Review: John Dies at the End

Review: John Dies at the End

This adaptation of the cult novel by David Wong is strange and funny and more than a little bizarre: equal parts drug movie and sci-fi adventure.

Imagine David Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch targeted to young adults.

It’s kind of perfect material for director Don Coscarelli, a filmmaker who broke out of the genre ghetto ( Phantasm 1-4; Beastmaster) with the droll, offbeat comedy-thriller Bubba Ho-Tep.

Tonally, this movie is in the same turf. Dave Wong (Chase Williamson) meets with a reporter named Arnie (Paul Giamatti) ostensibly to blow the lid off a drug called Soy Sauce that allows its consumers alarming insight into — everything. (Dave demonstrates by telling Arnie what he dreamed the previous night.) Turns out Soy Sauce is strong stuff, kind of like a sentient hash oil. It also isn’t something that anyone can take.

In a smart-device world, some families keep phone jacked into the wall

When the phone rings in Kristin Shiach and Jordan Sobkowicz’s Riverview home, their three daughters race to see who can be the first to answer.

“It depends who is closest,” says 13-year-old Emily. “If I’m sitting in my room, I can get to it quickest.”

“That’s because it’s always in your room,” Anna, 10, replies. “You never put it back!”

“Usually, when the phone rings,” explains Sobkowicz, “someone yells really loudly —”

What does the PC stand for in party’s name? Seems to be Pretty Confused

It should have been obvious from the beginning that the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party was going to have trouble holding itself together under Obby Khan.

Man accused of killing five family members fires second legal team, but murder trial won’t be delayed, judge warns

A Manitoba man accused of killing five family members is once again looking for new lawyers to represent him at trial.

But Ryan Manoakeesick will stand trial, with or without a lawyer in April 2027, a judge warned him Thursday.

“I want to be clear, Mr. Manoakeesick, that the trial dates that have been set are going to remain,” King’s Bench Justice Candace Grammond told him. “Those trial dates are effectively written in stone.

“You may think that is a long time in the future, but in a trial of this kind you need to make sure you have appropriate representation and you will be ready to attend to the matter on that date.”

Letters, Oct. 1

Did anyone else see the irony when Premier Wab Kinew announced at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre that Manitoba would adopt permanent Daylight Time (DT) and had hired 17 new psychiatrists this year?