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From the Desk of elvisdo — The 2010 Canadiana Write-Off (1,000th Review)Jun 27 '10 (Updated Aug 02 '10) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line It's my 1,000th review celebration here on Epinions. I hope you can join in the festivities.
I've noticed I've been nearing my 1,000th review on Epinions. The closer it's been arriving, the more I've been thinking about what to write about for this monumental occasion. Do I make a big stink about it or do I just treat it like another review? I can honestly say that it's been driving me nuts because there are so many things I can do for my 1,000th review. I'm sure many are expecting a comic book related/superhero review. Then it hit me and the timing couldn't be any more perfect. Let's make it memorable (at least for me). Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my annual Canadiana Write-Off, the 2010 edition. This will be the fifth installment, the first starting back in 2006. It was a way for me to celebrate my Canadian heritage and what better way to do it than to kick things off on Canada Day, July 1st. Canada will be celebrating its 143rd birthday as a unified nation. In comparison to the world, Canada is still a teenager. For the entire month of July, I expect to be bombarded with reviews pertaining to Canada, no matter how miniscule the reference may be. It can be about anything... a song, an actor, a location, an invention, a memory, anything at all. I saw a nation come together when the 2010 Olympics was hosted in my hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia (okay, so I was born in Vancouver and lived in Richmond for most of the time, but you get the idea). It made me homesick because I felt like I was missing out of the party and a once in a lifetime event. That's why I devoured every moment I could by watching the spectacle on TV especially the gold medal hockey game between Canada and the United States (I know I almost had a heart attack watching it... just ask my wife). Then of course the Stanley Cup playoffs get me in a competitive mood to see how many Canadian teams can push forward to the finals. The favourite for Canada was the Vancouver Canucks (and one of the favourites to win the Cup). A surprise was seeing the Montreal Canadiens, the eighth seeded team in the Eastern Conference, eliminate two top seeded teams in its division. Could it be possible that an all-Canadian final was in the works? Alas, it was not to be. The Cinderella Montreal Canadiens made it to the third round only to be eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers. My hometown Canucks put on a repeat performance from the previous year and got eliminated again in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks (the ‘Hawks eventually won the Cup). But just having that moment of "what if..." made things so exciting. So let me add something new into the mix this year to make it a bit more challenging. Canada is a nation that consists of ten provinces—Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan—and three territories—Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. So here's the challenge: You have 31 days to take a cross-country trip across Canada. Is it possible that your reviews will be able to reflect something from each province and territory? I'm thinking about it right now and even I don't think I can do it. This is why it's a challenge. This isn't a mandatory stipulation for this write-off but it sure does make it even more interesting. Here's another side note pertaining to the month of July: Come July 20, 2010, I will be celebrating 10 years on Epinions. Thinking about that by itself just blows my mind. Have I really been on Epinions for 10 years? I'll list all participants and their reviews on this page. Drop me an e-mail or leave a link in the comment section, and I will post everything over here. Have fun with this, eh? I'm just impressed that I'm still sane after 1,000 reviews and 10 years later. This is definitely a cause for celebration. As it happens every year as well, my birthday is near the end of the month. Cash gifts are acceptable. Seriously, I have no shame. Just ask my wife. Check out these past entries: 2006 Canadiana Write-Off 2007 Canadiana Write-Off 2008 Canadiana Write-Off 2009 Canadiana Write-Off _________________________________________________________ carstairs38 (5 reviews) • Elektra, starring Jennifer Garner, was filmed in North Vancouver, British Columbia. • Psych: The Complete Fourth Season is filmed mostly in White Rock, British Columbia, as well as other parts of the Lower