Don’t burn the CD: How these two stores challenge the disappearance of physical media

Show love to physical movies, music and video games when possible to disrupt the seeming end of CDs and physical copies of your favourite shows and artists.

By Julia Lawrence

Big box stores such as Best Buy are phasing out their DVD and Blu-ray sales, and in 2020, streaming services reached over one billion subscriptions, according to Motion Picture Associations. It leaves independent stores dedicated to the art of physical media with a decision to either follow with the times or adapt and live on.

Toronto’s Bay Street Video and Iceman Video Games’ Peterborough, Ont. location are two examples of how sellers have had to adapt to the ever-changing consumer viewing habits while never losing sight of their goals to share new and nostalgic materials.

Bay Street Video - 1172 Bay Street, Toronto

Bay Street Video recently had its 30th anniversary this past August, celebrating being one of the largest physical media collections in Toronto with DVDs, Blu-rays and more available to the public.

Manager Brendan Whelton said they have almost over 40,000 titles across DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K open to rent and roughly 15,000 titles in stock for sale across those formats.

“We have the entire history of film going back to the 1890s with 10 to 50 new releases every week,” Whelton explained. “We constantly joke about where we're gonna put it all, but we make it work. We've been a fixture of the Toronto film scene for a while.”

Bay Street Video gets a range of customers — from Toronto Metropolitan University and University of Toronto students who come for the student rental discount to clientele who are resistant to adapting to streaming or want to see a title that's not available online.

“Those people who don't have the patience to adapt to streaming because it's so complicated now. You need to get eight different services to have access to everything, which isn't everything,” Whelton said.

The store saw a big influx of rental memberships in June 2020, partially due to the pandemic, but Whelton shared that it he noticed a direct impact from Mad Men’s license expiring with Netflix.

“There was a bunch of people stuck at home who got into Mad Men during the pandemic and it wasn’t there anymore,” he said. “We got a bunch of people like, ‘What is the rental membership? How does that work? What do I need to do?’”

The feeling of your favourite show being discontinued and removed from streaming sites is not a pleasant experience. Whelton says a reason people have stuck and continue to revisit physical media is the nostalgia factor.

“People remember liking something and they want to be able to have a copy, to be able to show people is a very intimate thing to show something that you care about and to know that it'll always be there is very important,” he said.

Since taking over the manager role last year, Whelton hopes to push the store to make it more community-focused.

He wants to make it a “pride of place for local people,” as the store’s clientele has supported them through thick and thin.

“When no big new movies were coming out, rentals kept us going and when rentals have been down, sales have been up, that has been a cornerstone of our success.”

Iceman Video Games - 390 George St N, Peterborough, Ont.

Iceman Video Games has been around since 1992 having their start in Toronto. They now have moved to two physical locations in Lindsay, Ont. and Peterborough, Ont. where they sell new, used and retro video games and other memorabilia.

Peterborough manager Holly Butler says there has been a mixed increase and decrease of visitors that are marked before and after COVID-19.

“We would have midnight launches…for big releases, we’d have lineups out the door type for preorder events. Now we still have quite a few people that preorder, not nearly as it was 10 years ago,” Butler said.

With that, there was also a surge of people missing physical indoor shopping.

Butler added, “Once everything was opened up, we had so many people rushing in that missed just talking to another human being [while] doing their shopping. It wasn't like going to Amazon, one-click, add to cart, very impersonal.”

Butler noted that with the lack of consumers buying physical copies, developers have to rely on fair rights and ownership of their work.

“We're already seeing issues with that (losing games) because there are certain games where all of a sudden, there'll be a rights issue, either within the game itself or from the publishers and then the game gets pulled and you can't even play it anymore.”

A recent case of this was with the video game publishing platform Unity, which was going to backdate all games and input fees for downloads. Butler mentioned that it got to a point where small indie developers could not afford to have their games that were already published still available for sale. Unity has since backtracked this announcement after developers revolted against the letter.

As online gaming culture changes depending on publishers and developers, so does physical gaming. Butler shared that the culture of video game stores has shifted over the last several years, and people are unaware of what a person can come into the store for.

“People don't know you can buy and trade games anymore. A lot of people will be like, ‘Well, what's the point of buying a physical game?’ Well, you can trade it in when you're done with it. That's like the whole culture of a game store. You trade your games.”

