Movie Watch: Art School Confidential

The upcoming film Art School Confidential was written and directed by the same team that brought the world the cult-classic Ghost World. Daniel Clowes, the writer of both films (and the writer/artist of the comics they are based on) was even nominated for an Oscar for the Ghost World screenplay. His newest creation is already picking up a lot of good buzz, and it will be opening in select theatres on May 5th.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Clowes when he visited the Bloor Cinema for an autograph signing a few years ago. He was affable and generous with his time, taking a few minutes to speak to each of his fans as he signed their swag and thanked them for coming out. It was the last image you would ever mentally conjure when anticipating an encounter with an Oscar-nominee. The man has no ego.

A still from Art School Confidential. Yes, that's the sailboat guy from Mallrats on the right (Ethan Suplee).

Want to read a great interview with Daniel Clowes regarding the new film, and the writing process? Click here.

Want to go to the official site of the film? Click here.

Shul of Rock Presents: Barry and Avi Go Downtown

Exams giving you the blues? Having trouble finding a job? Is your crazy uncle still trying to set you up with his co-worker's kid, but you just ain't interested, and he keeps reminding you and getting all up in your face, and you're like "Back off, man" and he's all "whatevah" and kicks your hairy cheeks to Sunday morning?

Well leave your troubles behind, because you are about to take a trip into the wacky world of Barry (our own Mr. T) and Avi (that'd be me) as we venture through downtown Toronto. There will be music, jokes, a slathering of improv, and even a cameo by MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller. It doesn't get much better than this.

Xbox 360 packs power! / New flick coming soon

click the image to enlarge it

I had the pleasure of gaming on the Xbox 360 today. That machine packs some serious power. The new Tomb Raider game looked stunning on the widescreen plasma display, and the controls were very intuitive, and easy to master. The graphics were lush and the sound field was wide and varied. I can't believe videogames have come this far! It's amazing.

Coming soon: Barry and Avi Go Downtown - the short web-film that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh some more. It is a return to form. After the sombre mini-documentary that covered my pitiful search for a job, here comes a carefree buddy film adventure set in Toronto's downtown core. Its got good music, good visuals, and good times. Stick around, cause it's about to enter the Shul of Rock rotation.

S of R Presents: Looking for a Job

I was inspired by the film exhibition I saw yesterday, and the mini-documentary I created today is the result. I shot, edited, and uploaded it all within the last couple of hours. It chronicles my search for a summer job. It is an earnest look at the frustrations of looking for employment. Watch as a I go from enthusiasm to disillusion. It is only a few minutes long, but I hope it gives viewers a sense of what it is like to temporarily fail yourself, while still knowing that tommorow is full of possibility.

Shul Bulletin vol. 2

• Remember my post from September 5th, 2005? Of course you do! Well, the infamous hobo I originally chronicled has resurfaced after the winter thaw. I spotted him in Queen's Park recently, and what you see above is him enjoying the April sun. Where will he show up next?
• Today, at the Bloor Cinema, I was blown away by the quality of the films screened at The Jewish Splice, a 3 hour session of short films by Jewish students. My favourite short shorts ("Who wears short shorts?") were courtesy of Tamara Winegust, and my favourite long form short film was directed by none other than Daniel Eskin. It is called The Salt Pillar. The script for the film was awarded the Manitoba Emerging Filmmaker Award. That consisted of $20,000 (CDN) which helped get the film produced. Congrats to Dan Abramson and Tamara for helping put together such a great event.
• Eskin's buddy Moe has posted his third blog entry from Japan. New pics too.
• Ben-Zi's birthday party sleepover was a lot of fun. There were a slew of people present, and in between gorging on junk food and watching Ghostbusters, we made a fire in the backyard, and saw a magic show.
• Want to see the latest video from former Blink 182 member Tom Delonge's new band, Angels and Airwaves? Well, it just so happens that my sister's blog has put it into rotation. Click here to witness "The Adventure". It's a blog worth exploring.

