FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1999. All Rights Reserved

Splice by FFWD Staff From Mother Goose to Dr. Seuss No matter how many times we’re told not to, it’s natural to judge a book by its cover – that’s why covers are so important. As the introduction to the story, covers are intended to entice us and to communicate what we might discover within the pages, whether it’s a mystery or a love story or a lesson to be learned. And no one is more impressionable than children. From Mother Goose to Dr. Seuss (Chronicle Books) is a treasury of children’s book covers from 1860 to 1960 which depicts the different graphic styles of each decade and profiles the great illustrators. The full-colour illustrations on every page feature childhood favourites (Curious George, A Child’s Garden of Verses, Charlotte’s Web, etc.), and are accompanied by commentary from Harold Darling, who has collected children’s books for more than 30 years. Censorship on the Web With the recent release of Stanley Kubrick’s final film Eyes Wide Shut and the cuts that were made – against the dead director’s wishes it must be noted – before American and Canadian theatres would carry it has once again brought the subject of censorship to the forefront. The idea of what the state will and will not let its citizen’s see and the justifications they have for it is a fascinating subject and one that’s tackled on numerous Web sites. One of the best – albeit UK-based – is The Melon Farmer’s Video Hits page. Even though Britain released Eyes Wide Shut in its uncut version, thousands of other films have not been so lucky and The Melon Farmer has extensive archives of those motion pictures that have been denied theatrical as well as video release since 1974. From The Story of O to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its second sequel Leatherface, the site documents in detail why the films weren’t approved as well as their current status or the cuts that had to be made to secure release. There are also excellent censorship news stories (such as the rough treatment Tiger Woods’s undies-clad kisser received when the photographers were out of sight) as well as opinion pieces and links to other like-minded sites that are fighting those whose minds are shut tight. Free stuff Fast Forward presents the advance screening of The Blair Witch Project on Thursday, July 29 at the Plaza Theatre. In the film, three student filmmakers disappear in the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary in October of 1994... a year later their footage is found. Check out the ad for details on how to win a double guest pass. For those who just can’t wait, we also have five double passes to a midnight sneak preview of this film at the Plaza on Friday, July 23 (it’s scary, so don’t plan on sleeping afterwards!). To win, drop by the Fast Forward office and name three witches. We still have some tickets to give away for "Wing it ’99" on Saturday, July 24. Wing it ’99 is a fund-raiser for Alberta Youth and Care, sponsored by the Apartment Restaurant & Bar and Fast Forward. Spend an afternoon hitting several of Calgary’s hot spots and judge which one has the best chicken wings in the city. To win, just drop by Fast Forward with a donation to the food bank. Free stuff can be picked up starting on Friday. Only those who have not won in the past four weeks (excluding movie passes) are eligible. Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

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