DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Victoria and Vancouver: Gateways to Canada remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have nine minutes to spare and a weird obsession with mid-century Canadian tourism, yes, this is absolutely worth your time. Vintage travel geeks will love the saturated color streets, but anyone looking for actual drama or plot will want to run far away.
Honestly, I stumbled on this after trying to find Strange Birds on some obscure archive site. It is directed by James A. FitzPatrick—the "Voice of the Globe" guy—though the credits mention Benjamin D. Sharpe.
The color is insanely bright. Like, the gardens in Victoria look like someone jacked up the saturation slider on a modern phone, but in 1930-something.
My favorite part has to be the Royal Mounted Police drill. They are wearing those bright red uniforms and just... marching in circles.
It goes on for a really long time. You can see one guy in the back who is slightly out of sync with the others, and honestly, I related to him.
The narrator has that incredibly pompous, old-school radio voice that makes everything sound like a major historical event. "And here we see the peaceful harbor..." Dude, it's just some boats. 🚢
I noticed the camera lingers on a flower bed for like fifteen seconds. Just static footage of some red tulips.
I think the cameraman just sat down to eat a sandwich and left the thing running. It's charmingly lazy.
Compared to other shorts from the era, like that bizarre comedy What -- No Spinach?, this is pure relaxation. No loud sound effects, just gentle orchestral music and scenery.
If you hate old travelogues where nothing happens, obviously skip this. But if you want a cozy, slightly blurry window into a Canada that doesn't exist anymore, give it a go.
