culture
Reel Toronto: Honey
Jessica Alba shows Toronto some dance moves.
Toronto’s extensive work on the silver screen reveals that, while we have the chameleonic ability to look like anywhere from New York City to Moscow, the disguise doesn’t always hold up to scrutiny. Reel Toronto revels in digging up and displaying the films that attempt to mask, hide, or—in rare cases—proudly display our city.
By all rights we probably should have profiled Honey right around the time we featured the even-more-terrible Glitter. They have nearly the exact same plot, both take place in Stock Shot New York City, and both are only memorable for how bad they are. In fairness, Honey manages a triumphant 21 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes versus a still-amazing seven per cent for Glitter.
When we meet her, Jessica Alba is a dancer with mad skillz, just waiting to be discovered. In the meantime, she’s a bartender.
This whole opening club sequence was shot down at The Guvernment.
She choreographs or teaches dance or something…
…at this unique-looking gym, at the Eastminster United Church, out on the Danforth. They also shot some interiors at the 519 Community Centre, but nothing recognizable.
She lives in these cool digs which kind of do look New Yorkish…
…but it’s actually the side door of Queen West’s Cameron House.
She dates barber Mekhi Phifer…
…whose shop…
…
…is way on the other side of town, in the Junction. It looks like it wasn’t the most happening strip the last time the Google folks drove through.
The happy couple go strolling near her digs…
…on Queen West…
…and hang out in “Central Park” (really our very own High Park).
If you have to do some banking, you might as well do it photogenically…
…here visiting the lovely old CIBC in Commerce Court.
They definitely shot something at the Cadillac Lounge…
…and it’s hard to tell from how the shots are framed but we think it’s this bit.
Even harder to nail down is this definitely-in-Toronto street…
…where they’re shooting a music video.
Easier to spot is this video shoot…
…under the Gardiner…
…at St. Lawrence.
Pretty much every “New York” movie shot here eventually has a subway scene…
…and equally inevitably, the station at which they shoot is Lower Bay.
As in the aforementioned Glitter, there’s a douchey antagonist; it’s a slimy DJ/producer in Mariah Carey’s movie, and a video director here. Anyway, he lives in these shiny digs…
…out on the Bridle Path.
The finale (surprise!) involves all sorts of dancin’.
It takes place in this lovely space…
…the Berkeley Church, on Queen East.
Interestingly, it also played a dance studio in an episode of Suits.