Wed, Will Smith, and Weirdos

For those of you that missed out on Wednesday's park adventure, I'm happy to fill you in on what went down. At 3:20, I showed up at the park, and I sat for 20 minutes wondering whether I should check on Noam's house, or just trudge back home. Just when I was about to exit the park, Noam, Barry, Ben-Zi, Coby, Benji, and Dima showed up. They brought balls and a frisbee, and we spent a few hours throwing everything around, as well as just chillin' in a hippy-like circle on the grass. Zev showed up for 8 minutes before disappearing. It was a fun day.

Speaking of fun days, wouldn't it be crazy if you were at the Western Wall in Jerusalem when a Hollywood celebrity showed up? The last big shot to pop up at the Kotel was Natalie Portman, when shooting a controversial scene for the new Amos Gitai movie. This time, it was none other than Will Smith! Jerusalem Post says "Will Smith, visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem's old city on Thursday. Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett, were accompanied by Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich. While at the holy site, Smith placed a note in the wall".

While we're on the topic of old customs, I just wanted to mention that a non-Jewish friend of my father asked me tonight why no-one had answered the phone lately. "It was the last two days of Passover", I responded.

"Oh. Did you wipe blood onto your doorpost?"

Without skipping a beat, I said "Nope. We stopped doing that thousands of years ago. Now we eat matzah balls".

Egypt Never Learns

You'd think that after a couple thousand years, the Egyptians would have learned their lesson by now. Don't oppress Israelites! Whether the Jewish nation has to whoop ass through divine plagues or armed war, Jews have been holding their own against their naughty neighbour for a very long time.

During the Passover holiday, as Jews around the world celebrate their exodus from Egypt, the Jerusalem Post reports the following:

"An Egyptian government-controlled newspaper on Tuesday praised the suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv, calling it a sacrificial act of martyrdom."

F*** Islamo-Fascism. Let peace reign.

Park Party this Wed

Hey gang. From the zany minds of B Squared (Barry and Ben-Zi) comes their latest feat --- a get-together in Earl Bales Park. We want to play some soccer-baseball, but if there are not enough people, we'll settle for frisbee. All the details you need:

Where: Earl Bales Park - meeting place is the monument, just off Bathurst
When: 3 PM on Wednesday (Apr 19th). After your Yom Tov meal you can work off your calories by strutting over to the park for some sporty fun
Why: Cause we wanna

The weather is expected to be gorgeous (17 C and sunny) ! So bring a hat, water bottle, and your own matzah. Oh, and RSVP in the comments box here if you know you are coming. It helps.

By the way, I have an afikoman present for you - an mp3 mashup of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" with Weezer's "Hashpipe". It's very cool. Courtesy of Sistawife

RIP Muriel Spark

It is with great regret that I announce the passing of Muriel Spark. Beyond being Scotland's answer to Jane Austen, Dame Spark was best known for what is considered one of the finest novels of the 20th century, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. A winner of countless awards, and the writer of a stunning body of literature, the author passed away at the age of 88.

To learn more about Muriel Spark, google her here.

I wrote a well received essay about Spark's most famous work, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie this year for a literature class at the University of Toronto. It deals with her skilled use of time-shifting. I have included the opening paragraph here:

Time is traditionally considered linear in its construction. There is a past, present, and future. Within the confines of Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, time is treated as all encompassing; it swathes the narrative in a fixture of the circular, allowing the narration to describe events from no fixed vantage point. The omniscience of the narrator’s voice does not follow the traditional route of exploring events as they happen, but instead opts to seamlessly offer facts from the future, as the present/past is rendered through equal description. In effect, the narrator ‘gives away’ events which are to occur ‘in the future’. One may be tempted to assert that the novel’s embodiment of predestination can be attributed to the author’s religious background, but the complex narrative exploitation of time is a credit to her skills as an author. By jumping across an unrestrained timeline, Spark alters the reader’s perceptions of various characters. She also reveals the opinions characters will harbour for one another later in their lives. By not limiting itself to one distinct timeframe, the narration adds a sense of mimetic realism which would have otherwise not existed. Spark manipulates the reader just as much as she manipulates time, allowing a confluence of deliberate construction to aid in elevating the text from a typical school story to that of a shrewdly crafted novel.

Goodbye Dame Muriel Spark - and thank you.

