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08/31/12
Though we reported about TIFF Bell Lightbox’s upcoming exhibit, “Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style,” back in April, TIFF recently announced some extra additions to the Bond bonanza, which kicks off Oct. 26, including three TIFF Cinematheque film programmes. In tribute to the suave spy, we present our favourite not-so-debonair deaths.
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08/31/12
Maybe this guy is rightfully upset over his missing mascot, but if this creepy looking doll went missing, we’d be glad to see him go. (Although that ice cream head is kinda scary.)
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08/30/12
The Second City’s latest mainstage offering opens with an ominous voice announcing that “there’s a shit storm coming.” The quote is a riff on the Anne Hathaway line in this summer’s blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. In the movie, Hathaway, as Catwoman, foreshadows the film’s chaotic events. Thankfully, We’ve Totally (Probably) Got This is anything but chaotic. However, it does have its own dark moments.
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08/30/12
Labour Day weekend marks the symbolic farewell of more than just summer. Backbeat, the story chronicling the birth and rise of The Beatles, will come to a close on Sunday after what has been a successful, critically acclaimed run. Be sure to catch the musical this weekend, because it “must close Sept. 2.”
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08/30/12
Forget this new ’80s revival, with its saccharine love songs and rock ballads. We’re really hoping for a bagpipe renaissance, where screeching tunes are no longer played solely at funerals and the Highland Games but at nightclubs, remixed with some Drake beats. Watch; it’ll happen.
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08/29/12
As fans, it’s always a toss-up when our best-loved artists explore unknown sonic realms. So when folk outfit Cuff the Duke announced that their upcoming album, Union, would veer from their acoustic tradition, we were admittedly wary. And boy, is it heavy. Rife with electric hooks that, at times, have elements of psychedelia, frontman Wayne Petti (Toronto’s answer to Jeff Tweedy) ventures into rock territory while keeping the band’s alt-country bones.
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08/29/12
Back in 1936, attention-seeking Toronto women competed in scanty attire to win the affection and approval of their male peers. In 2012, they still do that — but just on national television. And with helicopter rides and hot tub scenes.
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08/28/12
Part of The Ashkenaz Festival, the title and plot of Theatre PANIK’s latest production reminds us of Tim Burton’s 2005 film, which was based on the same shtetl folklore. In this play, a young groom on the way to his bride’s village accidentally weds himself to a corpse bride; hilarity ensues.
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08/28/12
If you follow any Canadian comedians on Twitter, you probably know that the Canadian Comedy Awards were held at Toronto’s Royal York hotel on Sunday night. Thanks to the inundation of hashtag #CCA2012 in our feeds, it’s obvious that not only are Canadians funny people, but we’re proud of it, too. (And if you’re not following Canadian comedians, then it’s about time you did.)
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08/28/12
With temperatures expected to stay warm headed into fall, Torontonians can expect to sleep outside to cool off. Or just keep the A.C. on because it's not 1911 anymore.
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08/27/12
She Said What is the self-described “premium all-female comedy cocktail” that promises “no men-bashing” and, probably most importantly, “no period jokes,” putting a whole new twist on those “that’s what she said” jokes. We chatted witih cast member Carly Heffernan (a fixture at Toronto’s Second City mainstage) about Pussy Riot, Catherine O’Hara and drinking a lot of wine.
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08/27/12
Sure, you may think Porter’s the shiznit with its free food and booze, but we’d take a badass pilot from the 1900s any day. With his leather jacket, cool cap, cigar and all-around swagger, the choice is clear: we’d rather fly pimped than refined.
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08/24/12
Toronto’s definitely gone to the nerds. Not only are we hosting Fan Expo this weekend, but a brand new exhibit showcasing the work of makeup artist extraordinaire and special effects master Gordon Smith opened last week at TIFF Bell Lightbox. (For non-nerds, he’s the guy who created Wolverine’s claws and the bodacious blue-skinned Mystique in X-Men and X2.)
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08/24/12
Sure, now we have an “Enchantment Under the Sea”-themed fake prom, but back in the ’70s, Torontonians got down and dirty with Braveheart-esque dances, which was weird, because Braveheart hadn’t even been invented yet. Blue face paint was obviously optional.
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08/23/12
There’s a new comedy club in town called The LOT Stand Up Comedy Club, and it has a red velvet curtain behind the elevated stage and tiny round lightbulbs all around it. “That was the selling point for me,” says comedian Mark DeBonis. “When I saw that [stage], I thought, ‘This is where we’ve gotta do [a comedy club].’ I had never seen anything like that before in Toronto.”
