Callum Keith Rennie

  • Review: ‘Into the Forest’ advocates a more natural existence (Includes first-hand account)

    When asked who they’d like to spend the end of the world with, the most common response is family and friends. But the end of modern civilization doesn’t automatically equal the end of the world and those closest to you may have different priorities. Running water, electricity and grocery stores are relatively recent luxuries that certainly simplified life, but they’re not necessarily essential to survival. A lot of factors are involved and it definitely helps to have achieved some level of self-sufficiency prior to any disaster. Into the Forest demonstrates given the right tools, it’s trying but not impossible to return to the Stone Age.

  • Review: ‘Born to be Blue’ wants you to know there’s more to Chet Baker (Includes first-hand account)

    Great power may come with great responsibility; but great talent — that comes with heartache and temptation. Sex, drugs and, in this case, jazz are a way of life not easily avoided by artists. Whether you call it a weakness or a crutch, neither fully encapsulates the power these vices can have on a person. Chet Baker was one of the best trumpet players the scene had ever seen — and he knew it. But he was also convinced he was even better on the brass when he was high. As a result, Baker spent most of his career feeding a heroin addiction. Yet in contrast, Born to be Blue portrays a brief period in the musician’s life when he wasn’t always on the nod.