Bouchard more disloyal than Charest

I am writing in response to Pascal Henrard's letter about Jean Charest's political change of allegiance ["A political career for Céline Dion?" (e)Mail, April 2].

As far as loyalties are concerned, let us not forget that Premier Bouchard himself switched from Tory to Bloc to PQ. I would think that Mr. Charest is loyal to his political ideals concerning keeping Canada together, and that he can accomplish these better from within Quebec. The Quebec Liberal party leadership is the key for him to do just that.

Disloyal? I think not.

--Mark Penny

Death and destruction meet pride and prejudice

I just read yet another article about Titanic written by Matthew Hays ["Despairing Titanic's reign," March 19]. I must say that his criticism of the film displays a naivété that, to my mind, damages his credibility. Although I have enjoyed his commentary in the past, in the case of Titanic, Mr. Hays really ought to know better.

At this point, your eyes are probably glossing over, presuming that I am a "Titanic lover"--another mindless, tasteless lemming with no sense of depth. I assure you that this is far from the truth. Rather, I find Mr. Hays' comment that he is "utterly dumbfounded by the immense success of this movie" disappointing. Mr. Hays' commentary overlooks some obvious points, and by tearing into the film's script, performances and so on he is insulting the intelligence of your readership. I don't personally know anyone who would argue that the performances were that good, nor that the dialogue was particularly enchanting. While I myself felt revulsion at the notion that the audience was supposed to care for this puny couple in love while hundreds of people plummeted to their death around them, I can still understand why the film was so successful at the box office.

The film wasn't that bad, and it wasn't that good. But it was a film that everyone could get something out of--death and destruction for the boys, pride and prejudice for the girls. Add to this a marketing budget 20 times larger than the total production budget for the average independent Canadian film, and you have the makings of a true film product, Hollywood-style.

While I find the notion that "big movie = good movie" as repugnant as I am sure Mr. Hays does, the real danger of this trend in rising budgets lies not in the fact that we can expect copycat bombs in the future, but in the motivations that underlie it. Hollywood has conquered the world with big budgets, and as independents everywhere have finally begun to gain a level of mass appeal, the only recourse Hollywood finds itself with is to outspend them--again.

Mr. Hays, cutting into your audience with polemic arguments is offensive. Not everyone who attends a movie shares your priorities and their opinions cannot be silenced by yelling louder, as it seems you are attempting to do. As a critic, your value really lies in providing the readership with a sense of perspective, in placing a phenomenon within a context, in identifying trends. Not in self-righteously persuading the uncultured masses. Your readership deserves more.

--Allen Pink

Meanwhile, back at the Mix...

From: Rob Braide (rbraide@themix.com)

Subject: This Week's Circus ["Hole lotta Love", April 2]

Hi Allastair,

Good article in this week's Hour... read your stuff all the time.

A correction: Dimonte was not fined 1000 bucks for breaking the window. I just told him he'd have to sit in the dark for a while until we renovated the studio. The broken window is covered with black paper. Frank can be a little loose with the facts from time to time.

Regards,

Rob Braide

VP/GM CJAD/Mix 96

Cavity of consciousness

There is a thread that, when I cup both my eyes, is strung taught over the cavity of consciousness. Upon it is balanced a porcelain statue sculpted to the liking of a rustic French cannon, the mouth of which opens into the lips of a women. The cannon rolls up and down the thread, and to my displeasure neither allows itself to be shot or kissed. How silly this is to me, for a cannon with lips to cease fire and go without kissing. How silly I must be to it, always wanting to either alarm or have sex.

--Leon Lukashevsky