Sure, the art direction is awesome, but...

First things first: I am a HUGE fan of western movies. They are, by far, my favourite film genre, and I’ve seen ’em all. I am also a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino. I’ve seen all of his movies too, but was left disappointed after seeing Django Unchained.

Tarantino’s western is far too long, which causes it to repeatedly lose its tension, diluting Tarantino’s rage-fuelled social commentary. There are too many cartoonish villains to care about any single one, and three too many confusing climaxes. I also found the film’s body count gratuitously bloody, and pointlessly high.

Seriously, I know westerns are inherently violent, so are Tarantino films, it’s the perfect blood storm, I get it, but in these immediate times of real life horrific gun violence, do we really need to watch outrageous, prolonged blood baths as entertainment?

If Tarantino wanted to make the first honest film about American slavery, why does the film digress into Django’s victims becoming a staggering parade of faceless video-game-esque hillbillies piling up in a crimson, soaking heap… what’s the point? Make me care about who you’re shooting down, Django!

That brings me to this list… five westerns I think are better than Django Unchained based on story alone.

1. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). My all-time favourite western and Clint Eastwood movie, about a Missouri farmer whose family and farm is destroyed by marauding Union soldiers at the end of the Civil War. So begins Wales’ long journey of being both the hunter and the hunted, slowly gathering an amazing and unlikely ensemble cast of supporting characters, including an Oscar-nominated, hilarious and profound performance by Chief Dan George.

2. True Grit (1969). This was the movie that finally won the aging legend John Wayne his Oscar. An outstanding adventure set against the backdrop of Colorado, this movie focusses on a young, extremely headstrong girl who is bent on bringing her father’s killer to justice. To do it, she enlists the help of the awesomely cantankerous US Marshall Rooster Cogburn. The film is worth it for the climatic gunfight on horseback in the open field, when Rooster Cogburn shouts out at outlaw Ned Pepper (a very nasty Robert Duvall) “fill your hands, you son of a bitch!”

3. Deadwood (2004 – 2006). Yeah, it’s a TV show, but there is arguably more historical fact and realism in the first ten minutes of this brilliant series set in the ill-fated town in the Badlands of South Dakota than there is in the entirety Django Unchained. Characters Al Swearengen, Sol Star, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock, and many others were all real people, c*ck s*cker!

4. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). A classic John Ford western about the early attempts to civilize the west, featuring the acting trifecta of Jimmy Stewart (the shaky new lawyer in town), John Wayne (the larger than life good guy), and Lee Marvin (the evil Liberty Valance, armed with both six-guns and a bull whip). Contains the classic line “This is the West. When legend becomes fact, print the legend”.

5. Unforgiven (1992). A gothic western of pathos, regret, guilt, and deliverance. When a hooker is disfigured in a remote frontier town and the sheriff (Gene Hackman) refuses to act, a bounty is put forth, attracting all manner of gunslinger, including the previously retired, ailing, alcoholic William Munny (Clint Eastwood).

Honourable mention: High Noon (1952), 3:10 To Yuma (2007), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), The Searchers (1956), Winchester ’73 (1950), Shane (1953).

Let me know what you think. Have at ‘er in the comments section below. What is your favourite western? Did you love / like / loathe Django Unchained?

It sucks.

Just about a year ago, I was very excited and honoured to announce my signing of a two-book deal with D+M, Canada’s largest independent publisher.

A lot has changed in eleven months.

On the weekend of Oct 19 / 20 / 21, I took part in the Vancouver International Writers Festival. D+M apparently usually throws a big party at the festival, but it was abruptly cancelled. Rumours began to swirl. I began to sweat.

Sure enough, on the evening of Monday October 22 immediately following the festival, myself and all the other authors working with D+M and Greystone Publishing received a cryptic blind carbon copied email with the news that D+M Publishing was filing for bankruptcy protection effective immediately. I was stunned.

Within an hour of receiving the email, some of the affected authors were discussing it on Twitter. There was talk of tequila. Within three hours, there was an article on Quill and Quire with most of the details contained in the email.

Ever since, I have been asked questions as to what this means for the two books that I have been *cough* diligently working on. Here’s what I’ve been instructed to do by my literary agent: keep writing and hope for the best.

The rough plan was for my first book to be published in the fall of 2013, but since D+M has currently suspended their 2013 production schedule, that obviously means that release date is up in the air.

Here’s the bottom line: I’ll be fine. My books will come out somewhere. On D+M if it can pull through, or on a different publisher.

My first book, Adventures in Solitude, is not affected, as it was published by Harbour Publishing, which is not affiliated with D+M.

I truly feel for D+M’s published authors like Carmen Aguirre and Charlotte Gill, who are owed various amounts of money and are under threat of not seeing it unless there is a miraculous intervention from a new buyer, which remains to be seen.

