Metro Vancouver and BC Chewers

I decided that we need a BC thread here as there's quite a few of us and we need organising damn it!

I first want to say that I've lived here in Vancouver (from the UK) for a year and I love it here - just an incredible city. I live near the park cinema around Cambie and I love the movie scene here - especially the VIFF last year - I was a bit late to that party but I'm gonna be there every fucking day this year - I swear.

The Rio's saturday night shows need representing here on CHUD - also the Biltmore's Saturday Daytime movies. and of course the vancity and PACIFIC CINEMATHEQUE, both of which we should all be going to more often.

I also figure that if there's any interesting vancouver film-production news or screenings etc. this could be a good place to promote it or talk about it.

I'm also curious about which video-stores people use in Van, I'm a member in good standing at Black Dog on Cambie, I know there's another one on the drive and my friends swear by happy bats on main, but i've also checked out Grindhouse in kits and Videomatica by granville island.

So if any other Van-Chewers want to meet up for a movie or night out or just a tim hortons and a bitch about the relative merits of Kurasawa's later films, post here or PM me.

Independent Flixx is a fair distance from your place, I guess you work in the west-end somewhere (or have occasion to go to stanley park regularly).

I missed the DOXA festival last year but I really want to make sure I get there this year. Does anyone fancy the warm up event April 16th.

Did anyone catch any good gigs at the Junofest? I saw excellent local boys Bend Sinister and not bad manitobans Inward Eye on Friday at the Bourbon and then we caught Maple Ridge's Run GMC at the Fairview. On saturday we tried the granville street thing but it was just shit, so we went to the biltmore on kingsway, catching montreal's beast (who were fantastic), you say party! we say die! who were fun and sex with strangers (who were very much up my street). I had my reservations but we really lucked out on the bands we saw.

Black Dog is great, I love the one on Cambie - not been to the one on commercial but i imagine it's much the same, (get the midweek deal - any 3 old movies for a week - $10 cheap). I used to hate happy bats when it was in that cramped place at main and 15th, i couldn't find anything and the shelves were too close together, shit just piled everywhere - but now i have no excuses - the new store is beautiful. Bats are really good for non-region 1 stuff and for series sets of obscure tv shows.

The thing I love in these independent video stores is their filing rationale: director, theme, style, language so much more fun than "Action: A-D".

Domingo! Stanley Park is amazing, even if you just take a few hours to walk or bike the sea-wall now the weather is picking up you have no excuse. Or better still - go to the aquarium (incidentally I have a mate who works there so if you chewers want to get in free, give me a holler with a definite date) Call it a chewer discount.

I know that they filmed chunks of watchmen all around where I now live (Bloedel Conservatory and Nat Bailey) but does anyone know which bits were filmed where?

Also do people have friends in the movie/ TV industry here, I got a few mates working on Stargate: Universe but that's it.

Toshi is fantastic but there is always a line and it closes so fucking early plus, if there's more than 4 of you - forget it! I like Kishu Island down on broadway / main it's half price after 7pm, no lines, good donburi too, it's pretty basic but the cheapness, oh the cheapness. Also Tokyo john 18th and Cambie, very good.

I love the food around there, there's so much variety between broadway and king edward.

Do you live near Gilmore Skytrain Station? My mate lives in the towers near there and walks the 2 blocks to the studios.

half price sushi there is good, it's still fresh and the place is open till 11 or so. If there's 2 of you at Toshi, it's great choice especially if you can sit at the bar (It's less intimate date-wise but I love watching the guys at work).

I've not been to the Octopus' Garden, it's the one near nandos? I'll try it in the summer when we go down for the bard on the beach at vanier park. Or maybe this saturday when I'm at the russian centre for the eccw.com show. Or i might just go to nandos, haven't been there in ages.

Nope, malones is still there - Yaggers is a good place too, I cycle down pender everyday for work - i love the sign outside the smile cafe, always reminds me of:


Any chewers want to get together for a second round game for the canucks???

that's it man, the sign with the specials on outside the smile - i think it was a display sign for Rio once upon a time because the sign she holds up is 12"x12".

bugger, i just made plans for cinquo de mayo at las margaritas on west 4th. I'll have to get over to try more places on robson - i've never been disappointed by a meal up there.

That stretch of pender is always getting used for stuff, seems like there's always something happening just there.

has anyone seen the adverts for the Kahn-con event at the rio on the 16th?
It looks amazing, if only the rio website was kept up to date....

Does anyone plan on going to the Documentary film festival that starts this week? there's some pretty good looking films showing from the 22-31 May - could be a good warm up for the VIFF...

Sorry to hear you're going to Australia. I take it you've been convicted of a crime?

All the best Troy.

sooooo. not much interest in the DOXA, no problem, how about June 20th?

Who are you gonna call?

The Rio.

anyone else going to the early show at the Rio on saturday???

I'm very up for Rashomon or Dr. Starangelove at the Cinematheque - anyone else fancy it?