There is a fine line between suffering for your art and being as crazy as a rat in a tin outhouse. I enjoy being an extra in movies. I caught the bug years ago on the set of “Legends of the Fall.”

I’m one of the guys getting shot in the brief First World War battle scene  which was shot just outside of Calgary in the summer of 1993— I remember it going all night and it raining non-stop. Good times.

I also have been in a couple other movies since. In a nutshell, being an extra includes doing a lot of standing around and waiting punctuated by brief moments of adrenaline pumping, stomach churning action, braced by complete and utter exhaustion as fake blood mingles with mosquito bites and real blood from assorted rocks, branches and brambles.

Especially on the set of the Medic, a locally produced alien invasion/ zombie attack film being shot by over the summer by local film makers Rambunxious Entertainment.

They are the same group who brought you popular short film “High School Brawl,” and their first full length action/ comedy “Hoodoo Voodoo,” which was released back in October.
 So if you see blood stains and scraps of skin while wandering about the Cottonwood Park Nature Reserve west of Lethbridge, or in and around the city, fear not, it is just the remnants of “the Medic.”

“It’s like a suicide mission to save the world,” described writer/ producer Kevin Johnson who also plays the title character. The whole film is shot through a helmet camera he wears to tell the story of this rag tag bag of Canadian commandos through his eyes as they try to destroy “the node,” which broadcasts a radio signal that controls the infected — hapless victims infected by aliens who are trying to destroy humanity.

 They are shooting the film in and around Lethbridge as well as a few out of town locations as far away as Cardston and Vulcan, and in the case of the weekend’s scene, deep in the middle of the west side coulee through rocks, trees and brambles and down an immense, heart-stopping cliff (in the case of an extra like me who is pretty out of shape.) A variety of extras were transformed from pre-teens, parents, students and everybody in between into vicious alien zombies sporting a variety of vivid flesh wounds, bullet holes backbones sticking out, infected back skin, disemboweled bellies and even tentacles.

New West Theatre is going to have a blast from the past this summer as they go back to the ’50s with their latest production ‘Twist and Shout’ which runs June 29-July 23.
New West went all out for their ’50s theme this year, building a replica of a ’50s diner on stage for the band to play behind.
“And the band will be dressed up as soda jerks,” said general manager Jeremy Mason.
“ The shows all have a very familiar framework, but we like to do something new every year to keep it fresh,” he said.

“I think the most important thing is for us to put on a high quality show each year,” he said.

“And everybody from that generation will remember these songs. And even if you’re not, you will recognize them,” he said. He is excited about seeing the new cast perform.

 “Just because some of your familiar faces won’t be here this year, it doesn’t mean you won’t see them again,” he continued. Familiar faces like Scott Carpenter, Jocelyn Haub and Erica Hunt are returning, but some of the familiar faces like Kathy Zaborsky and Mark Nivet wanted to stay in Vancouver and Toronto respectively to work on other projects.

If you wnat to see an interesting  and thought provokimg movie, SAAG Cinema presents Adem (Oxygen) tonight at the Tongue n Groove.
 The 2010 Belgian/ Netherlands film is the winner of the Grand Prix des Americas and the Ecumenical Jury Award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival.

The movie, which is in Dutch, but has English subtitles, is described as the poignant tale of two young men, Tom (Stef Aerts) and his brother Lucas (Maarten Mertens), who suffer from cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that slowly destroys the lungs. Oxygen is compelling, romantic, funny and heartbreaking.

It’s a drama about having little time and not wanting to miss out on anything.



In one of his hospital stays, Tom meets Xavier (Wouter Hendrickx), who has the same illness. Xavier teaches Tom that life can be enjoyed to its fullest notwithstanding their precarious state of health.

The two men face many ups & downs in a tumultuous relationship which is the basis of this fascinating film. The women in their lives and as well Tom's friends play prominent roles in an emotional roller coaster of a film. Ultimately, the two men's fates are inextricably linked.

Stef Aerts delivers a magnificent acting performance in which learning to take a breath of air is a challenge. The camera work is sensitive yet unobtrusive. Hans Van Nuffel, who has a mild form of cystic fibrosis, also wrote the script and knows the subject matter. This gripping film is ultimately not about the illness. Rather it is about the will to survive.
Admission is five dollars or three dollars for SAAG members. There will be free popcorn and drink specials.
The show runs from 8 - 10 p.m.