I’m frightened for Canadian arts and culture when the largest independent Canadian publisher, which in the last few years has featured titles that have won multiple national awards, can’t survive.

I also feel terrible for the staff of D+M, some of whom have been laid off, while others go through a daily grind of uncertainy trying to work through all of this.

In the meantime, I’ve been sharing new stories both on DNTO on CBC Radio and at a various live story telling events in Vancouver like the Vancouver Writers Fest, Rain City Chronicles and The Flame. I’ve been flattered by the response and can’t wait to get the stories into the printed form. Somewhere.

Thanks for your support, and good luck to D+M Publishing and to the Canadian publishing industry.

And hey, try give the gift of the written word this season, and try and buy a book from your neighbourhood independent bookseller. And check out A Good Book Drive.

Thanks for your support,

Grant

ADDENDUM as of Nov 21, 2012.

Enjoying a perfect summer night in Desolation Sound

Hope your Summer of 2012 has been awesome! Here’s some of my summer highlights, followed by what’s coming up for me in the fall:

– It’s been a thrill to host The Wild Side on CBC Radio One this summer, featuring your stories from the wilderness. The show was received very positively and we hope for its return to the airwaves soon. Congratulations to Tonya Lavallee of St. Clements ON, who won the Wilderness Weekend Prize Package to Desolation Sound BC courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tourism, which includes lunch with me at the Laughing Oyster among several way better prizes.

– I was honoured to host the 35th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival on a stunning weekend in July at Jericho Beach Park. Highlights for me were Bette and Wallet, Wake Owl, K’Naan, Dan Mangan, Hey Rosetta, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and swimming in the ocean between sets.

Grant at Vancouver Folk Fest, photo by Christine McAvoy.

– The last time I was on Denman Island BC was when The Smugglers played there in 1992. I made it back 20 years later for the Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival in July and had a wonderful time hanging out with book lovers and authors far more renowned and talented than me.

– I made it to a couple of weddings this summer… first it was my brother-in-law Matthew Barber‘s wedding to his new wife Alexis Taylor on a beautiful farm in Owen Sound, Ontario. Next, my wife and I made the trek all the way from Desolation Sound, BC, to Stanhope, Prince Edward Island for the wedding of my former Radio 3 producer Chris Kelly to his new wife Lauren “Occupy” Bercovitch. This wedding also featured the first time my wife Jill and I have EVER sung live together in public! We performed Sloan’s “I Can Feel It” for the happy couple w/ my old Smugglers bandmate Nick Thomas on acoustic guitar.

– In late August we made the boat trip to Savary Island BC, aka “The Magnetic Isle”, for an afternoon celebrating local authors, musicians, and craft beer. Authors included Charlotte Gill (Eating Dirt), Martin Mitchenson (The Darien Gap) and myself. Musicians included Jill Barber, Ben Bouchard, and Jackie. Thanks to all the folks who filled the sunny backyard of Riggers, Townsite Brewing for the beer, and to Rick Thaddeus for organizing.

– This past Labour Day Weekend was a dream come true in Desolation Sound: Vancouver band The Matinee made the trek up to the cabin to perform an End Of Summer Party on our deck for about 50 local folks who came by boats of shapes and sizes from nearby places like Lancelot Inlet, Galley Bay, Powell River, Lund, Okeover, Refuge Cove, Penrose Bay, and Grace Harbour.

The Matinee performing on the deck in Desolation Sound.

So that was the haps for the summer… here’s what’s coming up:

This September I’ll be as busy as ever: I’m writing every chance I get on my rock’n’roll memoir of my time in The Smugglers, hockey season is starting up soon, and I’ll be back in the hosting chair on CBC Radio 3 on Tue Sep 4 at noon ET/9am PT.

I’ll also be hosting various events across the country this fall, including the Polaris Music Prize Gala (in Toronto), the Western Canadian Music Awards (this year in Regina), and the live version of This Is That. Hope to see you there! Please see the date below, but first…

…what was the highlight of YOUR summer?

September 2012

Thu Sep 20 – This Is That Live, Rio Theatre, Vancouver BC. Grant hosts the live presentation of the CBC Radio comedy show as part of the Olio Festival.

Mon Sep 24 – Polaris Music Prize Gala, Masonic Concert Hall, Toronto ON. Grant hosts the 7th annual prize awarding $30,000 to the best Canadian album of the last year.

Sun Sep 30 – Western Canadian Music Awards, Regina SK. Grant hosts the awards recognizing the music that is best in the West.

October 2012

Thu Oct 11 – Robson Reading Series, UBC Bookstore at Robson Square, Vancouver BC. Grant reads selections from Adventures in Solitude and his upcoming rock ‘n’ roll memoir. 7pm, free, w/ Darren Bifford (Wedding In Fire Country).

Tue Oct 16 – Sun Oct 21 – Vancouver International Writers Festival. Details tba, but Grant’s taking part in something involving Dave Bidini and Timothy Taylor.