She also stressed that some people don’t realize they carry new games.

“Because independent game stores are kind of niche, a lot of people if they think of game stores, they think maybe like EB Games, or getting their games on Amazon, and they don't realize that we as an independent can get new release games,” Butler said. “That's a big part of our businesses carrying new release games, and people assume that we were a used store and we don't have them.”

Iceman Video Games started its online store once the first COVID-19 lockdown hit Ontario, and the store had time on its hands. Butler said that they were in a “pickle” to figure out how to continue sales, and it gave them the time to finally open an online store, which they had been dreaming about for years but put off as it’s a lot of work.

She said, “We have like 1000s of games for our website, and it was going to take a lot of work. It pretty much took the entirety of the first lockdown for us to make a product listing for every single game that we have.”

As they are an independent store, Butler manages the site, and all the work is done in-house.

She adds new games which come out every month but mentioned that while it is a lot of work to maintain, it’s been great for the store.

“Maybe a game that we have a lot of in Peterborough, there's demand for it in Montreal, and so we might have been stuck with those copies here, but now since we have the website, we can cater to a different market,” she said. “It's been able to help us branch out into markets that we weren't able to reach before.”

Iceman Video Games and Bay Street Video are two cases of how physical media will never die as long as the clientele is there and so are the dedicated staff.

The soundtrack of a story: Composing for film and television

Canadian film composer Tom Third speaks to CanCulture about the melodically magical nuances of being a composer 

By: Mariana Schuetze

A movie's soundtrack, whether we're actively looking out for it or subconsciously consuming it as it wallpapers the media, has the power to take us exactly where we should be. Behind almost every musical sound in a scene, there has been a discussion of where the audience should be taken by it. Should we be happy here? Sad? Is there more of the story coming? Building this roadmap and creating the pieces that move us is one of the jobs of a film and television composer. 

Tom Third is an award-winning Canadian composer. Working mostly on documentary and television scores, Third’s most recent works include BLK: An Origin Story and the fourth season of the series Coroner, both of which have earned him positive reviews, nominations and awards.

Third has always been invested in music, but his career didn’t start exactly in film scoring. He studied film and new media at The Ontario College of Art and Design, and after graduating, he was making electronic music. To make ends meet, Third started doing music for television commercials, blazing a path for himself into the industry. He moved on to working on short films and, later, longer features and television series, where he’s been since. 

Behind-the-scenes of composing

The role of a film or television composer is as dynamic as any, but the intricacies of the vocation too often go unventured.  Like any other freelance job in this industry, the work usually starts with a phone call or an email. "First thing you do is, you'll say, 'Yes, I'll do it,' then you hang up the phone, and you panic and go, 'can I really do this?'" said Third.

After that initial moment of panic, the planning and creation starts. Third says he usually has a meeting with the project's director and producers, and other creative heads, where they’ll discuss the idea for the film or show. Almost always, when a composer gets on board, there is something to look at, Third says. The next step in the process is usually watching some of the material together and beginning the idea-generation process.

"We take really specific notes about where the music's gonna go, and what it's gonna sound like. We might talk about the kinds of instruments, but we try and build kind of a roadmap of the whole thing, like a list of all the pieces of music that will be in it, which triggers a whole bunch of stuff, organizationally." 

Part of Third's job as a composer, creating original tracks for movies and television shows, is assembling a team when needed. After those initial meetings and coming up with the plan, Third will think about every piece they need to create and if they need to hire any other musicians to do it. "[We] will break it down and figure out what's going to be shot where and how do we combine things together to maximize our resources."

Third’s work also involves a back-and-forth between him and the project's creative leaders. He says that first, they'll let him go loose and "be really adventurous." That's when he'll try "a whole bunch of things," and starts figuring out what might sound best. Then, they'll put it against the moving pictures and talk about it. 

Although sometimes Third might be brought on earlier to the production, especially for films, composing usually comes in at the end. "It's a middle-to-end-ish kind of thing."

Sometimes it's even the last part of the process. "The actual mix, where they put the sound and the movie together and make it all sound great, that's very close to the last day of the film," Third tells. "When you go see Avatar at Christmas at the movie theatres, they probably did the sound mix two days before that. It's always right up to the deadline."