Japanese Passover

First of all, THIS IS THE 100th POST!
Thanks to all the readers for making this worth the effort.

In recognition of Passover, and the fact that Shul of Rock reader Moe is in Japan - here is a fun video which teaches matzah breaking tips, Japanese style! Have a great holiday, ya'll!

Shul Bulletin

Joey (left) and Eli/Snoopy pose for me at Big Apple Pizza in Jerusalem. Click to enlarge.

• I tried out Audioblogging today. By calling a number in the states, Blogger automatically uploads your audio into a streaming mp3. Here's my stupid little test:

• G.I. Joey called in from Israel. He is doing well, although too much guard duty makes him antsy. He's got a shot at getting promoted, and there is a chance he may be visiting Toronto in about three months! He wishes all his dear friends only the best, and a 'Chag Sameach' to all.
• Moshe (aka Mocchin) has updated his blog. Read about (and see!) his latest Japanese adventure here.
• Samantha Israel has not updated her blog in over a month. I'm guessing that the whole 'marriage thing' has kept her busy. Either that, or her role as production editor at Financial Post Business Magazine.
• Right now, when you google me, the first word you see is 'Stupidity'. Not cool. (Unless you use quotes. Then it doesn't happen)
• I had an awesome web cam convo with Snoopy the other day. He's looking healthy - although the camera made his skin a little orange. Reminded me of an oompa-loompa. Heh.
• I had an epic showdown with a pair of scissors the other day. A Chinese lady in a Russian hairdressing place used scissors that were made in Taiwan to cut my hair which was grown in Canada. The result? Less hair on my head! Yeah, that's what a haircut is. Now you know.
• I have two exams tommorow. More studying, less blogging! I've got to remember that!
• Gwyneth Paltrow just named her first born son Moses. According to JTA: "Paltrow comes from a rabbinical dynasty in Minsk on her father’s side."
• Spider-Man 3 has a website up. You can grab some cool wallpaper.
• Toronto has been named the 15th best place in the world to live! Highest on the list? Zurich. Lowest? A tie at #50 between Osaka, Japan and Milan, Italy. Highest Canadian city? Vancouver at number 3.

This has been a Shul of Rock shul bulletin.

South Park is Brilliant

South Park is bloody brilliant. Who else can successfully rip on both Family Guy and the Mohammed Cartoon Controversy in a span of under two minutes? Watch this brilliant meta moment here. Self referential cartoon comedy? That's post-modernism at its best!



Want to see more of this episode? Click here.

Election Results

As reported at the always awesome haagen dasz for breakfast, Noam has been elected President at Hillel @ U of T, and I have been acclaimed to the position of Vice President of Arts and Culture. I would like to wish a hearty congratulations to all the other winners - whose names are viewable at the link above. I am so excited to be working with all of you this coming year. I'm envisioning an amazing year full of challenges and triumphs.

I also wish to congratulate the other candidates. You made an incredible effort, and I look forward to volunteering alongside of you at Hillel on various projects and programs.

There was a trickle of controversy on the last day of the elections thanks to a poison-pen letter sent out by an overzealous Betar-Tagar campus leader. It vilified Mr. Steven Kraft and shocked everyone. Thankfully, the letter's author had the good-sense to issue a retraction, and any electoral repercussions were minimal if not non-existent.

I strongly believe that this will be a great year. Noam comes to Hillel with a huge sense of responsibility and vision, and the VPs serving alongside him are no different.

Noam, it was a pleasure being your Arts and Culture co-chair this year. Now it's time for us to kick things up a notch. I can't wait.

Election Day Pictures Coming Soon! (I have 3 final exams this week. Cut me some slack!)

Election time at Hillel @ U of T

Noam (right) and I are running for next year's Hillel board. We make democracy look good.

Hello dear readers. I wish to inform all those enrolled at the University of Toronto that Noam Gilboord is running for the position of President at the campus Hillel. He is an excellent choice for President and he has the full endorsement of Shul of Rock.

Another Shul of Rock regular that will be running in the UofT Hillel election is... wait for it... ME! Yes, you read that correctly. After an incredibly invigorating year as Noam's co-chair of Arts and Culture, I triumphantly return to make my mark as the nominee for VP of Arts and Culture.

