It's been a Guy Maddin kind of week (see what to do with an hour). That doesn't mean things have been looking blurred and vignetted. Nor does it mean that I've been experiencing vivid memories with weird sexual subtext that pay homage to film history. Just that I've seen two of his movies in a row.

While The Saddest Music in the World, a funny and bizarre film is second in my heart to previous Maddin pick Careful, it's one of the most accessible of this master of experimental feature filmmaking. It's got musical numbers and not only does it have dialogue, but dialogue that's snappy and witty.

Few artists work in this genre with as much success and, more importantly, almost none works in this genre with such a refreshing, genuine sense of humor. That rare humor takes center stage in Saddest with Isabella Rossellini and Mark McKinney delivering sensational performances, while Maria De Medeiros is adorable, as always.

The movie takes place in Winnipeg, which has won the dubious prize of being the saddest city in the world three years running. To Celebrate, Lady Port-Huntley (Rosselini) throws a contest to find the saddest music in the world. She also has no legs and receives a gift of beer-filled legs from her former lover (McKinney)'s father who will always love her but can never gain her graces after severing her legs in the first place.

If you are new to Guy Maddin, this is the kind of plot line you can expect, and you can also expect to get drowsy. His films have a lullaby quality that you should be prepared for. That being said, there is nothing quite like one of his films and it will open your eyes to the possibilities of the art of movie making.

Everytime I think there is something I dislike absolutely, someone comes along to make me seem that I'm too harsh in my judgments. Take DJs for example. I used to shirk from any artist with DJ in the name since Jazzy Jeff and start my eyes a rolling anytime there is a DJ at a restaurant or some event that I'm forced to attend.

But I really enjoy Organ Donor from DJ Shadow AKA Josh Davis. I think DJ Josh Davis is a more honest name for a guy that looks like he went to my high school, but hey, Shadow works too. The song is from the album Preemptive Strike and is really catchy and fun.

Maybe there is room for a DJ in my heart… actually I better make room for two–in news unrelated to this song, but worth a mention since we're on the subject–I found myself completely smitten with the raven haired cute girl spinning at a recent party and her amazing set list of old motown and r&b, many songs I had never even heard before.

She goes by the name Honeydripper (of Daptone Records) and is at Savalas every Tuesday night.

Look, this doesn't make me a pervert because first of all, Shia LaBeouf is 21 years old which makes him legal for all sorts of stuff, and second, I am not necessarily calling him a hunk for my generation, but for the next.

Sure, we first fell for his affable charm back in 2000 on a little gem of a show called Even Stevens that aired on the Disney Channel. It was great mainly due to its fantastic star who is now opening up number one movies and starring in upcoming blockbusters.

He is turning into a handsome young man too, even though, like a little brother, I can only still see him as that kid who took hall monitoring too seriously and was always trying to get out of physical endurance tests in gym.

I was devastated to hear the news that one of the most interesting women in fashion had died. Many many people can be noted for their influence on fashion, but very few influenced in so many great ways with such flair as Isabella Blow.

She was one of the first to discover Alexander McQueen, buying his entire student collection; she truly made and discovered Philip Tracey, by setting him up in her basement to establish his hat making business, not to mention acting as his muse and biggest client.

She edited at Vogue and the Tatler in the course of her career and launched many famous faces like Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant.

Unfortunately she has been rumored to be plagued by depression her whole life and always felt that she was never given much credit for her mark on fashion. A truly unique and sparkling woman has been lost and a huge void will be left.

Already becoming a neighborhood staple after only two years, oyster haven and hip stalwart dining option Marlow and Sons has made my list before. In fact, it was my second best meal of 2006, coming in only behind Fatty Crab.

Well, I've learned they have more to offer than just great dinners. Their gourmet food market up front features imported this and that, infused and organic other things and overall fancy pants grocery goods.

They also sell a coffee chocolate cupcake with remarkable flavor. Taking cues from the trend in desserts to add a bit of salt to the sweet, these rich treats are almost savory at first bite. I don't know how often they are available, but grab one or two if you can and see what I mean.

I know I am giving short notice, but if you can get tickets to the last of this awe inspiring run, you certainly should. Isabella Rossellini is the guest narrator for the remaining shows and she will be perfect for the film.

The film itself is both beautiful and at times genuinely disturbing. While not my favorite of his pieces, it is one of those experiences that comes back to haunt you after the fact. A scene or line from the movie will pop up and you remember all the special, humorous moments.

The real thrill, however, goes beyond the movie. For a limited run, there are live folley artists, who are fascinating to watch as they lend sound to the silent film, a live orchestra performing a melodic score by Jason Staczek, a live guest narrator – we saw a healthy looking Crispin Glover and nearly swooned in his presence, and an eerie real castrato, and an awkward introduction from the director himself. All together this is a singular thrilling experiment to bear witness to.

This last week I took my first trip to Philadelphia with my work team to look in shops, eat great food, and take in some culture. There are so many different things to see in the city of Brotherly, or Peopley to be more politically correct, Love, that I feel that this is only the first Brix Picks on the subject as I hope to return again soon.

Our day started in the downtown area where we visited the tattoo and rockabilly haven Sailor Jerry's. Next we took in the offerings of The AIA Bookstore, the book store of the The American Institute of Architects. Next was Born Yesterday, a children's clothing store that nearly gave me a heart attack with the prices. But some of the pieces, like an adorable white jacket made of vintage handkerchief embroideries, were great just to see, others, like baby onesies with Louis Vuitton and Prada logos were less impressive.

Lunch was the highlight of the trip at Reading Terminal Market, an overwhelming paradise for foodies. I had done my research beforehand and knew that I was headed straight for DiNics for a roast pork sandwich with greens. Unfortunately the greens had all been eaten by the lunch time rush, but the peppers were excellent, so I couldn't stay mad long. I also sampled some of the famous Bassets ice cream which was first-rate.

For two spectrums of the culture part of the trip we visited Space 1026 and The Franklin Institute. Space 1026 is an artist collective run by contemporary talents, some former RISD students. The building is a beautiful old townhouse with a gallery and working spaces for video, screen print, and other mediums.

The Franklin Institute is currently housing the King Tut exhibit, which you will need to get tickets for in advance. If you go you should be aware that the famous sarcophagus is not on display, but don't let that get in the way of appreciating the many other stunning artifacts.

The biggest flaw in travel and food shows is a bad host with an inane script. Initially I was skeptical of this jolly dude, especially when I saw him making a hip hop reference, but he really grows on you.

Like a nice excitable uncle who does awesome crazy stuff on the weekends. Like eating super long worms out of dead trees with some men on a Malaysian beach, or getting a guinea pig and poisoned shrubs rubbed on his nude body before having fire spit on him, or constantly sucking brains out of the animals he's eating.

He is a likeable guy who really immerses himself in the customs, culture, food, and lives of the residents of places he visits. Plus, he doesn't gross out easily and he is good at describing what the exotic foods taste like.

We don't have to watch him hem and haw about eating guinea pig brains, or watch his hands flutter when he bites into some stomach, haggis, or bull testicles (criadillas). However, this is not a gross out show, but one that genuinely informs and makes the big strange world seem a little more accessible.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern is one of the most enjoyable shows on TV right now.

I have a weird imbalance where I just don't make side dishes. This recipe changed that and I am glad it did. These are some of the tastiest things I have eaten in a while. I can only imagine it would be good with a little cheddar melted on top.