Guelph Politicast

End Credits - November 13, 2019 (Last Christmas)

This week on End Credits we get into a holiday mood. Our review is the perhaps too early release of Last Christmas, a rom-com based on a George Michael song about death and stuff. Speaking of death, it's no longer a barrier to casting, and at least one person is willing to call for an end to Disney. Plus, the best of the decade continues...
This Wednesday, November 13, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:
Dean Machine. It's been 60 years since James Dean was last in a movie. It's understandable why, he died in 1955, but the intrepid producers of Finding Jack are not letting death get in the way of hiring Dean to play the second lead. Is there a genuine artistic reason to resurrect James Dean, or are they violating Dean's memory for empty self-promotion?
A Game of Monopoly. On the eve the release of Disney+, author Matt Stoller makes a point in his new book, Goliath: The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly and Democracy, that Disney has become little more than a private equity firm squeezing every nickel out of partners, suppliers, and consumers. So can we have a conversation about breaking up Disney?
The Best of the Decade, Part 2 of 5. We're coming up on the end of the year, but we're also coming up on the end of the decade, so what else are we supposed to do but make a list of our favourite films of the last 10 years? This week Candice will run down her Top 5 of all the films released between January 1, 2010 and right this very moment!
REVIEW: Last Christmas (2019). 'Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing says "jolly" like a little yule tide romance. Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding make a love match in time for Christmas, but things, per usual, get complicated as Clarke's messy Kate gets a cosmic wake-up call from Golding's free spirit. It's a match made in heaven, so deck the halls for predictable rom-com tropes and a twist you'll see coming from a mile away.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #196 - The Weight of Freedom

This past Monday's commemoration of Remembrance Day memorializes those that fought and served in the armed forces, but last week at the University of Guelph, there was a week long remembrance of those that lived though the horrors of a war, and like so many veterans, there aren't too many more chances to hear their stories first hand.
Every year Hillel Guelph holds events to mark Holocaust Remembrance Week with a number of activities, the two most notable are a travelling exhibit in an actual train car used to transport people to Concentration Camps, and a guest speaker, who is survivor. This year's guest was Nate Leipciger, who's spent much of the last 30 years telling his story to people all over Canada.
Leipciger was 11 years old when the Nazis invaded his home in Poland, and he was 15 years old when he and his family were shipped to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Like thousands and thousands of people, that might have been where Leipciger’s story could have ended, but his father’s guile saved his life twice, once when he was in line to be "processed," which was the code word for being put to death in the gas chambers, and again when his father convinced an officer to transfer them both out of Auschwitz.
This week on the podcast, you will hear Nate Leipciger tell his own story, in his own words, and what drives him to still travel around and tell his story at the age of 91. After that, you will hear the interview I got to do with Leipciger after his talk, which will give you a little more insight into the indomitable spirit of humanity, even in a Concentration Camp, and why, in spite of everything, Leipciger's never indulged in hate.
So let's hear about one man's story of hope and survival on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!
You can get Leipciger’s book, The Weight of Freedom, wherever you get your fine books. To learn more about Hillel Guelph, you can visit their website here.
To hear another story of survival, this week’s episode of Open Sources Guelph will feature Robert McCabe, a survivor of abuse by a Catholic priest who now helps other survivors. McCabe is sponsoring a screening of the documentary Prey on Saturday at the River Run Centre, and we will also be speaking to the film’s director, Matt Gallagher. 
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - November 7, 2019