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08/23/12
Brother and sister Jacquie and Stephen Neville teamed up with Liam Jaeger back while they were studying classical music at the University of Ottawa. The ensuing basement jam sessions transformed into dark, danceable and loud rock with the chemistry of a trio that has been playing together for decades.
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08/23/12
Going to this year’s Buskerfest? Well, as this ’50s clown reminds us, beneath the make-up and behind the smile is just a person who wishes for the world. And remember: you’re laughing with them, not at them.
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08/22/12
In an era of sets that last two hours (if that), Bruce Springsteen continues to stand out as a bridge to the past. You know you’re getting value with The Boss and his E Street Band — a three-hour, high-energy performance that will have the huge crowd at the Rogers Centre out of their seats so they can do a little dancing in the dark.
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08/22/12
Though an active and respected player in the Canadian acting scene for over 50 years, William B. Davis is best known for his role as the “Cigarette Smoking Man” on The X-Files, the mysterious, chain-smoking arch-nemesis of Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny). Die-hard local X-Philes will get a chance to get up-close-and-personal with Davis at this weekend’s Fan Expo.
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08/22/12
It’s too bad that Rob Ford refuses to have a driver, because how is he going to pose for bitchin’ photos like this? But we get it — he needs to catch up on his “reading.”
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08/21/12
This week The Second City’s talented National Touring Company presents some of the comedy institution’s funniest material from the past 50 years, as well as some original and spontaneous jokes inspired by the audience’s suggestions.
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08/21/12
Hannah Georgas is releasing her new album on Oct. 2, and we can't wait. CBC Music released this video of the song "Waiting Game" from her new album that was taped during a special CBC Music session. It is lovely.
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08/21/12
Cute costumed kids then; nerds who fly their freak flags at Fan Expo now.
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08/20/12
Without a doubt, local comedian Christina Walkinshaw puts Joseph Gorden-Levitt's recent comments about how pretty girls can't be funny to shame. The tow-headed looker's jokes have been featured in the coffee table book She's So Funny — along with the likes of Wanda Sykes and Ellen Degeneres — and she also has a Comedy Now special under her belt. This weekend, she's up for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female Stand-Up.
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08/20/12
Dave Chappelle has never been the type to do things the conventional way. In 2005, he abruptly abandoned the third season of Chappelle’s Show and took an extended, unexplained trip to South Africa. It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, then, when he announced that he would return to Toronto for three shows with just two weeks’ notice.
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08/20/12
Before Annaleise Carr swam for charity, other Torontonians actually, willingly, swam in Lake Ontario just for the hell of it, and held some awesome — and cozy — ragers in the water. You can thank these snorkle-orgies for the Blue Flag program.
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08/17/12
The big question on everyone’s mind these days is: where is Canada’s best washroom? If we could vote for any washroom from any era, it would be this one from the 1800s based solely on its Queen and Spadina location. Ah, the good old days: when you didn’t have to sneak into the nearest Starbucks to answer nature’s call.
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08/16/12
A street that was once known as the world’s longest deserves a party. The Celebrate Yonge festival (Aug. 17 - Sept. 16) is a pilot project for a city hoping to infuse energy into the downtown core. Instead of gridlock (for that, you’ll just have to look to the congested surrounding areas), Yonge Street between Queen and Gerrard will feature reduced traffic lanes to make extra room for pedestrians. The festival will also showcase a wide array of events.
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08/16/12
This CNE drawing looks pretty drab, but throw in some horses, rickety rides, bacon funnel cakes and Krispy Kreme hamburgers and you’ve got yourself a party.
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08/15/12
David Psutka, otherwise known as Toronto-based electro recording artist Egyptrixx, offers something rare and unparalleled in the dance music scene. Think of his music as what hipsters might dance to at 3 a.m. in outer space. His celestial sonic dreamscapes have quickly garnered attention from DJs across Europe and North America, likely due to his meticulous construction of electronic music that can only come from both producing and creating.
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08/15/12
Sure, this new bendy bus sounds cool, but you know things won’t be all that different: buses will still be late and people are still gonna be up in your grill.
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08/14/12
One of Canada’s greatest classical actors (and silver foxes), Christopher Plummer, reflects on his life-long love affair with literature in A Word or Two, reciting everything from Stephen Leacock to the Bible. Heck, we’d pay to hear him read the phone book.
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08/14/12
If these Toronto dogs from the ’20s were competing in today’s Future Fido contest, this is what we think they’d say: “Pick me!” “But I’m cuter and smaller!” And then we’d say, “Holy crow! Talking dogs?!”
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08/13/12
Described as "high reference, low brow comedy at its finest," Jape is an award-winning comedy sketch troupe that's been around for almost ten years. If you haven't heard of it already, you will: with a Canadian Comedy Award nom for Best Sketch Troupe under its belt, along with being a fixture on the comedy festival circuit, Jape is destined for bigger things - or, at least, will make you laugh.