However stressful this tight deadline may be, there is a reason for it. Sound in movies and television is closely integrated with the picture and much of the dialogue. The timings are really precise, Third says. That’s why they usually have to wait until the end after all the reshoots and re-edits to finally add the magical touch of music and sound. 

The power of music! "Where do we want it to hit?"

Music is essential to tell a story in film and television. It's basically the heart of it, Third says. 

"Music has the magical powers, in my view, of somehow just really tapping into your brainstem and just bringing out all those emotions." 

In the end, Third's job is finely picking out which specific sound will bring out that emotion needed at every seemingly imperceptible point in a scene. 

"When I work on films, I'm given images to work with, not images in real life, but idealized images of what people experience, like the beautiful version of what that first date was like, or the best sunset I've ever seen… Then I think those idealized images, combined with music… and it just ups the ante and really makes [emotions] start to blow up," Third says. 

It's all about the feeling they want to unleash in the audience. And that's what Third's scoring will do in a project and why it's so intricately connected to the storytelling. That's where the discussion with the director and producers come in. "We talk about, like, "We want them to cry on this shot. Hey Tom, make it hit here.' and I'm like, 'Okay, let's try that.'" 

BLK: An Origin Story and Coroner

Working as a composer on an established television series versus a documentary can be slightly different. Third does both. 

For a documentary like BLK, Third says his work is more on the backseat, especially in terms of how the music integrates with the image. In this case, particularly because the production was done during COVID-19, the scheduling was a bit more complicated.  

BLK: An Origin Story is a four-part documentary series that explores untold stories of Black Canadians from the 1600s to the present. Rather than being the star, the soundtrack allows the stories to speak for themselves—and Third's work functions as a frame for the narrative.   

On the other hand, CBC's original series Coroner is a project Third has been involved with for years, so the process runs a bit more smoothly. In dramas like this show, music sometimes takes on a bigger role. 

Coroner is a procedural drama based on the best-selling series of books by M.R. Hall by the same name. The series follows a recently widowed coroner who investigates suspicious deaths in Toronto. In this series, Third's work really helps build the anticipation that comes with a mystery story and adds to the drama of the show. 

Unlike documentaries, where there usually is a lot of exposition, a drama can be conceived with music in mind, and less talking, making it all stand out.  "Sometimes, it feels like it's a little bit more poetic, in the way music can be used," Third says. 

Perks of the job

For both BLK and Coroner, Third earned nominations for this year's Canadian Screen Awards. BLK won all five awards it was nominated for, including Best Original Music, for Third's work. 

"Well, it feels it feels great. It really does. I'm not blase about it," Third says about his nominations and win. "It's a really fun honour. It's your peers. So it really does mean something."

This wasn't Third's first nomination, and he's also served on the jury of some awards too, and that's an exciting part of the job for him. "It's your friends' work, you know, that you're going to put forward. So we really take it seriously. So when you win it, the sense is that two people thought about it. It actually does mean something," he said. 

In fact, working with as many people as he has in this business is one of the reasons why Third keeps doing it. "Aside from all the music part of it, that's one of the best parts about it. And the longer I've done this, it's kind of [become] my favourite part." 

In this business, Third has found that working with compassionate and seasoned artists has been a gratifying experience. The experimenting and the constant challenging moments Third goes through while working on a project are also what keeps him motivated.  

"Why do I keep doing this job? It’s that loving relationship you have with your creative partners, where everybody is very forgiving of everyone else's missteps or experiments that didn't seem to work. And that's one of the things I think that makes it so intimate and so much fun." 

Constantly working with other creatives has another perk for Third: it allows him to grow creatively. "When I'm working on film or television projects, and there's a producer, and there's the network and all these other people involved, they're all pushing me further and further, creatively, like outside of my wheelhouse and into sort of new territory." 

It's always a new challenge, Third says. It makes the job "endlessly exciting." And as far as jobs go, making music for a living is Third’s dream. "You would do it for free, right? It's a passion project. I love to write music, I love playing music. So it's very easy to have a job where you get paid to do that."

