first person film

Test Blurb

Hacking Sleep:

evolution of sleep:

Simple, singular sleep patterns are a behavioral adaptation more than a superior evolutionary development.

As man's ancestors emerged from the primortial forests, they were quite vulnerable. Though they lacked the speed, strength and stature of their rivals, it was their limited night vision that posed the greatest threat. Unable to effectively hunt or gather except by daylight, early man was also susceptible to predators whose night vision was superior. Simply put, he was less likely to find food and more likely to become food.

While it can be argued that those ancestors with the cognitive intuition to identify the advantages of a prolonged evening sleep period no doubt survived to pass on this intellectual asset to subsequent generations, it remains an adaptation. By resting at night and concentrate on the more risky routines of obtaining food during the day, he applied this understanding and survived past the demise of many of his rivals.

Aside from domesticated animals, few mammals have one sustained evening sleep period and those who do are oftent the decendants of

polyphasic sleep

dietary modification

stacking

circadian rhythm

electrical stimulation

exercycling

Casino Windsor: in a word underwhelming

After a reasonable drive through Northwestern Ohio and part of Michigan, we cut over into Canada just after Detroit's rush hour. Though the room was quite nice, even if the view wasn't, we headed down to the casino floor to take it all in.

To be honest, I must have missed the allure of casino gambling. Though I generally hold the opinion that government-managed gambling is simply a tax on those with a poor grasp of statistics, the possibility of scoring big with little investment was tempting none the less.

Perhaps a more mindful attention to cashflow since I started working for myself made the law of averages more intimidating?

At any rate, the new sterile electronic slots with purely decorative side arm failed to deliver the nostalgic charm and thrill I'd hoped for. Successive tokens were unavoidably equated to the corresponding value in Volkswagen parts, DVDs or other more desirable touristy fare awaiting us in Toronto. Futility and boredom quickly set in amid the counterfeit Vegas charm.

The noise and neon was a bit much after an exhausting work week for both of us, not to mention the thick clouds of duty-free cigarette smoke and cheap cologne. (Maybe it's just the weeknight crowd that seems to have stumbled in off the street on their way to Wal-Mart.) With a four-hour train ride and three films after 6pm awaiting us the following day, we called it an early evening. I stayed up for Tom Jones' performance on the Brits (UK's equivalent to the Grammys). Michelle knocked off after the discouraging realization that Eminem apparently epitomizes American music to our cousins across the pond.

Admittedly a somewhat pathetic highlight of the night was ordering from Pizza Pizza, a Canadian chain known for cheap pie and exotic toppings. If you ever have the itch for grilled zucchini, bacon strips, asparagus or roasted red peppers we highly recommend them.

28th Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival hosts hundreds of films from Hollywood mainstream and intriguing independents to gritty documentaries and formidable foreign fare. For nearly three decades, Toronto's 10-day festival has become the stomping ground for cutting edge filmmakers and creates a critical mass for the progressive art they create.

Unlike Sundance and notable European counterparts, Toronto is truly a public festival. The staff is almost entirely volunteer and despite the open nature of the event, those who attend are known in the industry as some of the most astute, sophisticated, even critical audiences to be found. Well-heeled studio execs and struggling screenwriters alike gauge the potential of current and future endeavors on their reception in Toronto.

Despite being public, it is still a somewhat complex process. The deadlines and submission guidelines can make for an intimidating ritual when trying to secure tickets to specific screenings. It's not exclusive so much as elusive.

My wife Michelle and I started attending the festival in 1999, but skipped 2002. We drove back from the 2001 festival on the evening of September 10th and returned to a very different world on September 11th. The anniversary the following year was too ominous to ignor, so we passed. I'd originally planned to return to the festival this year with a small group, but an early fear of SARS and late shuffling of schedules eventually made it a trip for two by August.

I may renew the idea for a future festival. Anyone interested can contact me here, or at Cinematrek.com.

The festival is broken into programs that highlight particular themes. So if you what to see nothing but Iranian documentaries and midnight retro-camp films, you can sift through the program offerings with ruthless efficiency.

However, most festivalgoers' tastes are all over the map, both figuratively and literally. You may not sit in the same theatre twice the whole week, as there are about 20 screening locations. You may find that your films are all within a few hours of each other and in the same theatre. It's really potluck. Decide what films you want to see, select some alternates and schedule the rest of your sightseeing around them.

The easiest way to describe the ticketing process is to compare it to rushing for college classes. There is a comprehensive schedule published the week before the festival that lists the times and locations of every film. Gala screenings are published in advance, but the bulk of the final screenings aren't known before the last week in August.

The one year we didn't fax in our film selections as part of the festival's courier service, we waited in line for hours only to find many of the films we hoped to see were long since sold out. We still won't know what films we have tickets for until we get there, but odds are we'll get most of what we want — not that it makes the selection process any easier. Luckily, even our alternate films choices should are well worth the trip.

Driving to Toronto is indeed a trek. We've driven every year and are typically exhausted upon our return. Parking is insanely expensive downtown and seems a waste considering everywhere is within walking distance or a short jaunt by street car or subway. Rather than repeat the twenty or so hours roundtrip by car, we decided to try something new and planned a road and rail trip for about the same costs as gas and parking.

We're leaving Thursday afternoon for a stop-over at Casino Windsor before hopping the train Friday morning for the rest of the trip. Via Rail's station is in the heart of Toronto's financial district and just a short walk from the hotel and the festival box office, which returned this year to its former location just north of Eaton Center.

We've stayed at a few different places over the years and the Hotel Victoria has had the best balance of location and price. Rooms in Toronto are tough to come by during the festival week and prices are often elevated accordingly. However, as Hotel Victoria is a smaller, European style hotel, they tend to cater to business travelers and international tourists rather than the festival throng.

Look for more news from the road in the coming days.