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jessica, Author at The Panic Manual

Hot Docs Review: Love Between The Covers (2015, Laurie Kahn)

Posted on April 30, 2015 by jessica in Hot Docs | Leave a comment

The world of romance writing is not just about the fantastical love between two characters, but also the intense pay-it-forward sisterhood of its predominantly female community. In an hour and a half, Love Between the Covers tackles everything under the umbrella, but throughout it shines how empowering writing and reading romance fiction is for women. And that’s what you call an HEA (Happily Ever After). Hopefully this documentary educates those who scoff at romance titles in grocery stores and libraries. … →

Hot Docs Review: It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise (2015, Matt Wolf)

Posted on April 29, 2015 by jessica in Hot Docs | Leave a comment

Though it’s cute and wise-cracking, It’s Me, Hilary is a messy documentary that couldn’t find its purpose in thirty minutes. There’s the obvious: the documentary’s executive producer Lena Dunham has always loved Eloise, the fictional little girl who lived in the Plaza Hotel, so much that she has a tattoo of the character on her back. The artist who drew Eloise, Hilary Knight, is still alive and uppity, and the two formed a friendship. There’s the rest: the history of … →

Hot Docs Review: Seth’s Dominion (2015, Luc Chamberland)

Posted on April 27, 2015 by jessica in Hot Docs | Leave a comment

Seth has become a prolific face of Canadian comic art; a face that connects a glasses and top hat-donned head to a trench coat-covered body with a tie. The Drawn & Quarterly darling is known for his comics, graphic novels, cardboard city Dominion and recent illustration work with Lemony Snicket. Seth’s Dominion captures the man’s nostalgic personality from the shots of him discussing himself under a warm golden spotlight, his pretend old-timey video footage of walking along train tracks and … →

Concert Review: Glen Hansard, September 16, Danforth Music Hall

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jessica in Concerts | Leave a comment

Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard really paid his doting Toronto audience quite the treat on Sunday night. The man who’s clearly born to be a performer, hurtled through two hours and at the end, it seemed like he was only just warmed up. But let’s take it from the beginning. I sat down in my seat on the balcony at the Danforth Music Hall after Tony Dekker’s set. I noticed that the little wall in front of my row was practically … →