Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative, and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist.......

The coolest movie opening this week is Be Kind Rewind, which is a treasure trove of Things White People Like, as it stars Jack Black and his black friend played by Mos Def, and is directed by Michel Gondry, and has lots of irony, seeing as how it is about a couple of people who erase all the videotapes in their video store and then make their own mocking versions of the movies they......

Reg Hartt, everyone's favourite dude with a movie theatre in his basement, is promoting the new(ish) film version of off-Broadway tittilator Naked Boys Singing by screening a mini Queer Film Festival at the Cineforum over the next few weeks. Each Thursday night for the next four weeks, he'll screen Naked Boys (which is exactly what it sounds like) at 9, with a different gay movie as a lead-in at 7. While the main attraction......

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist.......

February is Black History Month. To celebrate, the City of Toronto Archives is hosting an evening with Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost on February 5. She is the winner of the 2007 Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction for I’ve Got a Home in Gloryland: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad, which tells the story of two slaves who escaped to Canada in 1833. In an illustrated presentation entitled Fugitive Sources: Finding Clues to our......

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist.......

Here's something to clear away your post-NYE doldrums: the Fringe, everyone's favourite early-summer theatre festival (don't worry, SummerWorks, you're our favourite late-summer theatre festival) has had a baby. Aw! Last Wednesday, something called The Next Stage Theatre Festival began at Factory Theatre. Next Stage really is like a baby Fringe: a smaller festival of only 8 shows running in rep at a single theatre, complete with a heated beer tent. The plays, which run......

Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset. In February of this year, a double-disc compilation titled Friends in Bellwoods was released by those who have made......

Many of you may remember 25-year old Jason Jones, who was on the front page of the Toronto Star last February as a graphic indictment against "the miserable state of dental care for our working poor." The resulting outcry led to demands that the indigent and working poor have better access to dental care. Jones' story had a happy ending: offers poured in from readers to help pay for the dental work he desperately needed,......

Blade Runner is no longer showing at the Regent, which in many ways is lucky, as otherwise it was going to turn into a weekly, Rocky Horror Picture Show-style event for us—well, without all of that tedious audience interaction, which now we think about it, would make it not very like the Rocky Horror Picture Show at all. If you’re still hungry for more vintage Harrison Ford, though, they are showing Raiders of the......

The After Dark Film Festival! Happening all week! The only film festival where Uwe bloody Boll could have his film accepted! We talked about it here! Check it out! Another crowded week for festivals, though, and sometimes we have to wonder how even Toronto can support this many in a week. We’ve got the ImagiNATIVE Film Festival and Toronto Latin Film Festivals finishing up, the Student Shorts Film Festival and the Estonian Documentary Film......

In the summer heat, Toronto’s downtown can seem like a sun-baked, arid domain of asphalt and glass. Scattered throughout the concrete desert, however, are a few oases of green. The Downtown Discovery Walk links the squares, parks and parkettes that can be found in the city’s busy core. And don't worry too much about the heat; there are plenty of places to duck into for shade, refreshments, and air-conditioned comfort along this route. One......

Today is the first day of Prophecy 2007—the annual Harry Potter-centric academic conference where adult fans of the series present papers on The Boy Who Lived. With Book 7's release not two weeks ago, we imagine there was a lot of frantic editing and crumpled paper over the last few days. But this ain't no Yule Ball. Children under 14 are not permitted to attend, and teenagers must be accompanied by a chaperone over......

In this piece in yesterday's Globe, Ivor Tossell waxes intellectual on the cultural wasteland that is Wikipedia. He explains "wikigroaning," the phenomenon experienced by self-righteous smartypantses like himself upon finding that one topic, "useless to everyone but a small coterie of fans," has a longer Wikipedia entry than another topic of "genuine historical relevance." His first example: that Lost character John Locke has a longer entry than the philosopher John Locke. And it’s all the......

OMG! This week sees the release of Kickin' It Old Skool, a Jamie Kennedy vehicle. He plays a breakdancer who awakes from a 20-year coma and something that Jamie Kennedy probably considers hilarity ensues. We here at Torontoist Towers are astounded at the idea that somebody greenlighted a film with Jamie Kennedy in it. Absoultely gob-smacked. Moving on, Stone Cold Steve Austin plays Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Running Man On An Island (The Condemned)......

Though you’ll have to hold your herrerasaurs for the long-awaited (and belated) revamping of the Royal Ontario Museum, this weekend the ROM opened a new exhibition on the ancient Peruvian Sicán culture. Ancient Peru Unearthed: Golden Treasures of a Lost Civilization explores the lesser known pre-Incan society via artefacts from a recent major dig at the Batán Grande archaeological site. The items in this show are visually stunning, largely because (as the title implies)......

Jim Jones was not your typical self-proclaimed messiah. The man preached love for all races and classes, freedom of speech and socialism through Christianity. In 1978, Jones and more than 900 followers, known as Peoples Temple, moved from California to Guyana. They were going to build the ideal society. Dubbed Jonestown, after Jones himself, it was to be a utopia for the disenfranchised; a place where believers of all races and classes could lead self-sufficient......

