Toronto Extra Features

By going to University, I had the unique experience of recession-proofing my economic status by earning a post secondary degree in fine arts (film studies to be precise). For those of you who didn't come to this conclusion by the time you reached the end of it, I should tell you that the previous sentence was intentionally riddled with sarcasm, and I have been struggling to find regular work for quite some time now, leading to several odd gigs in order to make ends meet (my degree has also afforded me the time and vocabulary necessary for writing a blog with snotty, wordy, drawn out sentences ;)

Fortunately for Universal pictures, this recent down turn in economy has given them an extremely large hiring pool for Toronto 'background performers' in 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.' For those of you who aren't familiar with this film, it's an adaptation of a 6 part independent Canadian comic book that mixes elements of japanimation, Archie Comics and video games set around Toronto's Indy rock scene (primarily the Annex). The film stars Michael Cera in the title role and is being directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). Many twenty-something 'scenesters' 'slackers' 'Indy' 'hipsters' 'bums' and others of the like (a segment of the population which inspired most of the comic's characters) came across one of the multiple craigslist calls for extras posted by the outsourced parties required for this large task. Since the story involves lots of crowd and party scenes (many set in actual Toronto locales, such as Lee's Palace and Sneaky Dee's) an above average amount of background people have been enlisted during this ongoing process.

For a promised six long but somewhat leisurely days of 'work' I signed up to be herded back and forth between holding areas and occasionally react to an often invisible oversized hammer. I consider myself somewhat fortunate that I was witness to the filming of a fight scene and got to see some pretty cool stunts and effects executed. Anyway, the sixth installment of the official video blog for the shoot was recently posted, where you can see the set where I spent 80 hours over the course of 6 days. You get a brief glance of yours truly among the extras at about the 1:47 mark, when the camera whips past a tall 'insider snob' in a denim jacket. My brief appearance in this video is just to tease my fans without letting them know too much about my involvement.

Blog Six - Fight! - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World from Scott Pilgrim The Movie on Vimeo.

I was very surprised at the level of security and secrecy surrounding the production. Everyone had to sign a confidentiality agreement and an extra was even fired the second day for a twitter post referring to the film. What it contained and how it was found remained conversation fodder for the rest of the week. I guess this is all because Edgar Wright likes to keep tight control over the advanced press for this film, as shown in these video blogs he's been heavily involved in. I'm not sure how much I can say without getting in trouble, for example, I noticed there are very few images of actors in costume yet, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead wears a hat in the video, leading me to believe they want to keep Ramona's constantly changing hairstyle and colour a secret for now (since the books are in black and white, readers would never really know what colour she was rocking from issue to issue). Anyway, here are a few facts about my time spent on set which I don't think will put me in breach of my signed agreement.

1. This scene marks the reunion of Michael Cera and Mae Whitman who played his 'bland' girlfriend in 'Arrested Development.'
2. Edgar Wright is only 35 but looks 25. My theory is that this is due to the ora of stressless success he seems to exude most of the time, and the pop cult tees help too.
3. Despite the fact that I'm the only one wearing denim in the scene, it is in fact supposed to take place in Canada.
4. Michael Cera likes hummus.
5. Ms. Lippy's car is green.
6. There is a lot of downtime on set, so I read these books:

'Timequake' by Kurt Vonnegut
'Lullaby' by Chuck Palahniuk
'Brave New World' by Aldus Huxley
'V for Vendetta' by Alan Moore
'Preacher, vol. 1' by Garth Ennis

None of which I didn't see another extra reading at one point or another, which I believe attests to both the amount and ilk of all us 'individuals' in attendance. Good books too.
6. I kept thinking about this great animated music video from the 80's by a Toronto band called 'The Extras' which depicts a similar scene that Pilgrim is set in, only 20 years ago. Score another point for youtube, 'cause here it is:


Perhaps it's nostalgia, but I think this song and video both still hold up very well. One of the animators actually worked on Yellow Submarine. The making of video is also work checking out, and here's a link to The Extras' official site.