And as for the future, Third says there are a bunch of new projects rolling in. Besides a top-secret film, which he can't really talk about, Third is also working on another documentary. "It's this pretty fantastic kind of social justice-style documentary, which is the kind I like to do best."

These jobs are going to keep Third busy well into the summer. And after that, new projects should be coming in as new opportunities for Third to stretch his creative muscles. 

"It's very fun. It's addictive. And every film is so different. Even if they're similar. They're so different. Every relationship is different. And none of the music I've written for any other film can get reused in the films I'm going to do next. Because they just do not fit."

LGBTQ+ characters that made queer history

Canada still has a long way to go in terms of representation on screen, but these queer characters are walking media down the right track

By: Rojhin Taebi

David Rose from Schitt’s Creek quickly flourished into a icon for queer people everywhere (Graphic by Sama Nemat Allah)

Queer communities have rarely had any solid representation on Canadian television or film. Whether they be entirely absent or hidden in carefully coded characters and themes, queerness doesn’t see the limelight nearly as often as it should. But in this article, we look back at eight queer characters and how their stories have impacted how we see queer identities in Canadian media today. CanCulture advises anyone who is interested in viewing these films to always check for trigger warnings beforehand. 

David Rose - Schitt's Creek

Our top pick – which won’t surprise you – is Canadian actor Daniel Levy’s character, David Rose, from the appraised Canadian sitcom, Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020). Rose comes out as pansexual in season 1, episode 10 with the iconic line, “I like the wine, not the label.” Rose ends the show happily married to his business-partner-turned-romantic partner Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) and stays in the rural Ontario town of Schitt's Creek that he eventually grew to love. 

On queer representation in the show, Levy stated in a 2018 interview with Vulture, that homophobia would “never infiltrate Schitt’s Creek.” The show’s small-town community instead showed “love and tolerance,” towards David Rose as he became a permanent part of their community

Llewelyn Watts - Murdoch Mysteries 

Murdoch Mysteries (2008 - present) has spanned 16 seasons, but it wasn’t until the introduction of Saskatchewanian, Daniel Maslany’s neurodivergent-coded character in season 10 that the beloved series shook off the tired “bury the gays” trope. Llewelyn Watts’ conflict with both his Jewish identity and his sexuality adds great depth to his character, whose eccentricities bring joy to any viewer.

The show illustrates the treatment of queer folks in early-1900s Canada–a time and space that was seldom conducive to safety for marginalized communities at large. This leads a heartbroken Watts to seek out “correctional treatment” for his homosexuality until he finds an accepting community of other “confirmed bachelors,” as well as allies in his friends and colleagues. 

Fans appreciate the historical accuracy of the time, as well as how the writers are hinting at a happy ending for the character.

Sarah Manning, Cosima Niehaus, Tony Sawicki, Felix Dawkin - Orphan Black

Orphan Black (2013-2017) is a hit Canadian thriller television series about illegal human cloning that has been praised for its multiple queer-identifying characters. Sarah Manning, a bisexual or pansexual, Cosima Niehaus, a lesbian, and Tony Sawicki, a trans man—all played by Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany. The nuanced characters are loved by fans who feel the show understood that sexuality is only one important aspect of a whole individual.

In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Jordan Gavaris, who plays Felix Dawkin, a gay artist and sex worker on the show, stated that they “take that [positive queer rep] really seriously and it’s something we’re really proud to do as a show. We have a social responsibility to be inclusive.”

Laurence Alia - Laurence Anyways

French-Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan is revered among young filmmakers—queer and otherwise— for his breathtaking films on the human experience, which often centre the queer experience. Laurance Anyways (2012) is a film about novelist Laurence Alia, a newly-out lesbian transwoman in her mid-thirties, played by cis actor, Melvil Poupaud. 

We follow her relationship with her lover, Fred Bellair (Suzanne Clément) which spans over a decade. The film begins with Alia coming out to Bellair and facing rejection, which is soon reconciled as Bellair becomes an affirming partner, encouraging Alia to dress femininely and learn how to apply makeup. The conflicts of prejudice and life separate and reunite the couple.

The film received international acclaim for compassionately depicting Alia’s complex but beautiful trans identity. 