Mainland. • Thunder After Lightning is an album by Christian rock band Downhere, who originated from Saskatchewan. • The Proposal stars Ryan Reynolds (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Sandra Bullock, whose characetr Margaret is a Canadian being deported back to Toronto. • Smallville: The Complete Third Season is filmed in British Columbia, including Vancouver, Merrit, Aldergrove and Cloverdale, and completed on the sets in Burnaby. Kristen Kruek (Vancouver, British Columbia) plays Lana Lang on the show. Superman is co-created by Joe Shuster (Toronto, Ontario). dragonfire88 (16 reviews) • Meatballs is a Canadian comedy film. The movie was filmed at Camp White Pine and other locations near Haliburton, Ontario. • Superman/Batman: Public Enemies features co-creator Joe Shuster's (Toronto, Ontario) famous character—Superman. It also stars voice actress Jennifer Hale (Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador) as Starfire and Killer Frost. • The summer blockbuster Will Smith film Independence Day has a small role for Lisa Jakub (Toronto, Ontario), who plays Alicia Casse. • Some filiming from Blade took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. • High Anxiety features actor/writer Ron Clark (Montreal, Quebec). • Murder by Decree is an Anglo-Canadian thriller film involving Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson and filled with a star-studded Canadian cast consisting of Christopher Plumber (Toronto, Ontario), Susan Clark (Sarnia, Ontario), Donald Sutherland (Saint John, New Brunswick), and Genevieve Bujold (Montreal, Quebec) with music by Paul Zaza (Ontario). • Another nod to Joe Shuster's (Toronto, Ontario) favourite son Superman as he is featured in the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. • Jay Baruchel (Ottawa, Ontario) stars in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. • The Canadian connection is strong in Superhero Movie! as some parts were filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. It also stars Pamela Anderson (Ladysmith, British Columbia), Leslie Nielsen (Regina, Saskatchewan), Robert Joy (Montreal, Quebec), and Wendy Walsh (Prince Edward Island). • The Canadian frieght train runs long with The Hound of Baskervilles (2000) with Matt Frewer (lived in both Peterborough, Ontario and Victoria, British Columbia), Kenneth Welsh (Edmonton, Alberta), Arthur Holden (Montreal, Quebec), Leni Parker (New Brunswick), and Joe Cobdon (Nova Scotia). The character Sir Charles lived in Canada before claiming his inheritance. Muse Entertainment Enterprises, the film's productiona nd distribution company, is located in Montreal, Quebec. Whew! • Barb Wire stars Pamela Anderson (Ladysmith, British Columbia). The character is trying to escape to Canada and even insists on being paid in Canadian currency. • Inception stars Ellen Page (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and was partly filmed in Fortress Mountain and Kananaskis County, Alberta. • Ben Rendall (Toronto, Ontario) has a part in 30 Days of Night. • Laverne & Shirley: The Complete First Season makes a few references to Canada. • Parts of Bulletproof Monk were filmed in British Columbia and Ontario. • Zack and Miri Make a Porno stars Seth Rogen (Vancouver, British Columbia), Gary Bednob (Toronto, Ontario), Kenny Hotz (Toronto, Ontario), Ricky Mabe (Point Claire, Quebec), and Tyler Labine (Brampton, Ontario). driftless (1 review) • The Canadian hat trick is achieved with The Tree: A Life Story, a book written by David Suzuki (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Wayne Grady (Kingston, Ontario) with artwork by Robert Bateman (Toronto, Ontario). elvisdo (11 reviews) • Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman focuses of Superman's creators, one of which is Joe Shuster (Toronto, Ontario). • Located in New York City, Pomme Frities offers fantastic poutine that originated in Quebec. • Marvel Universe Series 5: Guardian showcases the Canadian superhero from London, Ontario. He is also created by writer/artist John Byrne (Edmonton, Alberta). • Bowen Designs: Shaman Mini-Bust depicts this medicine man of Canada's First Nations who hails from Calgary, Alberta. He is also created by writer/artist John Byrne (Edmonton, Alberta). • Ice hockey, which was invented in Windsor, Nova Scotia, is the subject matter in The Mighty Ducks. It also stars Joshua Jackson (Vancouver, British Columbia). • LUSH Cosmetics: Razorantium Shaving Cream is manufactured in Vancouver, British Columbia for its North American distribution. • Super Friends: The Lost Episodes features voice work from Stan Jones (Toronto, Ontario) who does an evil Lex Luthor impression. • DC Super Friends: Going Bananas features co-creator Joe Shuster's (Toronto, Ontario) most famous character—Superman. • Bowen Designs: Wolverine 25th Anniversary Mini-Bust displays everyone's favourite Canucks who was born in Alberta and lived in Norther British Columbia. • Ultimate Gretzky: Special Edition is a DVD set looking at the storied hockiey career of Wayne Gretzky (Brantford, Ontario) who brought the Stanley Cup to the Edmonton Oilers four times. A lot of his records came against the Vancouver Canucks. The DVD is conducted by former NHL goalie John Davidson (Ottawa, Ontario) and Keifer Sutherland (Toronto, Ontario). • Smallville: The Complete Second Season is filmed in British Columbia, including Vancouver, Merrit, Aldergrove and Cloverdale, and completed on the sets in Burnaby. Kristen Kruek (Vancouver, British Columbia) plays Lana Lang on the show. Superman is co-created by Joe Shuster (Toronto, Ontario). jankp (1 review) • The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever In An Age Of Less is a book by John Robbins enocurages us to live within our means. He even reiminsces about his gardening experiences on a Canadian island off British Columbia. JiggyJay (1 review) • Kenny vs. Spenny: Season One was filmed in Toronto, Ontario. luquillo (9 reviews) • WWE SummerSlam 2002: Rock vs Brock features Canadian wrestling superstars such as Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Edge (Orangeville, Ontario), Test (Whitby, Ontario), Lance Storm (Calgary, Alberta), Christian (Kitchener, Ontario), and Chris Benoit (Edmonton, Alberta). • WWE Bad Blood 2003 features Canadian wrestling superstars such as Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Test (Whitby, Ontario), Christian (Kitchener, Ontario), Sylvain Grenier (Montreal, Quebec), and René Duprée (Moncton, New Brunswick). • Mortal Kombat: The Movie was co-distributed by Alliance Communications (Toronto, Ontario). • WWE: Armageddon 2008 features Canadian wrestling superstars such as Natalya Neidhart (Calgary, Alberta) and Maryse Ouellet (Montreal, Quebec). • Royal Rumble 2009 features Canadian wrestling superstars Edge (Orangeville, Ontario) and Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba). • No Way Out 2009 features Canadian wrestling superstars Edge (Orangeville, Ontario) and Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba). • Wrestlemania XXV features Canadian Superstars Edge (Orangeville, Ontario), Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Christian (Kitchener, Ontario) Gail Kim (Toronto, Ontario), Maryse (Montreal, Quebec), Natalya Niedhart (Calgary, Alberta), and Rosa Mendes (Vancouver, British Columbia). • Backlash 2009 features Canadian superstars Edge (Orangeville, Ontario), Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Christian (Kitchener, Ontario). • WWE No Mercy 2009 features Canadian superstars Edge (Orangeville, Ontario), Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Christian (Kitchener, Ontario). pmills1210 (6 reviews) • Basketball player Bill Wennington (Montreal, Quebec) gets featured with the 1990-91 SkyBox #68 Bill Wennington SP Basetball Card. • Inception stars Ellen Page (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and was partly filmed in Fortress Mountain and Kananaskis County, Alberta. • Despicable Me features the voice talent of Will Arnett (Toronto, Ontario). • Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was original recorded by the Canadian group The Four Lads from Toronto, Ontario. • It's CFL season with the 2009 CFL JOGO Cards ready for collecting. • The 1999-00 Upper Deck MVP 79 Rick Fox Basketball Card features this native from Toronto, Ontario. Stephen_Murray (3 reviews) • Filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Silent Partner is a Canadian crime film featuring Canadian actors Christopher Plummer (Toronto, Ontario), John Candy (Newmarket, Ontario), and Celine Lomez (Montreal, Quebec). • Ann Silversides provides insight into University of Toronto professor of English Michael Lynch in the biography AIDS Activist: Michael Lynch and the Politics of Community. • Christopher Plummer (Toronto, Ontario) lends his acting chops in Eyewitness. _________________________________________________________ Running count of provinces and territories featured in reviews: Alberta: 10 British Columbia: 18 Manitoba: 7 New Brunswick: 3 Newfoundland and Labrador: 1 Nova Scotia: 4 Ontario: 33 Prince Edward Island: 1 Quebec: 11 Saskatchewan: 2 Northwest Territories: 0 Nunavut: 0 Yukon: 0  |
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