'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' doesn't get released until the summer of next year, but look out for more Scott Pilgrim related posts on this blog (as I still can't seem to go anywhere in this city without encountering some aspect of it), assuming Universal does not find and neutralize me, but this will likely only happen in the event that I say something negative about the film... just kidding?

Happy Birthday Noel

My favourite songwriter* turns 42 today. May his day be spent in bed, watching football on the telly, wearing top clothes, drinking and smoking cigarettes with his girlfriend and daughter, which should get him nice and rested up before going back on tour next week and playing some of the greatest music in the world. I also really hope his ribs aren't still feeling the unfortunate incident that occurred in Toronto last September. We promise it won't happen again, please come back soon.



And just because you can't have one without the other (though Noel's oft rumored solo project may one day contradict this), here's the less articulate but equally as quotable Liam with his answers to the same query.



*this is just personal taste, I'll be the first to concede that he is by no means the greatest living songwriter and understand that most don't share my highest regards for the man, but you can't deny that he's written at least a couple that will live forever.

Cheers.

IT WAS ME!!!

Since the videos in the last post were clearly credited to a filmmaker who calls himself 'Noah Taylor' I'm deciding to drop the silly internet pseudonym of 'your best friend.' The fact that nobody ever commented on how presumptuous this name was is proof enough that a majority of this blog's readers are in fact my best friend, but I guess that was kind of the joke from the get go.

For those of you that didn't know it was me, are you shocked by the reveal?

And since this is a particularly self indulgent entry, let's keep it all about me by adding some videos of what else I'm up to these days.



So if anyone in Toronto is looking for a guy that looks like me to make a fool of himself on camera for little or no money, depending on how much I like your face, you know where to find me. The following clip is the first minute and a half of a short film I made which is currently in the final stages of post production.

Your Best Friend's Archives

Okay, still no current, original material at the time, but to follow that old 'Coke Bike' story I'm going to reach even further back for a couple film and video projects I did in 2006.

These represent perhaps my least narrative-driven phase to date. The first was made in the second semester of a first year film course where the project had to be shot on a 16mm Bolex camera, edited on an old steenbeck machine and contain no synchronized sound. The second video was made the following fall, my first spent out of school. This was shot on my old Sony Handycam and edited on iMovie. I'm not sure how to account for the dramatic shift in tone over such a short period of time. One would think that I was really stressed while in school or discovered pot sometime between making these, but I was not stressed in school and probably smoked equal amounts of pot while making each of these... okay, maybe a little more during the second one.




A Day in Withrow


In case you're wondering, the music used in the park video is 'Just Another Sucker on the Vine' by Tom Waits and it's the reason I could not post this video on youtube, as they immediately disabled the audio due to copyright law. I still don't understand exactly how this works and why I can post some things on youtube but not myspace, and vice versa. I guess they're changing their methods all the time to keep on top of things and whether or not copyrighted material gets passed them is mostly a matter of luck... bogus.

Coke Bike

Written in the Fall of 2007


At the beginning of the summer I was visiting Montreal and staying a couple nights at my friend Noush’s place. In her hallway was a large flat, rectangular box, slightly rounded on one side. I inquired as to its contents, and as I had presumed, it was a bike. It had been given to her by her parents when they were visiting from Dubai. Noush said she had no use for it since she had a strong affinity towards her own bike and was soon leaving the city anyway. To my great delight, I was told I could have this ten speed mode of transportation for no more than the expense of having it assembled, probably $40 or so.

Two months later I move to Montreal with the beautiful Parc La Fontaine literally a stoner’s throw away from my new residence, where all the cyclists enjoy daily scenic exercise while they ride their pride. I would soon join them. I wasted no time in claiming my prize which luckily was still residing with Noush about a ten minute walk from my place. First I took the box to a bike shop right across the street from her, where after some strange looks the man told me it would be a few days before he’d have a chance to look at it. I couldn’t wait that long, so I carried the box, the weight of which seemed to double with every block, to the big bike shop by the park, the Cycle Pop. There the box and I were met with more strange looks. Apparently a bike in a box is not something even the greatest of bike enthusiasts see often. They would take a look at it and get back to me with an assembly price.

