IMBIBE | BC Distilled Festival x Croatian Cultural Centre

Kensington–Cedar Cottage—(April 14, 2018) Vancouver's fifth annual BC Distilled, Canada's premier artisanal spirits tasting festival, took place over the weekend in its second year at the Croatian Cultural Centre in an even bigger, more expanded state showcasing forty local craft distilleries including a dozen new ones.

GENRE | What If 'You Were Never Really Here'?

"I hear you can be brutal."

Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay really knows to evoke mood and emotion through tormented characters and setting. Enigmatic actor Joaquin Phoenix stars in the lean, stripped-down adaptation of author Jonathan Ames' blood-soaked novella, the acerbically titled You Were Never Really Here. It's a brutal portrait of the consequences of violence and vengeance anchored by almost hidden, singular ideas and Phoenix's stirringly raw performance.

CINEMA | Silent Horror – John Krasinski Keeps 'A Quiet Place'

"Who are we if we can't protect them?"

Listen to Episode 167 of the Vertical Viewing Podcast (available on iTunes) where we very loudly review A Quiet Place and talk about the latest in pop culture with co-hosts Scott Willson and Jared Sargent. (0:53)

SOUND | Young Galaxy x 'Down Time' x Venue Nightclub

Granville—(April 4, 2018) Montreal electro pop outfit Young Galaxy performed live at Venue Nightclub to kick off their North American tour in support of their newly released sixth studio album—and first fully independent release—Down Time.

CINEMA | 'Blockers' Makes A Progressive Teen Sex Pact

"This slow and unfurious attitude is not helping us."

The suggestively titled teen sex pact comedy Blockers is not exactly the film you might expect. Directed by Pitch Perfect franchise writer Kay Cannon, the raunchy film is a surprisingly sex-positive story that avoids the pitfalls of its problematic premise where three parents go on a quest to stop their teenage daughters from losing their virginities on prom night.

CINEMA | Spielberg Levels Up Nostalgia – 'Ready Player One'

"A fanboy knows a hater."

Plug into Episode 166 of the Vertical Viewing Podcast (available on iTunes) virtually to hear our audio review of Ready Player One and talk last week in movies alongside co-hosts Scott Willson and Jared Sargent. (0:53)

KAFFE | Cafe and Cozy x Modus Coffee x Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant—After a couple years of hustling in Vancouver's vibrant coffee scene, the folks behind Modus Coffee Roasting Company, owners Sharif and Jessica, finally opened a proper brick and mortar coffee shop on West Broadway late last year.