Below, I have included statements from Noam and I, but before you glance them over, take a look at some of the great programming we've had a hand in over the last year. Some links for your perusal:

Link One

Link Two

Video 1

Video 2

Remember - On April 4-6th, vote Noam for President and Avi for Arts. You know you want to.

Statements

Noam Gilboord:

I'll never forget my first time at Hillel at UofT. I walked into that old basement in UC after nearly hitting my head on several pipes, was overjoyed to see familiar faces, and shouted out, "Mishpacha!" Hillel has been my home on campus for three years. During my first years, as I participated in many of Hillel's weekly events, I made many wonderful friends, and grew close with Hillel's "family." One of my most memorable experiences with Hillel was joining the Tzedek Hillel mission to Israel in 2004, where I and several other students from Toronto's universities grew sensitive to Israel's social diversity. I was fortunate in my second year to attend the annual Arts & Culture retreat, where I was introduced to Jewish art and creativity. This experience was the reason I was elected to join the Hillel board as the Co-Chair of Arts and Culture. As a successful committee head, my co-chair and I were the first board members to provide frosh week programming. We began our year by assisting in the organization of the very successful Camp Hillel retreat. We assembled a dedicated group of students who put together the annual A&C retreat, actively participated in Israel-Fest programming, as well as year-round creative activities. As a member of the Hillel Arts Advisory Board, I encouraged the production of the annual Hillel Art Show. Now I wish to lead this organization as President. Through this position I intend to strengthen communication between board members to effectively provide all sorts of wonderful programming to UofT's Jewish student community. I also hope to attract more students to the Wolfond Center, and create a positive social atmosphere for Jewish students on campus.

Avi Weinryb:

If re-elected, I pledge to continue the tradition of excellent Hillel Arts & Culture programming on campus. I have a great rapport with both Hillel students and staff, as well as strong connections with the general arts community. Make your vote count. VOTE AVI!

Darth Vader in Japan

Moe isn't the only local to take a trip to Japan. Darth Vader did too. Watch what happens when he takes on three Japanese police officers:

Israeli Tracks Down His Family's Killer

From the JTA:

Israeli Tracks Down His Family's Killer

Polish prosecutors may reopen a World War II-era case after an Israeli said he tracked down one of the men who allegedly murdered his family.
Roni Lerner told Israel on Sunday that he had posed as a historian to find Josef Radczuk, 92, last year.

Lerner says Radczuk helped him find the bodies of his grandmother and five of her children, who were killed in 1943 after they escaped a train that was headed for the Majdanek death camp.

Lerner was scheduled to head to Poland on Sunday to exhume the bodies and bring them to Israel for burial.

Moe's Japanese Odyssey

That's Moe on the far left. Click the image to enlarge

In case you haven't figured it out, Shul of Rock VIP Moe is in Tokyo on exchange. This is a public service announcement to inform you that he now has his own blog up, where he is displaying pictures and text detailing his ongoing adventures in Japan. If you misplace the link, just come to the shul, and scroll down to the spot just underneath the weather report. It's there.

A choice excerpt: "The cars here are the funniest looking things I've ever seen. It's like being in a country where everyone drives smartcars. I have never seen anything like it. They are small, funny shaped, and hardly fit a person in them. It's like living in a town of working toys. I swear, if I ever drive one, I will probably crash because I will be laughing so hard imagining how darn silly I must look."

You've come a long way, baby

Isn't it amazing how far video games have come in the last twenty years? Just look at the picture above. On the left is a screenshot from 10 Yard Fight, and on the right, an image from Madden NFL 06. Want to see more of these comparisons? Hit up Mr. Bula. You'll be amazed.

I know I am.

Muslims want kosher cell phones

From MSNBC:
Israel’s kosher mobile tweaks Arab interest

JERUSALEM - It sounds like the setup for a punch line: What do you get when you cross an ultra-Orthodox rabbi with a mobile phone?

But the “kosher phone” is real and its developers are serious about looking beyond the religious enclaves of Israel. Some Arab companies even have inquired about the phone’s main feature: keeping out sex lines and other worldly temptations.

(Read the rest here)