November 14 to 18 marks the return of the Reel Asian International Film Festival. Last night, the Japan Foundation played host as filmmakers and media types gathered at a press conference to kick off the 11th annual incarnation of the fest. And with more than 70 independent works from all over the world, this year’s Reel Asian Festival will be worth cracking open that golden piggy bank for. Showcasing work from 13 different countries,......

The Baldwin Steps, the set of stairs at Davenport and Spadina Roads that leads up to Casa Loma, are so recognizable that they've warranted their own Wikipedia article and feature as a battle backdrop in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Depending on the time of day and season, the Baldwin Steps––also called the Casa Loma Steps, or The Death Climb At The End of Spadina––can be romantic, creepy, trying, or picturesque. Now a group of......

Billiard balls in the mouth, eating live goldfish, sitting on flagpoles… people will go to great lengths just to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Fortunately, unlike this guy, you don’t have to bowl for 100 hours or have a 126-member wedding party to get a shot at immortality. On October 3, Ontario is going to challenge current champs Western Australia for the World Record Walk. Last September, the Aussies got 100,915 people......

Recently, Torontoist went canoeing in Algonquin Park (we got 34 mosquito bites). However, arguably the most amusing thing to happen during our entire trip was passing a billboard on our way into the park advertising a "Dock in a Box." We instantly became distracted by a lengthy fantasy that the company knew exactly what it was doing and included a YouTube video on its website about how it created the Dock in a Box......

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"Thriller" is having a moment. Last October, we reported the story of Thrill Toronto’s attempt to set the first Guinness World Record for Largest Thriller Dance (see the video at right) by recreating the choreography from Micheal Jackson's video classic. Then there was the much blogged Thriller Wedding Dance on YouTube, a Bollywood-style version and reports from London and New York of fitness classes that use M.J.'s zombified moves as a 13 minute workout. Now......

Hungry Torontonians are no stranger to shawarma. Simply a rotating column of chicken, beef or lamb, it is arguably the best food import from the Middle East since domesticated wheat (and that's a good 5000 years!). To celebrate the premier of their new comedy, Little Mosque on the Prairie, CBC is serving up "The World's Largest Halal Chicken Shawarma" in Yonge and Dundas Square on Thursday, January 4 after a press meeting with the......

Former Toronto police chief and current OPP commissioner Julian Fantino is being sued for allegedly using a Police Services board case to maliciously advance his own career. The suit accuses Fantino of multiple skullduggeries, including wiretapping the chair of the Police Services Board. Now, I know what you're thinking - "but Julian Fantino was such a nice police chief. Except for the corruption scandals and the racial profiling and the homophobia." TTC considering leasing out......

On the heels of making his final campaign pledges, David Miller stopped by the massive balloon installation at Metro Hall earlier today. Among other things, Miller asserted that the federal government "isn't showing leadership" and that the fight against global warming would come from the world's cities, which are now working together in the face of apathy from other orders of government. The volume of the helium in the 3,000 (biodegradable) balloons is equivalent......

Sports fans, clear your calendars and get ready to deck your car out with flags. The World Series is over and the Stanley Cup still months away, but one of the world’s great sporting competitions is coming to town. That’s right, on Saturday, November 11, Toronto will be hosting the 2006 Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship. The sport that’s settled a thousand disputes between drunks, children, and drunk children will see it’s best and......

Special Presentations 3:00pm - The Fountain (Ryerson Theatre) 9:00pm - Exiled (Visa Screening Room (Elgin)) - see our Day 7 coverage. Real to Reel 5:00pm - Sharkwater (Varsity 8) 6:00pm - Kurt Cobain About A Son (Varsity 7) 9:00pm - This Filthy World (Ryerson Theatre) - See our review. Discovery 6:00pm - King and the Clown (Varsity 4) - See our review. Visions 6:00pm - Invisible Waves (Paramount 1) Gala 6:30pm - Bobby (Roy Thompson......

In Hollywood, the hype machine is carefully crafted and finely tuned and targeted. Having someone spend their day flying over a major city with a banner for a movie (which has had mixed reviews) works to get AIS (asses in seat) and more importantly get some $IP (Cash in Pocket). But when it comes to Fr!nge, the budget gets a bit smaller, and hype is built up more by word-of-mouth and reviews. One would......

After a week of pridelicious events, it's now time to take over downtown Toronto, drink a lot of beer, make some noise, wear colourful threads.... wait, is this a post about The World Cup or Pride Toronto? Anyhow, Pride Toronto Weekend is finally here, and just like on St. Patrick's where everyone's Irish... everyone's Queer this weekend... There is so much to do and most of it is free. And since the weather seems......

Hot Docs is very pleasant, but oh man! They really need to try and get more screenings for their special presentations. Waiting in the rush queue for The World According to Sesame Street for hours was exciting, I’ll admit, but there were WAY more people than were ever going to get in waiting in the sun. And people still hate the Escalade. Currently we’re thinking that our favorite so far was An Unreasonable Man, a......

Have you spent the winter locked in your apartment, watching depressing documentaries about The State of The World? Do you worry that your contemporary soul will be overtaken by the rush of technology? Can't seem to connect with your loved ones anymore? Having trouble expressing your individuality within The Group? Has the Tero Saarinen Company ever got a North American Tour program for you? (Yes.) Westward Ho!, Wavelengths & Hunt, closing tonight at the Premiere......

Comic artist and mail carrier Ryan Richard Carriere was killed Monday night while cycling home from work to take his two young daughters out Trick-Or-Treating. Carriere was struck by a truck at the intersection of Queen & Gladstone, where 24 hours earlier he had happily been exhibiting his wares at CANZINE in the Gladstone Hotel. An artist embarking on a larger comics career, Carriere had 2 books to his credit and a third in the......

Tall Poppy Interview - Buck 65, Musician...

Master of all arts (comix, poetry, bloggery, medical illustration) Sherwin Tjia brings his non-poetry/poetry shtick to the Revival tomorrow night to launch his latest book, The World Is a Heartbreaker, which contains thousands of quirky non-haikus. The book is published by Coach House, and the night will feature readings by Shannon Bramer, Nicole Brossard, Susanne de Lotbinière-Harwood and a handful of others as well. Toss in snacks, music by DJ Echo and the fact that......

Unwowed by the one-man melodrama machine that is Sean Wright Penn, TOist is going to pass on seeing his latest offering on the bigscreen this week. Then there's the Pretty Woman redux with Dermot Mulroney as Julia Roberts, The Wedding Date. Think we'll skip that too. Instead, we'll have to go back to the stuff we didn't manage to catch in weeks past, or perhaps visit a theatre that doesn't have confetti-themed carpet, and an......

What is it with these collectives? Everyone either loves a music collectives, or is a part of one themselves. Pretty soon there will be no bands or groups, just collectives. When there is a group of recognizable musicians playing together, does it sound better? Perhaps it's the sense of familiarity with the members, or just watching the group dynamics on stage or record. Whatever the case, it's popular. Like when the Wu-Tang Clan, one of......