Zachary Beaulieu - C.R.A.Z.Y

C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) is a French-Canadian coming-of-age drama film that follows Zachary Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin) as he navigates his Christian household and gay identity as a teenager, then adult, in the ‘60s and ‘70s in Quebec. The film centres on Beaulieu’s relationship with his homophobic father and brothers who reject Beaulieu’s sensitive nature, causing him to date women and stay in the closet for years until they reach reconciliation. Meanwhile, he uses wild, punk styles to express himself while listening to the great music hits of the era, including David Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones. 

Zachary Beaulieu’s heartfelt and often comedically-sound story reached the heart of Canadians and international audiences upon release and, in 2015, Toronto International Film Festival critics ranked it among the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time.

Pauline “Paulie” - Lost and Delirious

Lost and Delirious is a 2001 Canadian drama film and one of many lesbian tragedy films that circulated in the early 2000s. The film is set in Toronto, Ontario, and follows the romantic relationship of two teenage girls, Pauline “Paulie” (Piper Perabo) and Victoria “Tori” (Jessica Paré) at an all-girls boarding school. As their relationship deepens, Paulie experiences internalized homophobia and denies her sexuality. Feeling pressured by her homophobic family, Tori begins dating a boy, causing a heartbroken Paulie to spiral into destructive behaviours.

The film’s tragic ending is shocking when compared to the more positive queer representation we have the privilege of enjoying today. Paulie’s story should serve as a reminder of the value of good representation and access to LGBTQ+ resources that can help young people explore their sexuality in a safe and affirming way. 

Clint Star - Deep Inside Clint Star (1999)

The late Métis filmmaker and actor, Clint Alberta, portrays Clint Star, a pornographic actor who interviews his Métis community in Toronto. The documentary film works as a first-person video essay on how Indigenous youth view their “radical” sexuality, love and pain — and how those radical parts of life intertwine with their Indigenous identity amid centuries of abuse and oppression. The representation of sacred queer identities was well-received by Indigenous audiences, and the film serves as an inspiration for many young Indigenous filmmakers today. 

Doug Harris - Winter Kept Us Warm (1965)

This comical yet tender film tells the story of upperclassman Doug Harris, played by John Longbow). Director, David Secter uses his own experience to create a tribute to the common gay experience of realising same-sex attraction to a friend. The story takes place at the University of Toronto in the winter time, following Harris as he develops feelings for outsider underclassman, Peter Saridan, played by Henry Tarvainen. The carefully coded homoerotic subtext was crucial to the overall film, as it would be another four years until homosexuality was decriminalised in Canada, and even longer before Canadian filmmakers would get the recognition they deserve. Even the actors didn’t realize they were making a gay love story until years later. 

Harris and Saridan’s story is laced with boyish antics and a deep bond between the men. Jealousy reminds the viewers of the titular poem by E.S Elliot and that April is, indeed, the cruellest month. As new, queer Canadian films and filmmakers make their debut, Secter’s film should serve as a gentle reminder of the power and allure of a subtle embrace in wintertime.

Iconic movie and TV characters played by Canadians to recreate this Halloween

If you haven't picked your Halloween costume for this year yet, here’s a list of characters notorious for their unique style.

By: Anna Maria Moubayed

(Abby Grant / CanCulture)

(Abby Grant / CanCulture)

As Halloween slowly begins to approach, many people go through their existing wardrobe to put together a fun costume, while others start hunting for costume ideas and clothing pieces. Either way, you’re in luck! This article has a list of Canadian actors from movies and TV shows, with roles that put them on the map.

1. Catherine O’Hara

This Canadian actress, comedian, and writer was a central character in the classic holiday film Home Alone. All you need to be Kevin’s mom is a beige coat, a white shirt, a scarf to protect you from the winter cold, a pair of gold earrings, and a worried look on your face. Walk around town looking for your son, screaming “Kevin!” and people are sure to recognize you as one of the best movie moms of all time.

Alternatively, grab whatever obnoxious item you can find around the house and turn it into “designer clothing” to fully embody O’Hara’s famous Moira Rose character from the Canadian TV show Schitt's Creek. This can span anywhere from a tablecloth with a belt to your pet as a headpiece. Of course, pay close attention to the wig you choose to match the outfit and your mood. Most importantly, don’t forget the red lipstick.