This week on Open Sources Guelph, it seems like we're all about endings and separations. We've got a growing number of people out west eager to start their own country, we've got a Federal party leader leaving her job behind, and we have the U.K. holding an election to decided if they're really leaving the E.U. this time. On the other hand, it looks like transit expansion might be starting in Toronto, and, if there's time, we'll consider the question why someone thinks that Ben Mulroney is the savior of the Conservative Party.
This Thursday, November 7, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
A Fatigue of Our Own. Wexit is going legit! The men behind the movement for Alberta separation are now seeking the blessing of Elections Canada to form a political party, and support seems to be growing if a meeting in Edmonton last weekend is any indication. Still, the mainstream media seems to be ignoring the fact that the leaders of Wexit are racist conspiracy theory wackos and no one's explained how Alberta's separation is going to practically solve their issues. Do we know the full story on Wexit?
Elizabeth: The Golden Years. Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May announced Monday that effective immediately she's stepping down after 12 years. To May's credit, the party has seen an expansion of support in the last dozen years under her leadership, but it's hard to deny that May's said and done some things as a national leader that didn't sit well with everyone. So what happens now with the national Green Party, and what challenges await whoever ends up the leader?
A Streetcar Named Ceasefire. Toronto City Council and the Government of Ontario seem to have put aside any remaining animosity in order to push forward on a transit plan that includes a bizarre new downtown relief line, plus other expansion projects. The ball is now in the court of the Federal government, who will have to decide if they're going to pony up the cash to support the Ford government's vision, but is Toronto Mayor John Tory really behind the plan, or is he biding time till the next turnover at Queen's Park?
A Boris Line. The United Kingdom is going to the polls on December 12 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson failed again to pass a Brexit deal, and was forced to push back the departure deadline till the end of January. So now the people of the U.K. will decide if Boris gets another shot at leaving the European Union deal or no, or if it's time for another government to take over. The stakes have never been higher, and now there are accusations that Johnson is covering up allegations of Russian interference in the original Brexit vote. Yes, it can get worse...
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - November 6, 2019 (The Lighthouse)

This week on End Credits, things are getting unsettling. We're going to review the new film The Lighthouse, and talk about why it disturbs us deeply. Before that though, we're going to wrap up out Best of 1999 series, and kick off a new series chronicling the very best of the past decade. So drink up me hearties, yo-ho!
This Wednesday, November 6, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:
25 for ’99, Part 5 of 5. It’s been 20 years since what’s been called “the best year in movies” came and went, 12 months of some of the most influential and innovative movies of the last few decades, and for the next couple of weeks, we’ll remember the best of the best. Each of our hosts will reveal their Top 5 favourites from 1999, and this week we’ll conclude with Adam.
The Best of the Decade, Part 1 of 5. So we're finished with one series of lists, and now we need a whole new one. This week, we'll start with out with the first of our Top 5 lists for the best of the decade. The second decade of the 21st century wraps up in just a few weeks, and Tim will start us off with his favourite films released between January 1, 2010 and right this minute!
REVIEW: The Lighthouse (2019). Robert Egger's first film, The Witch, really set a tone that was going to be tough to capture in a sophomore film. But then he did. The Lighthouse features a pair of lighthouse keepers played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as they struggle to stave off cabin fever during a month-long hitch on a desolate New England Island. Sounds normal, right? Boy are you in for a surprise...
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #195 - Marshall on Transit