In the 1978 book, Lost Toronto, William Dendy wrote that in the 20th century, many Georgian and Victorian buildings were fated to a date with the wrecking ball because of neglect and "changing tastes." Now, the architecture that took their place has fallen out of favour and structures such as the Massey Ferguson plant and Riverdale Hospital (pictured above), have been torn down or are slated for demolition. The goal of Dominion Modern —an......

So last night was the Oscars: Ellen DeGeneres was surprisingly enjoyable; there were not many upsets except perhaps The Departed for Best Picture (really?); Canada only won one award, Best Animated Short for The Danish Poet; Gwyneth Paltrow resembled a giant prawn. And not in a good way. Yesterday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty went to Washington to persuade the U.S. to delay the new passport requirement for border crossings. McGuinty promised info-rich driver's licenses and......

When you're awesome at something and never ever make mistakes, the most karmic and mature thing to do is embrace and enjoy those who aren't as blessed as you. That's why we're titillated to present our new feature: Lost In Translation. Our introductory piece is in celebration of Deepha Mehta's Oscar Nomination. It's a "Lan Yu Brand Multifunction Strainer" that hails from China and was purchased for a mere $1.99 at Honest Ed's. There's......

The Gallerist is Torontoist's new bi-weekly arts listings. Starting January 31st, check back every other Wednesday for a new batch of events. Last Thursday local painter Colin Druhan hosted a busy and boozy reception at Katharine Mulherin's secondary space on Queen West. His work (see 'Hail Satan' at right) features mainly portraits of fashionable men and sinister women, but there are a few friendly looking dog portraits scattered within the small space. Sharing the gallery......

Torontoist has noticed an abundance of lost pet notices downtown this month, and what could be sadder, really? We don't know if it's a time of year when pets go missing more often, but we do know it's unlikely to be a result of a Halloween ritual blood sacrifice. Many shelters south of the border report that most of their missing animal calls come on the heels of July 4th fireworks, which often scare a......

Downtown hosted the annual Santa Claus Parade on Sunday, kicking off another season of gratuitous shopping. In related news, the Nintendo Wii was released and quickly sold out. B.C. slaughtered Montreal 25-14 to win the Grey Cup, and then promptly broke it. Pssht. Way to go, Lions. Today in War: Kissinger says a victory in Iraq is "not possible ", but Bush has no plans on bringing the troops home just yet, and Tony......

It was only a few days ago that (now former) Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was given the support of the President. But now, the day after the Republicans were sent packing in the House of Representatives and (it looks like) the Senate, Rummy is packing his bags as well. While the Americans are in a fine mess in Iraq, according to a new CBC survey it now seems more Canadians think we’re in a mess......

The youth offerings of IFOA get under way today and run through the end of the school week. Oriented mainly to school groups, Young IFOA readings feature international authors representing a variety of perspectives and books intended for a range of ages, from picture books and early readers, to young adult fare. Stay-at-home parents and regressive hipsters may also find much to amuse and educate. Tickets are $15. Oct 25 10:30- Eugene Trivizas brings 9-12......

Ahem. Yes, this week there are other films out than that film that we refuse to name in this post because we’re covering it enough already. There are plenty of other options, folks. Your first choice should be, because you are a PATRIOT, something Canadian (natch). And we have to say when Torontoist first saw the trailer for Bon Cop Bad Cop, a two fish swapping water buddy cop flick set in both Ontario......

Who Is DJ Cyber-Rap? Depending what circles you run with, this question may have been nagging you for quite some time. If you’re a member of Stillepost, the message board that plays hosts to almost all of Toronto’s scenesters, you’ve known about DJ Cyber-Rap since 2005. That’s when the 59 year-old widower (born Robert “Ronald” Marie MacDougall) first started posting in the Toronto forum of Stillepost from internet cafes, using painfully effortful internet jargon in......

After several days of beautiful weather, we were due for a nice storm. And since tanning is not an option today, go see a Fr!nge Play or two (or eight) this afternoon. To make sure you don't see a dud.. read on... Torontoist was lucky enough to catch SplasH2O yesterday, foreshadowing today's moisture. You may have seen the trio around the Fr!nge Tent saturating passerbys with some impromptu aquatic comedy, but count yourself as......

Formerly known as Toronto Trek, TT20 is coming to town this weekend, celebrating the sci-fi and sci-fi-esque genres. This year is extra-special as it will serve as a venue for Star Trek's 40th Anniversary. Slated to make appearances this year are Star Trek's Mr. Sulu (George Takei), Lost crazy French Woman Rousseau (Mira Furlan), WiccaDyke Tara from Buffy (Amber Bensen), Tom Zarek from Battlestar Galactica (Richard Hatch), and many more. There will be a......

If Torontoist is as big a civics junkie as he claims to be he'd be sleeping over at council chambers Wednesday as council starts its big budget debate. Thanks to the intervention of Dalton and crew the city's budget will balance. But not before the city had to hike both residential and business taxes plus raise fees for services, TTC fares and god knows what else. Councillor Sylvia Watson, the budget vice-chair, suggested that councillors......