Browsing Category

Entertainment

Mad Men’s Kiernan Shikpka Plays Child Therapist

Kiernan Shikpka’s character, Sally Draper, on Mad Men was sent to see a child psychologist because her mother disapproved of her behaviour. During the actress’ time off from filming one of the best shows on TV, Shipka filmed this video, in which she helps delusional child stars with their personal issues. 

She nails all the quirks and body language of a stereotypical therapist, and her wardrobe embodies the same level of sophistication that inspired a partnership between Mad Men and Banana Republic. Watch out, Christina Hendricks and January Jones!

It seems that she’s on her way to becoming the next Dakota Fanning – featured in fashion magazines such as ELLE and the like, but if all else fails, perhaps she could host her own self-help or talk show.

When season five of Mad Men premieres on March 16, 2012, we can find out how Sally will react to Don’s engagement.

October 20, 2011 by

Music Video: Coldplay – Paradise

Coldplay – Paradise

Coldplay debuted their new music video for Paradise today and it’s wonderful from beginning to end. Watch it, play it in the background as you download the song on iTunes, and then play it on loop on your iPod, I dare you.

I’ll be keeping an eye open for information about an upcoming tour from the group because I loved their last show!

October 19, 2011 by

The New Girl

Before I delve into my commentary about Facebook’s changes, I want to share a recommendation for FOX’s new TV show, The New Girl.

Katy Perry’s highly charming doppelganger, Zooey Deschanel stars in the sitcom about a girl who moves in with 3 guys who she meets by responding to a Craigslist ad.

Thanks to Deschanel’s comedic timing, the pilot is funny from beginning to end. Her A-list Hollywood status leads me to believe that The New Girl has staying power and the men’s spontaneous serenade to cheer up their new friend cemented this show into my fall TV schedule.

The New Girl airs Tuesday nights at 9 on FOX/CityTV.

TIP: The pilot episode is available as a free download on iTunes!

September 23, 2011 by

Samsung Presents The Midway State and The Arkells

On Thursday night, Samsung leveraged the ever-increasing popularity of pop-up stores to host their second pop-up concert in Toronto’s downtown core. Last August, Metric played for a crowd of about ten thousand outside of Union Station and it seems that Samsung is making these concerts annual events, this time expanding nationwide to include dates in Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal too. The bands delivered stellar crowd-pleasing performances, so I’m glad I went to see The Midway State once again and to hear the Juno award winning Arkells play live.

 

 

 

Through an effective marketing campaign that included a #samsungsecret Twitter hashtag, press releases and a full page colour print ad in the Metro, Samsung invited Torontonians to see The Midway State and The Arkells, no tickets required. The concert was held in a parking lot at Blue Jays Way and Wellington Street West. The twentysomethings living in condos across the street, some of whom made Bristol board signs, were delighted to have a great view from their balconies.

Reaching out to local influencers, such as Casie Stewart and Lauren O’Neil, who are active on Twitter, ensured that the event remained at the forefront of their followers’ post-work plans. Twitter further played a role in generating brand awareness because retweeting Samsung Mobile Canada granted people like myself, curious as to what they would giveaway, a snazzy Samsung swag bag. Well, let’s not embellish their water bottles and pen too much, but all the items were branded in blue colours and Samsung logos. The only item that directly relates to their Android phones and tablet that the event was meant to promote, is a screen cleaner, which is certainly a useful freebie. Everyone at the event was friendly however and the distribution of free water bottles on a humid evening was certainly appreciated.

Perhaps the product demonstrators should have received better training, given that the Samsung representative I spoke to lacked knowledge about the Galaxy tablet’s camera functionality. After watching videographers capture the performances using the tablets, I was interested to see how they worked, but was unimpressed by his brief explanation.

Overall, the pop-up event organized by Communique was a hit and it put the event planning agency on this marketing intern’s radar. I’m eager to see what other exciting events pop up unexpectedly in the city this summer.

August 6, 2011 by

Concert Review: Lionel Richie

If the stadium had a roof, then everyone would have been dancing on the ceiling Tuesday night at the Rexall Centre. Soft rock and R&B legend Lionel Richie’s performance marked the third concert in the BlackCreek Summer Music Festival’s inaugural season.

The former Commodore had the crowd on their feet and singing along from the moment he took the stage at about 10 pm. Lionel’s arrival on stage was delayed due to rain, but the opening set by Michael McDonald was unaffected by the weather. By the time Lionel started, most of the audience was already wearing BlackCreek ponchos and eager to hear him open with “All Around the World”.

Radio stations tend to exaggerate when they claim to play all your favourite hits, but Richie really delivered, by performing many of his chart-topping hits from the 80’s to present, such as “Ballerina Girl” and “Running with the Night”. Recognizing that the crowd ranged from university students to retirees, he ensured that his set list included a balance of ballads, dance numbers and remixes.

Unlike concerts at other amphitheatres that are filled with preteens constantly snapping photos, there was relatively little fan photography. When Richie and his band members joined together for a photo op at the front of the stage during “Brick House”, this was of little significance to the crowd who preferred to continue dancing. There was even a couple off to the corner of the stage who swing danced to Richie’s music and made the most of being at an outdoor concert in a spacious stadium.

Richie shared that he expected a quiet and mellow group to sit back and listen to love songs, but loved how the crowd was “going in another direction.” Some of his comments admittedly sounded scripted, but fans didn’t seem to care as they danced in the aisles and near the entrances alongside event staff – it was like a timeless dance party Tuesday night.

Richie opined that he hasn’t seen audiences dance like that “since ’84,” a time before I was even born! Speaking of flashbacks, Richie seemed to get a kick out of looking at dated promotional photos of himself that fans standing at the edge of the stage motioned for him to sign (a few of which he did). “What was I thinking?” he joked, assessing his fashion choices and past hairdo, insisting that it was a photo of his father. As for his current tour wardrobe, Richie accessorized his all-black outfit with a chunky gold necklace and watch.

Lionel Richie’s show was the liveliest in the BlackCreek Festival to date. In some ways, I find it hard to believe he’s the father of a reality TV star known for her foolish behavior on The Simple Life because there’s such a contrast – this Richie seems to really know what he’s doing. You could’ve had an obstructed view sitting behind the stage and still enjoyed listening to Richie singing and playing the piano, while accompanied by his outstanding band.

June 30, 2011 by