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08/13/12
Some Torontonians might be gung-ho about cereal now, but back in 1960, this actress was all like, "If I have to eat one more spoonful of All Bran, I'm going to die. Just die!"
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08/10/12
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible became one of my favourite plays after reading it for the first time in grade 12 English. No doubt, my curiosity of Wiccan culture at the time attributed to my admiration of the American classic (I was a pretty superstitious teenager). So, 10-plus years later, as I waited for the Soulpepper production to start, I wondered if my fondness for the play would remain the same or diminish.
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08/10/12
Dîner en Blanc? Outdoors? In the rain? Bah! Back in the early 1900s, Toronto partygoers brought Mother Nature to them, inside. Smart.
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08/09/12
You have your typically average spectator shows, in which you’re just sitting back and taking in the action in front of you, and then you have the rare event that is more than that, like How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular. This kid-friendly, interactive adventure based on the DreamWorks movie brings you up close and personal with giant, lifelike fire breathers. Don’t get too close, or you may wind up feeling the heat.
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08/09/12
So, if this is how big his hat was, obviously, our next question is: how big was the rest of him?
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08/08/12
Babs is coming back to town. The incomparable Barbra Streisand will be performing her second-ever Toronto concert at The Air Canada Centre on Oct. 23. Though we’ll have to check out her infamous manicured fingernails at the show, it’s her legendary pipes that we’re most excited about. Here are five of the songs we hope Streisand belts out.
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08/08/12
For those of us who were devastated by the break-up of Broken Social Scene — rejoice! Former BSS founder Brendan Canning has revived his seminal '90s band Cookie Duster. But this time around, they’ve added Jeen O’Brien and Matt Murphy to the mix, which makes for a rollicking and energetic (sort-of) debut album: When Flying Was Easy.
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08/08/12
If we could go back in time Back to the Future-style, we’re pretty sure we could prove that this lady was an avatar of Snoop Lion from 100 years ago: Snoop Ostrich, y’all.
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08/07/12
Toronto’s legendary Silver Snail created a bit of a stir last year when it announced it would be moving after roughly 30 years at its Queen Street location. Now, the comic book store is just about ready to move into its new digs at 329 Yonge Street, but it’s not going without a bit of a show. That means, in this case, a human chain of at least 400 comic book enthusiasts who will line up to move boxes from the original location to the new one.
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08/07/12
We don’t know what’s more terrifying about Rebecca Buttigieg’s Fierce Monsters: the thought of an 800 man stampede, or the two women who have to first survive it and then an intruder in 1858 British Columbia.
Lower Ossington Theatre, Aug. 10-19
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08/07/12
Every time this brave soldier thought of packing it in, he just looked inside his cap at the picture of his wife and thought: “Well, it sure beats being home. At least I know I have a fighting chance at this battle.”
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08/03/12
Back in the ’30s, perfecting your “downright mesmerized” and “are you kidding me?” looks was the ultimate achievement in party etiquette. It was just as flattering as telling someone that they were photogenic.
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08/02/12
Get your costume out, get your glitter on and get ready for a weekend-long party. The Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival (otherwise known as Caribana) has actually already been going strong since July 17, but it doesn’t get any bigger than this weekend’s festivities, which include the King and Queen Competition and, of course, the Grand Parade. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the colorful, vibrant festival.
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08/02/12
While Toronto has its fair share of nearby summer music festivals on offer — running the full gamut from last weekend’s folksy one to the upcoming face-melting one — none quite compare with Montreal’s Osheaga Music and Arts Festival. The largest festival of its kind in Canada, this year’s event features over 100 acts, with Snoop Dogg (or is that Snoop Lion?), Justice and The Black Keys as headliners.
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08/02/12
Convincing a gaggle of women to go down to the beach with you in their nicest attire so you can take photographs of them means either you're a very skilled artist, or just a pimp.
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08/01/12
Not many people would make the move from sunny San Francisco to Toronto, but we’re so glad Daniela Gesundheit did. She’s teamed up with Dan Goldman to form Snowblink, a spiritually lyrical outfit which has infused our concrete city with some much-needed Californian granola whimsy.
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08/01/12
If these competitive swimmers were around today, we think their gossiping session would go something like this: “I’m totally team Phelps.” “No way. Ryan Lochte’s the one for me.” “I’m soooo glad we get CTV’s coverage of the Olympics rather than NBC’s.” “Totally. Brian Williams’ voice is like white chocolate on Melba toast.” “OMG. For real. I wish he could tell me bedtime stories every night.” “Aw.”
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