bike

Brian of Frontline Films has let me know that there's a teaser up of his sci-fi film The Cycles that was shot in Toronto - partly at CBN.

A description:

A lowly bike courier named Karen is given a package from the future, confronting her with the dilemma of what drives the universe: free will, predestination, or random chance.

The Cycles is the new short film from Toronto-based Frontline Films, directed by Brian Clement, produced by Jeff McCormack, starring Tam Best, Kelly-Marie Murtha, Robert Nolan, with Derek Chadbourne and Allan Turner.

I'm trying to reduce my greenhouse gases while traveling. This experiment began last year as I researched alternatives to flying to visit family out West. It ends with my discovery that taking the train is actually nice and that I'll try to take it over flying. It didn't hurt that airline prices went through the roof as the price of oil reached angelic proportions. The real question is if my resolve will hold with oil prices crashing.

Last Christmas I took the Greyhound bus across the country to visit my family in Alberta. I researched and compared prices between the train, bus and carpooling -- all contribute considerably less carbon dioxide than air travel. Trains and buses are fairly close in terms of the greenhouse gases they emit during similar trip lengths. They differ greatly, however, in terms of comfort and romantic history. There is absolutely nothing romantic about the Greyhound. It's right down there with Coffee Time and Dollarama. It's the working class travel solution. My bus trip was a dreary 50 hours of windy roads of blowing snow, sick and coughing neighbours, and stops at Tim Hortons and Burger King parking lots every few hours. Other than the very low price, there is very little that's redeeming about bus travel.

Critical Mass Toronto

I'm sitting in the theatre thinking that if someone forced me to guess the theme of the next film I would have to say it would be about biking as whimsical, free and pure fun. Then the film would show someone cruising around on their bike, maybe doing something intentionally pointless like doing wheelies, making waffles or pulling a rake in the sand. All very much meant to tap our inner hippie.

The Bicycle Film Festival started eight years ago in New York City by Brendt Barbur. Last fall it first came to Toronto with the help of Benny Zenga of Winking Circle fame, with their tall bikes and other whimsical, eccentric creations. (My inner workaholic Calvinist has a bit of a problem with eccentricity and whimsy.)