This weekend, the new Transit Action Alliance of Guelph (TAAG) will be holding their first annual Transit Summit and Town Hall. It will be a chance for the transit users and the transit curious to engage with City of Guelph employees and transportation advocates about how to make a transit-friendlier future. But why wait to get started? 
This week, we'll hear from Sean Marshall, who's a prolific writer and advocate for transit and will be speaking and presenting at the Transit Summit on Saturday. Marshall's a geographer by training, but he’s made a name for himself as one of the preeminent voices on transit issues, covering them on the TVO website, and on his own personal blog, by digging into the history and the challenges all around this province in creating more transit and better active transportation options.
These are interesting transit times. In Guelph, we’re in the middle of creating a Transportation Master Plan. Up the road in Kitchener-Waterloo, the long-awaited LRT finally started running this past summer. In Toronto, the city council there finally reached a deal with the Government of Ontario to fund new subway expansion while retaining ownership of the present system. And Metrolinx is doing their damnedest to make two-way, all-day GO trains a reality on the Kitchener Line. So why does it still feel like we're going no where fast?
On this week's podcast, we'll consider that question in what we'll call a preamble to the summit. Marshall will talk about growing up as a transit nerd in Brampton, and how that much maligned GTA municipality might actually be a really positive example of transit expansion done right. We also talk about the transit challenges in Guelph and the region from Marshall’s perspective, and we get into the weeds about the Ontario Line, two-way, all-day GO and the transit plans from the Provincial Government. Finally, we'll talk about private operators and what role they can play in answering the transit needs of Ontario.
So let's get prepared to summit on transit with this week's Guelph Politicast!
You can find Sean Marshall's writing on TVO.org, and on his personal website. The first annual Transit Summit and Town Hall this Saturday at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church from 12 to 5:30 pm, and you can get tickets at TAAG's website. 
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween! We've got the scariest punditry you could ever imagine on this week's edition of Open Sources Guelph. There's danger and intrigue as the Federal leaders gather their thoughts after the election, there's a bottomless well of horrors being revealed in Washington as the investigation into Trump goes deeper, and then there's the most ghastly of all creatures, a smiling Doug Ford telling you he wants to be your friend. [Inset evil laugh.]
This Thursday, October 31, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Forty-Three Easy Pieces. Yes, Justin Trudeau won the election, and he's gone to the Governor General to announce his intention to form government, but he still came in second place in terms of the popular vote, and he's got a resurgent west to try and appease. Still, might Andrew Scheer have problems in his own backyard? Are some Conservatives looking to put the 'progressive' back in the party in the name of electability?
An Impeachable Moment. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that armed forces had killed ISIS leader Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi, and then he went to a baseball game and was 'Boo'ed.' It was the only bright spot in a month-long, non-stop barrage of news about his attempted to leverage military support for Ukraine in exchange for dirt (real or made-up) on a political opponent. It's been a while since we've talked about Trump, and there's so much to talk about.
Once More with Less Feelings. The Ontario Legislature got back to business on Monday after nearly five-months off. The last session of Queen's Park was not the, ahem, friendliest, but Premier Doug Ford did a round of press last week (unusual) and talked about how there was going to be a whole new Ontario government! Still, can he achieve that with growing discord among teachers, and by continuing the Supreme Court challenge of the carbon tax he's bound to lose?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - October 30, 2019 (Dolemite is My Name)

This week on End Credits, we dig into a bit of Hollywood history, and a bit of Hollywood's future. We're reviewing the true life tale of Dolemite is My Name, and looking once more at the best movies of 1999. We're also going to ask if Hollywood is getting a bit too comfortable with certain box office conditions, and we'll get into the latest twists around the Marvel question.
This Wednesday, October 30, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Vince Masson will discuss:
China Grill. China is marking 70 years this month since the Communists took over, and they're marking it with even harsher censorship over their movie industry, and just as Hollywood is depending more than ever on Chinese box office revenue. Is Hollywood bending Free Expression to the breaking point just to get Chinese money?
Cine-Complex. The debate about whether or not the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films actually counts as cinema has gotten hotter in the last few weeks as Francis Ford Coppola, Ken Loach, and others have gotten in on the action, while Martin Scorsese, the originator of this debate, has tried to refine his original idea. So is this any closer to a resolution?
25 for ’99, Part 4 of 5. It’s been 20 years since what’s been called “the best year in movies” came and went, 12 months of some of the most influential and innovative movies of the last few decades, and for the next couple of weeks, we’ll remember the best of the best. Each of our hosts will reveal their Top 5 favourites from 1999, and this week we’ll continue with Vince.
REVIEW: Dolemite is My Name (2019). Eddie Murphy stages another comeback by realizing an overlooked bit of Black cinema history. Rudy Moore came to Hollywood wanting to be Sammy Davis Jr., but he only got as far as the record store selling Sammy Davis' music, that is until he discovered Dolemite. Director Craig Brewster chronicles Moore's rise from cabaret stage to movie infamy in this funny and inspiring bio-pic of an underappreciated cinema pioneer.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #194 - "Back to School" with Mike Schreiner

