Cronica de una Fuga (Argentina), playing as part of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival

I owe it all to that little hottie Gael García Bernal. Not even halfway through the chaos of Amores Perros, I craved more. And I wasn't alone. With the international release of Nueve Reinas and Y Tu Mamá También, Hollywood Reporter types were forced to pay attention, shifting their eyes south for a little more cinematic spice and inspiration.

Held a couple weeks before the VIFF, the Latin American Film Festival whets filmgoer appetites and caters to the growing Latin American community and the rest of us who love 'em. It's a week-long bash of features, documentaries, and shorts, combined with additional FREE (!!) feature screenings held at SFU Harbour Centre, courtesy of the Latin American Studies Program. That there's my week planned.

"Sad Song" by Au Revoir Simone

Brooklyn-based indie-electro-dream-pop trio Au Revoir Simone bring their keyboards and drum machine to the Media Club (695 Cambie Street) this Wednesday, August 22. Since guys seem to be the only ones I've actually heard make mention of this band, I'm thinking it'll be one of those steamy shows full of indie boys in the front row with mouths slightly agape. And that's okay. At least they're not the ever-annoying Pipettes -- please don't get me started.

Our dwindling pool of live music venues takes another hit. Word from The Lamplighter's (210 Abbott Street) booking agent is the building's been purchased and the venue was given extremely short notice to cancel shows from August 15th onwards. This news combined with the ever-looming threat of Richard's on Richards closing -- what's the deal with that, anyway? -- I'm starting to worry that all live gigs will end up at the Plaza Club, a place that reminds me of frosh week and "Blue" by Eiffel 65 all at once (and, believe me, that era needs no repeating).

Anyway, this post isn't meant to glorify The Lamplighter: standing anywhere near the stage was only good if I needed to inhale the smell of poop and, as I learned recently, the miserable stage lighting is no good for a hobby photographer without a flash. Still, it was a venue where I never felt awkward attending alone, and it attracted a tolerable, quirky crowd on the edge of scenesterism, but not to the point of being annoying.

Come on, with all the money in this city, there's gotta be someone or some place that can keep the downtown scene alive. I'm not giving up on you, Vancouver!

[Snippet from Lotus Child poster by Julie McLaughlin]

I've been known to backtrack in intersections, nearly getting run over by a car, all for the sake of a freakin' gig poster. Does this merely stem from an unhealthy love for live music? Does the general public care? Can you think of a street poster or urban art piece that's stopped you in your tracks? This Sunday, La Casa del Artista hosts Gig Poster Palooza, a poster art and live music extravaganza bringing these pieces inside for more than cursory pedestrian appreciation -- and lucky for me, no backtracking or car dodging is required.

Escape from Suburbia -- the trailer

If condescending "you're destroying the planet" jabs don't faze your car-dependent pals, then have 'em try out Greg Greene's Escape from Suburbia, which premieres in Vancouver this Friday. Recently awarded the Grand Prize for Environmental Focus at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, this Canadian-directed sequel to 2004's End of Suburbia digs into the peak oil crisis and showcases some innovative thinkers and current solutions addressing the issue. If this sequel is anything like the first, it'll rattle any desire you have to pursue the American Suburban Dream, most notably through comments by no-bull James Howard Kunstler (a possible contender for Political Curmudgeon if he wasn't so entertaining and damn right most of the time).

A dizzying panel of environmental flag-wavers will also be in attendance, including representatives of Free Geek, Greenpeace, and the Architectural Institute of BC. Be prepared to get your politics on. Extra feel-good points if you walk or bike to the venue.

Submedia presents Escape from Suburbia
Where: Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium (154 East 10th Avenue @ Main)
When: Friday, August 17, 2007 | 7:30pm
Tickets: $11 advance at www.submedia.tv/escape

Until recently, walking tours seemed to attract only tourists, the occasional architecture student and hobbling ladies with a lot of retired time to spare. But because it's a great way to get to know the community, I think the fever's starting to catch. I recently hopped on an Architectural Institute of BC's walking tour of Strathcona, of which the tour leader admits is "her favourite tour of all". This hour-and-a-half stroll through the community highlights not only the architectural make-up of the neighbourhood (Queen Annes, pre-fab homes, and the Strathcona Porch Project), but also its immigrant history and SPOTA -- the Strathcona Property Owners and Tenants Association -- the urban activist organization that clearly saved this jewel of the city.