Although most of you probably already know where this is going, I’ll give a bit more background on where the bike came from. When Noush was much younger and living in Dubai, the Coca Cola Company had a promotional contest where each bottle had an image of a bike part under the cap. When someone collected all the necessary bike parts, they could mail them off to Coke and receive a free bike. While she never won, those hard to find pieces were just a little too hard to find. Coke had some excess bikes left over from the promotion, still kicking around several years later with no use other than buttering up the occasional business partner. Noush’s father was in the business of opening movie theaters and thus found himself in possession of the once sought after coke bike… in a box.

Okay, cut back to Canada, September 2007, the day after dropping my package off at the Cycle Pop. I haven’t received a phone call with the estimate but I’m in the neighborhood and decide to drop in to check on its status. The very French man says:

“Yeah, we put your bike together.”

“Already? How does it look?”

“It’s ah… (laughs a bit) it’s a cool bike.”

“Oh yeah? It’s a good bike, eh?”

“Well, is not a good bike, but is real neat. We tried calling you.”

Apparently the guy could not read his co-worker’s handwriting and was calling the wrong number. The assembly involved a lot more parts and repairs than anticipated, and the itemized bill in handwriting I couldn’t read, probably in a language I don’t know (French), likely using unfamiliar terminology (bike), totaled about $100. A little more than I was hoping to spend, but it didn’t matter, it was done and I had my bike. The guy told me how amused everyone that worked at the shop was with it, I would soon find out why.

While I did have some idea of what to expect, I was quite taken aback when he wheeled in the rolling billboard. And though I did resent the corporate whore aspect of it, I also thought it was kind of cool. When I asked if he thought it would be a target for theft, he laughed at me. (Better get a picture of me with the bike for insurance purposes anyway, just in case.) Besides, I would get used to the snickers. Perhaps the most embarrassing set came from a small group in the park the next day. I was struggling up a hill when the front tire’s rear plastic fender falls off. I picked it up, happy to further amuse the kids before heading straight home. This repair I could do myself, but it would be the last.

Some more facts about the bike:

1. Though most the decals read ‘Coca Cola’, the top one reads ‘MJB.’ I have no idea what this stands for.

2. I still don’t know how to properly change gears, some of which are written in what I believe to be Hindi.

3. I consulted the owner’s manual in an attempt to remedy this, the most useful information I found read: “Do not spook animals. If you come to an equestrian, let them know you are there, dismount and then walk around them slowly.”

4. Though I set it as tight and high as I can, the seat will always sink to its lowest setting as I ride and go over small bumps.

5. This one’s not really about the bike, but why do helmets always have to look so damn big on me? And why does it seem like I’m the only one in this city who wears one? I guess everyone trusts their bikes a lot more than I do.

6. Any steady incline or hard work put on the bike, and the entire crank attaching the left pedal will fall off. This may or may not be caused by my inability change gears.

The first time this happened, I took it back to the shop. I had it back the same day. As soon as I put my weight on the recently reattached pedal, the cheap plastic snapped a bit. This was no surprise, since it had already happened to the other one, and besides, they were still functional.

The second time this happened was on my birthday when I was halfway to my destination, dropping off a job application. The good news was that after an unexpected, very sweaty interview, I got the job. The bad news was that after 3 pm, you’re not allowed to bring a bike on to the metro. After trying several stations and fighting with unsympathetic STM employees, I resigned myself to the long, hot walk home. By this point, the plastic of the right pedal had been reduced to not much more than a nub. Oh well, I had to replace the other one anyway, and they only come in pairs. I still made several attempts to sit on the bike, either pedaling with the one nub or pushing it along with my legs, Fred Flintstone style. It was useless, and I knew what I had to do.