This week, after a five-month long hiatus, it's finally "Back to School" time for the Ontario Legislature. Observers have been wondering if the extended break might allow for a more collegial tone to fall on Queen’s Park, especially as the government faces a number of pressing and challenging issues. Who better to ask if this is the case than our own MPP Mike Schreiner?
As you all know, the late return of the Legislature is due to the Federal Election. After Justin Trudeau and the Liberals retained power, it looked like a new Doug Ford was taking over, he was making media appearances, and talking about how the Feds and the Province will now work together to improve life for everyone. That's a big change from the ruckus, combative Ford regime we're seen so far in Question Period.
Schreiner's not so sure he buys this new tone. True, it looks like efforts are being made, but the Ford government is still chasing a Supreme Court challenge to the carbon tax, is still insisting gas stations post their anti-carbon tax stickers, and is still facing labour disruption with teachers and other provincial employee unions. How long can the shiny happy version of Ford Nation last? Is it even built to last?
On this edition of the podcast, Schreiner will talk about his criticism of the carbon tax court challenge, and why Premier Ford should give it up in the wake of the election. He also talks about how the new tone worked, at least on the first day of Question Period, and why he suspects that it might not last. Schreiner then discusses why people need to keep up the pressure on the government over the next couple of months, and why he hopes that his private members bill to protect the Paris-Galt Moraine might bring people together.
So let's hear from Mike Schreiner as he gets back to work at Queen's Park on this edition of the Guelph Politicast!
If you would like to hear from Schreiner live and in-person, he will be hosting an AMA, Ask Mike Anything, on November 14 at the 10C Shared Space in Downtown Guelph. For more information, you can find it on Schreiner’s Facebook page.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - October 24, 2019

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're taking a break after our marathon five-hour live show on Election Night (and if you missed what happened, you can find all five hours on the CFRU archive, or the abridged version on the Guelph Politicast). So this episode is going to be what the kids used to call a "rerun," but it has a specific purpose because we're going to recap the recent appearances of Guelph's once and future Member of Parliament.
This Thursday, October 24, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
The Lloyd Hour. With Lloyd Longfield's re-election secured, even though he's returning to a smaller governing Liberal caucus, we're using this week's show to re-run two recent appearances by Longfield on Open Sources Guelph. First, you'll hear the interview he did on the show last week before Election Day, and then you'll hear an interview he did back in April, right after the budget and right in the midst of the SNC Lavalin controversy. This week, let's listen to Lloyd as we rearrange the deck chairs and get ready for what's to come with the 43rd Parliament of Canada.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - October 23, 2019 (Zombieland: Double Tap)

This week on End Credits, we catch up with some old friends: Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock. No, we're not planning a road trip, we're reviewing the Zombieland sequel. We're also going to talk about the new upcoming Matrix movie, some new trailers, and we'll hear from our next panelist on their Top 5 of 1999!
This Wednesday, October 23, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss:
Back to Matrix. It looks like we're going back to The Matrix. There's been so much news lately about the fourth movie in the series, which is going to be directed by original co-director Lana Wachowski, with the casting of new stars, old stars, and the possibilities of a cool new Matrix flick. So is this a case of maybe our nostalgia fixation doing something right?
Animal House of Trailers. This week, we've got three, new animal-themed trailers for your consideration. First, there's the Bombshell(s) of Fox News, who may not be animals, but the guy who ran the place was. We'll also talk about the new trailers for the Robert Downey Jr. starring Dolittle, and another Disney remake in the form of Lady and the Tramp.
25 for ’99, Part 3 of 5. It’s been 20 years since what’s been called “the best year in movies” came and went, 12 months of some of the most influential and innovative movies of the last few decades, and for the next couple of weeks, we’ll remember the best of the best. Each of our hosts will reveal their Top 5 favourites from 1999, and this week we’ll continue with Candice.
REVIEW: Zombieland: Double Tap (2019). Can you believe it's been 10 years since Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone traveled across zombie-run America together? Well the quartet is back for the long awaited sequel, and it turns out that life in Zombieland 10 years hence is pretty good, it's just too bad zombies get in the way. So is this long-awaited follow-up to the original worth the wait, or are we over the whole zombie thing?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.