Sharp’s Weekly Web Roundup

Burgundy wines are known for having a devoted following. Some of these aficionados are passionate wine geeks who ooh and ah over “the expression of the grape” like characters in the movie Sideways. Generic, easy drinking wines are not for them, they’re all about the terroir. Then there are those who love the region for its status; Burgundy is home to some of the most expensive and renowned wines in the world. Those with deep pockets and the desire to impress need only open a bottle from the famed Domain de la Romanée-Conti to elicit the desired reaction of awe and envy. A bottle or two will set you back a pretty penny, but it will be much less expensive than showing off a Francis Bacon. Whatever the reason for the devotion, there is a mystique that surrounds the region and its wines. Read more…

Being a well-dressed man is difficult anywhere these days, what with the ubiquity of Crocs and boxy, baggy, off-the-rack suits to contend with (not together, thank god, but still). In Canada, that’s especially true.

Once a proud nation of broad-shouldered Mounties and buckskin-coated furriers, personal style here has declined along with that of all modern nations, moving further towards “sports” and comfort attire and away from our noble sartorial roots. While we certainly aren’t lacking in sources for fashionable menswear in this country, that perhaps is part of the problem. It’s easy to find the latest in European fashions in any of our major cities, even some designed by home-grown Canadian brands, but what if you don’t wear shirts with silkscreened curlicues on them? What if bleach-stained jeans aren’t your thing? Where, in Canada, can one go to find clothes that reflect classic, timeless style. Read more…
They are everywhere. They could be brothers, sisters, friends, enemies or parents. Hell, you might even be one yourself. No, we’re not talking about CSIS operatives or FBI agents, or teenage vampires. We’re talking about fanboys. In fact, more likely than not you’re a devotee of a certain type of fanboy-ism yourself: whether for The Watchmen or Star Trek or Japanese sports cars. More notorious than any of these, perhaps, is the Star Wars fanboy. You know the type: he’s displayed a life-sized cut-out of Boba Fett in his bedroom. He’s brought a camping stove to an overnight stay outside his local movie theatre. He’s willing to forgive George Lucas for Jar Jar Binks (and in all honesty, he didn’t think that the character itself was that horrendous). And, no matter how many disappointments the franchise throws his way, you know that he’ll be back for more.

It’s these Star Wars fanboys, these devotees of all things wookie and Jedi, who are the topic of Kyle Newman’s newest film, the aptly titled Fanboys. Read more…