, and we'll focus on sharing with you upcoming events in and around the Alberta capital. You can also keep updated right on the "I Heart" page, by scrolling down to the bottom of the sidebar, where you will find the " I Heart on Twitter " box, featuring the latest updates. We're looking forward to hearing from you! Happy Thanksgiving E...

"Fire!" by Lorna F. Kemp A LSO known as hot wax paintings, encaustic artwork is created using heated beeswax and then adding colour pigments for effect. This ancient art form has been practiced since at least the first centuries of recorded time, and has witnessed a resurgence of interest in its method by the 1990s. Below, I Heart Edmonton is proud to present one of locally-based artist Lorna F. Kemp 's own encaustic paintings, " Fire! " Born in Norquay, Saskatchewan, Kemp trained in the arts in Seattle, Red Deer and at Edmonton's University of Alberta , and has since become "one of Canada's most up & coming encaustic painters and her work is well known internationally." "The wax has a mind of its own, so although I guide it, it is always a pleasant surprise to see just what the end result is," stated Kemp, who is recognized most for her work in and around Edmonton. "When I am painting, I am lost in the world of my subject,...

e Location: various locations (downtown Edmonton) Address: Suite 6-22, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Phone: 780-498-2500 Email: litfest@interbaun.com Dates: Wednesday, October 21-Sunday, October 25, 2009 Hours: Starts at Noon (Wed.-Fri.)/ 10AM (Sat.)/ 11AM (Sun.) Cost: $100 (full pass)/ $25 (student pass) The country's only creative non-fiction festival is Edmonton's International Literary Festival , LitFest for short. Now in its eighth year LitFest brings together award-winning and emerging writers, artists and filmmakers for thought-provoking presentations, readings and panel discussions. The 5-day event celebrates and promotes local writers and artists who "employ the diligence of a reporter, the shifting voices and viewpoints of a novelist, the refined work play of a poet and the analytical modes of the essayist and a journalist." The successor of the Alberta Book Fair, LitFest also includes three pre-event showcases: "The Dissent of China" at th...

e More than any other major city in Canada, Edmonton has become synonymous with oil and the prosperity that tags along with it, even earning the nickname "oil capital of Canada" during the 1940s. The oil boom of central Alberta was also the subject of controversy in the region, due to environmental issues and the demolishing of early buildings to make room for modern high rises and skyscrappers in the 1960s. Since oil was first discovered in Leduc (33 km south of Edmonton) on February 13, 1947, our city experienced major growing pains, as population went from 149,000 to 269,000 during the 1950s alone. A resurgence in 1973 followed a decade of lowered interest in the region's oil reserves, and then another blitz during 1979's Iranian Revolution, just as the aptly-named Edmonton Oilers joined the National Hockey League. Our latest oil boom hit a brick wall during the great recession of '08, after it was ignited in the late '90s. But there's no doubt that E...

124th Street discreetly hosts a buzzing community of restaurants, specialty shops, galleries, and this cyber cafè with a few secrets of its own BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Two years before Edmonton was proclaimed an official city, its current West End was just starting to take shape, after Scotland-born farmer Malcolm Groat (yes, that Groat) sold his 900 acres to real estate promoters in 1903. Surrounding areas such as Glenora and Groat Estates congregated to what was known then as Edward Street, as the region's central shopping hub. Today, this bustling community is simply recognized as 124th Street , and it remains that cultural core a century later. It was only recently that I truly got to appreciate the potpourri of 124th Street, a small section of a large town that could easily be Whyte Ave. 's baby brother, who is usually left on the sidelines as Mommy & Daddy focus all their attention on his older and more popular sibling. In terms of patronage, 124th has a long way to go be...