So back to the Cycle Pop with the Coke Bike one last time. I told them there was no rush. I didn’t come back the next day. It was about two weeks this time before I could be bothered to come get it again. I went for a leisurely ride in the park to test the new pedals, and despite the usual stares and giggles, knowing it would likely be one of the last times I would ride this gaudy advertisement made me a little melancholy. Since I would need to take some pictures to sell it online anyway, why not make a day of it? So Anita and I spent a couple beautiful Sunday hours last weekend enjoying some Parc La Fotoshootaine in the dying warmth of summer. The imported, retro-cool, extremely photogenic bicycle is currently on Craig’s list for $4000, and no Anita, I don’t come with it.

* Your best friend apologizes to both of you regular readers out there for the lack of content and recycling of old material in recent weeks. The causes of this are manifold: laziness, beginning to regain a life away from the computer, blowing much of my proverbial blogger load in January while posting at a rate I knew I would not be able to maintain, and also becoming a contributor to Action and Action where a lot of my viral video finds and movie geek-outs will be posted. Cheers and thanks for reading.

Your Best Friend hates poetry

Travel by Your Best Friend

As my legs grew longer, the city became smaller.
The world became smaller as my wallet got fatter.
And as my wallet grew fatter, so did my legs.

CUFF THE DUKE

I recommend beginning to listen to the first video while reading. The images aren't important and there are no lyrics for a couple minutes.

To pull the goalie? To usurp the throne? I'm sure one could also come up with some more sordid theories as to the meaning of the name 'Cuff the Duke,' but what it means to me is consistently impressive, underrated music.

Their folky sound is often categorized as 'indie rock' or 'alt-country' but I deem it too rural for rock and too good for country. They have released three great albums, earning the respect of their influences such as Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor. After touring as Hayden's backing band last fall, they spent the first part of the winter recording 14 new songs on Keelor's farm. They played a few of these songs live for the first time last Thursday during an unadvertised show at The Dakota Tavern. First impressions tell me that the new album will be a welcomed addition to their quality catalogue and the intimate setting was an ideal way to debut them. Keelor was even there to provide backing vocals on one song.

With only two original members remaining, it's hard not to give most of the band's credit to singer/ songwriter Wayne Petti. His 2007 solo album 'City Lights Align' plays just as well as the Duke records, though it lacks the full, layered sound that comes with the variety of instruments the band incorporates. It still baffles me that jokes like Nickleback experience international fame while truly great Canadian songwriters remain in near obscurity and work part time jobs.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed last Thursday's set list, old and new songs alike, two of my favourite songs I was confident would be played were neglected. 'Ballad of a Lonely Construction Worker' and 'Confessions from a Parkdale Basement' from the first and third albums respectively, are extremely complimentary in their reversed structures. Whereas 'Construction Worker' begins with a long instrumental introduction, 'Parkdale Basement' begins with a steady stream of lyrics before Petti is joined by the rest of the band for the instrumental finish. Both of these songs are built from two clearly distinct halves (the change occurs at almost exactly the halfway point in each track), and do away with the traditional 'verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus' format by replacing it with something much fresher.

Here is a fan video of 'Ballad of a Lonely Construction' so you can hear what I'm talking about.

The album version of 'Confessions from a Parkdale Basement' was not on youtube, so I posted this. At first I was just going to use a few pics of the band as the image, but I got a little carried away. You'll notice a picture of the aforementioned Dakota Tavern, which is in fact a basement on the outskirts of Parkdale, and the cover of 'Sidelines of the City' the album on which the song is featured.



The new album won't be out until summer, but another chance to hear some of their new songs before then will be March 14 at Lee's Palace.

Cuff Links:

While they're not great at updating their websites (it was sheer luck that I heard about the Dakota show), you can find out more about the band at their myspace and official website.

Also worth checking out is Wayne Petti's myspace. The Wiki article on the band which gives a good breakdown of the various members to pass through the group.

Rich Aucoin has provided occasional accompaniment to the band, his Brother Paul has produced their last two records. Rich is also an old friend of your best friends' best friend (confused yet?), and a very talented musician himself.