Halloween might be over, but for those who still crave a fright, TIFF Bell Lightbox has a new film series that ensures horror fans get their jollies. Kicking off on Nov. 10 and running until the end of the year, Birth of a Villain examines the freaky and familiar villains of the ’70s and ’80s, from Michael Myers to Jason. We rank our favourites of the bunch with our highly scientific scare-o-meter.
Yes, it’s true: the guys in the comedy troupe, Vest of Friends, really like vests and really are the “best of friends” and it looks they’ll be sticking to comedy for a while rather than making real money as engineers or something, which is a good thing for us because they’re really good at it. We chatted with the group about – what else? – vests and their strange love for the cartoon series, Doug.
Justin Ringle has successfully brought back baroque music. His band, Horse Feathers, was at The Drake Hotel last night, and they turned out a pure, unrefined performance, without going down the gimmick-laden road that some foot-stomping, hand-clapping folk outfits have travelled too often.
It is always an exciting discovery to learn that a local theatre group is presenting a quality play, especially when a major production company such as Mirvish supports it. Studio 180 is that group — along with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre — and the play is The Normal Heart, by New York playwright Larry Kramer. I am embarrassed to say that I never saw this play when it was first presented in Toronto last year. (No, theatre critics are not infallible.)
You probably recognize Godfrey. You’ve caught him in Zoolander and Comedy Central, and more recently, he’s appeared on Louie. A regular on the comedy circuit in New York, he’s bringing his stand-up to Toronto with the Just for Laughs Comedy Tour: Relationship Edition, which is going down tonight at Massey Hall. We chatted with him about the comedy crowds in Canada and — what else? — relationships. Just don’t call him a ladies’ man.
“I question myself a lot in my own songs,” says Martha Wainwright, on the phone during a recent promotional tour for her new album, Come Home to Mama. “It is a tone, you know, that has become Martha Wainwright–esque, I think.”
Mental illness and addiction are two topics that aren’t easily addressed. But for 20 years, the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival has brought the subject to the public. Each film provides a look into mental illness, with highlights including King Curling and William Kurelek’s The Maze. Opening this weekend, the festival runs until Nov. 17.
Pushing our children out the door may be the best way to save the planet
We follow National Ballet dancer Heather Ogden as she prepares for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Half drunk in a basement bar in Toronto, Peter Dreimanis was stewed deep in thought, contemplating his next musical pursuit. Little did he expect to hear his muse and future bandmate, Leah Fay, singing on an acoustic guitar that was being passed around. Inspired, he just had to seek out the intriguing stranger. And thus, local blues-rock crew July Talk was formed.
Originally hailing from Ottawa, Toronto-based comedian Rebecca Kohler has a pretty impressive resume. Not only has she done the requisite appearance on Comedy Now! and provided snarky commentary on MuchMusic’s Video On Trial, but she also writes for This Hour Has 22 Minutes when she’s not performing regular gigs at Yuk Yuks across Canada. We chatted with Kohler about Louis CK, The Golden Girls and her personal gold rush.
What a thrill it was — and is — to see Samuel Beckett’s hilarious and depressing (there’s a post-apocalyptic linking of two adjectives, eh?) Endgame, playing at Soulpepper until Nov. 17. I have long preferred it to Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and to every other “absurdist” play of the second half of the last century for that matter.