2. Eugene Levy

If you want to have a cute couple’s costume, here’s an idea: Moira’s character is only complete with her husband, Johnny Rose, who was played by Canadian actor, comedian, producer, director and writer Eugene Levy. Put on your best suit, borrow your dad’s best handkerchief and add some flour into your hair to get that iconic “silver fox” look. Now all you have to do is buy a town for your son.

3. Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry is a Canadian-American actor, executive producer, and comedian. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the TV series Friends. Practice your jokes, sarcastic remarks, and stressing the wrong words in a sentence. All you need for his look is a shirt, your dad’s vest, and maybe a funky tie.

4. Jim Carrey

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The famous actor, comedian, writer, and producer is known for his energetic performances, making sure you’ll be the life of the party. With his long list of movie and TV show characters, you have many options. Let’s focus on three movie characters that would make great Halloween costumes.

Stanley Ipkiss, his character from The Mask will require you to drink a lot of coffee to match his energy. Other than that, all you will need is a green mask or face paint and a dashing yellow suit.

Be your natural self dressing up as Lloyd Christmas, Carrey’s character from the movie Dumb and Dumber. Wear your most comfortable clothes, get the bowl cut, and add in a tooth gap. All that’s left is your partner in crime and your dog-shaped mode of transportation.

Alternatively, grab your craziest pair of pants, along with your craziest shirt, and maybe a fluffy pink tutu to replicate another one of his famous characters: Ace Ventura from the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Perhaps the most important part of this costume will be getting the hair just right, so make sure you stock up on a lot of hair gel.

5. Sandra Oh

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Get ready to show off all your high school biology knowledge! Oh’s famous character, Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy will not only be a killer Halloween costume but also highly effective as a COVID-19 safety measure. Incorporate a medical mask into your costume to stay safe.

You can also dress as her helpful principal character from The Princess Diaries or a badass teacher from Ramona and Beezus. Grab a nice shirt and a matching pencil skirt, and get ready to deal with princess drama or make a troubled little very happy.

6. Ryan Gosling

Polish up your dance routine, make sure to practice your jazz pieces on the piano, and put on your best suit and tie set to be Ryan Gosling’s famous character Sebastian "Seb" Wilder from La La Land. Let your friends know that you might break out in song at any moment and they should consider themselves warned. See if you can borrow a pair of tap shoes to complete the look.

7. Christopher Plummer

This legendary Canadian actor had a career that spanned seven decades. Who wouldn’t want to be him? His iconic role in the classic movie The Sound of Music portrayed the strict, yet caring and handsome Captain Von Trapp. For this look, you will need a dashing suit, fit for a captain, and either a guitar or a whistle, depending on whether you want to be the strict or caring side of the Captain. Finally, you will need seven children. The latter is usually hard to find, but you could always substitute them with pets, plushies, or potatoes.

8. Rachel McAdams

Grab any pink piece of clothing you own, we’re going shopping! Channel your inner spoiled, popular high schooler by putting together a jarringly pink and undoubtedly uncomfortable outfit. Rachel McAdams’ iconic Regina George character from Mean Girls is sure to make people recognize who you’re dressed up as instantly. This evil genius not only bossed the crew around but wreaked havoc when things didn’t go according to her plan. Get ready for the “spring fling” like it’s your Olympics. Have you started training yet?

9. Michael J. Fox

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Maybe the future will get better? It is no secret that the Back to the Future movies are staples in movie history. Become Michael J. Fox’s legendary character Marty McFly and get ready to travel. All you need is a pair of jeans, some layered shirts, a confused look on your face, possibly your passport and proof of vaccination to be able to travel, and a puffy vest to top it all off; the perfect outfit for a Canadian fall.

10. Tommy Chong

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Tommy Chong’s character Leo from That 70s Show is possibly the perfect Halloween costume. Grow out your hair and beard and find a ’70s closet you can invade. You will need a lot of denim clothing. Truly let your weird side shine with this character. Share your hippie-era stoner wisdom with the people around you, and the worthy will listen.

These classic characters make for great Halloween costumes. Whether you have all the time in the world to put together the perfect outfit or you want to use what you already have and create a last-minute costume, these characters will get you recognized by all trick-or-treaters. Don’t be scared of modifying these costumes to fit your style, comfort, and our Canadian weather. Happy Halloween!