John Buhler lives in Edmonton and completed a Bachelor of General Studies degree at Athabasca University. He is interested in history, religion, popular culture and medical science. John has contributed to the Voice since 2003, writing about books, movies, travel and issues of personal interest.
This Halloween the spirits of the departed will once again walk the land during the night’s trick-or-treating. Apparitions will dart from door to door, and small ghosts and ghouls will abound in touristy ?haunted houses.? But what of the real legends of haunting? Places where the dead are said to make themselves known to the… Read more »
Although the surfing and science film The Ultimate Wave Tahiti has already made the transition to Blu-ray and DVD, you can still catch the wave in some IMAX theatres. I recently saw the movie at TELUS World of Science in Edmonton, where it is currently playing. Typical of IMAX films, The Ultimate Wave features awe-inspiring… Read more »
This review originally appeared April 10, 2009, in issue 1714. An interesting note is this recent Times article on the move to have the Rosetta Stone returned to Egypt. In Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, New York-based journalist Nina Burleigh recounts the invasion of a Muslim nation by a Western military force,… Read more »
Upon hearing the title, you already know that It’s going to be a film about relationships. But unlike the typical romantic comedy that most people are used to seeing, this one does not feature perky starlets or muscled young hotties. Reflecting North America’s shifting demographics, the film’s love triangle involves 50-something divorcees played by Meryl… Read more »
When my wife was a child, she used to visit a friend who lived in an older home where years before a young man had committed suicide. Though the whole neighbourhood knew about the death, my wife’s young friend and his family seemed to be have been unaware of the violent incident. Some buyers might… Read more »
The days are growing shorter and shadows are growing longer. You feel a sudden and distinct chill in the air. Is it simply winter’s approach that makes you shiver, or are the spirits of the dead looking over your shoulder? Is it the rustling of autumn’s fallen leaves you hear, or the footsteps of the… Read more »
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash, was a 1978 television mockumentary that parodied the Beatles, with John Lennon spoofed by the fictional Ron Nasty. In John Lennon: The Life, biographer Philip Norman shows us the real Lennon, who could be quite nasty indeed. We learn about the many instances, sometimes even on stage, in… Read more »
In Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, New York-based journalist Nina Burleigh recounts the invasion of a Muslim nation by a Western military force, giving the reader a sense of déjà vu. It seems so familiar: the story of Napoleon Bonaparte’s incursion into Egypt bears at least a few striking parallels with George… Read more »
Tom Cruise’s latest film, Valkyrie, set during the Second World War, seems to have made its retreat from the theatres. Nevertheless, it is a very interesting movie, not only for the story on the screen, but also for the controversy that surrounded its production. A portrayal of historical events and a nail-biting thriller, the story… Read more »
This article originally appeared May 23, 2008, in issue 1621. Review: Devra Davis, The Secret History of the War on Cancer About a year ago, I participated in a phone survey concerning Canadian health issues. One question asked me to determine which should be the greater priority for the federal government: preventing heart disease or… Read more »