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december 1-7, 2011 • issue 1558 vol. 31 no. 14 more online dAilY @ nowtoronto.com 30 independent YeArs

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Food politics

Trucking trouble Think your food’s local? Count up the number of trips it takes to put it on your plate By WAYNE ROBERTS

my first job, every saturday was as a bicycle delivery boy for Joe Caruso’s grocery store in – I still grimace at the memory – a hilly area of Scarborough. As it turns out, bike delivery jobs could be heading for a major revival as one the best ways to handle the trickiest of industrial transportation challenges: “the last mile,” with its extra burden of fossil fuel use. My trip back in time was occasioned by a two-weekend assignment (for less pay than I made as a delivery boy) as the “food expert” on a panel of a dozen bold planning and design thinkers, food producers and consumer activists working to reduce heavy traffic in the food system – all under the discipline of an in-house moderator riding herd on ideas that got too grandiose. The project, hosted by Evergreen Foundation, George Brown College’s Institute Without Boundaries and Metrolinx, kicked off coincidentally just a few weeks before November 28’s opening of the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban. Everything we discussed had powerful emissions implications. To come up with light and bright ideas, our team (one of 10) worked in a “charette,” or intense collaboration, and while I can’t spill trade secrets (you’ll have to wait for Evergreen’s Brick Works transit expo in the spring), the starting point of our discussion is worth the price of admission. We began our dialogue with the realization that the food system is a trip – actually, a dozen of them. The typical food serving is the result of no fewer than 13 different commutes. This is a reality that seldom makes its way into discussions of local food, and it could change the way sustainable food supporters make their food purchases. How else to ensure that localwashers (the latest version of greenwashers) aren’t allowed to turn the mere distance between farm and fork into a massive marketing claim about local food? If food comes via a dozen voyages, than ecologically correct edibles are about more than identifying the farmer. Ta-da! For the first time, here are

the trips involved in almost every mealtime plate. Almost all are two-way, with the return voyage carrying no freight, thereby doubling pollution and waste for nothing. FAR-OFF FERTILIZER: The first trip, thanks to pressure on farmers (for lower costs and increased efficiency) to grow the same crop on the same field every year, is from the fertilizer source (let’s say Saskatchewan or Alberta) to the farm (let’s say Ontario or Prince Edward Island). LONG-HAUL INPUTS: Then we have deliveries of other farm inputs, from seeds and animal feed to antibiotics, pesticides and tractors. SUPPLY SEEKING: Trip 3 gets the farmer to the city to handle the simplest and most basic transactions, since huge, highly mechanized farms lead to rural depopulation, which kills off villages and local service centres. LONG COMMUTES: To cut costs of employee benefits, fruit and veggie farms rely on migrants who arrive for the season from Central America and the Caribbean. BYE-BYE, FACTORIES: The fifth is from the farmer to the processor, now farther away than ever since so many factories have closed. Few foods are eaten unprocessed; even standard yogurt and bread have labels that look more like chemistry sets than food. PAPER TRAIL: Then there’s the sixth, the series of trips taking materials to food packagers – let’s say pulp and paper from Canada to China, where paper coffee cups are manufactured for a major Canadian coffee chain, or bauxite from Australia or China to an aluminum plant in northern British Columbia. COVER-UP: Trip 7 gets the empty package to the farmer or processor, since only a few foods are sold without containers, which perform the crucial function of identifying brand owners. Think freezer bags from an Ontario factory to strawberry producers in California, who will ship the frozen branded strawberries to On-

tario in a later trip. DEPOT BOUND: Trip 8 takes food from processors to distributors, either “aggregators” who control the food pipeline or the warehouses of major food chains that centralize materials and data in one location. The single order desk rules the supermarket roost, so everything must go through depot central. KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: Distributor-tostore is trip 9. Apples in one eastern Ontario town come from an orchard next door, returning home after checking in at the warehouse a few hundred miles away. DRIVING THE MARKET: The customer takes trip 10, often by car, to the supermarket or to restaurants and cafeterias where almost half of all meals are eaten. In a typical city, onefifth of all car trips are food-related, one reason why Toronto spends $100 million a year on road repairs. FRIDGE TO LANDFILL: Toronto to London, for example, is trip 11, carting the food that gets tossed from apartments that don’t have green bins. Generally, 40 per cent of food gets thrown out. GLOBAL REACH: Trip 12 is from consumer to recycler, much of it at taxpayer expense, sometimes from the blue box to China if it’s low-value plastics and multi-material schlock. JOURNEY TO BAD HEALTH: The final trip, 13, is customer-to-hospital, where food-related chronic diseases account for as many as half the treatments. Only a fraction of travel in our food system comes from the importation of exotic foods grown in different climates. My newfound charette friends helped me understand that localizing a food system that takes everyone for a ride requires more than shortening one trip from farm to fork. The very Zen moral of the story: we have a long way to go to get nearby food. 3 news@nowtoronto.com

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Voting reform

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We get more residents voting and involved in city politics if we redo the ballot system By ADAM GIAMBRONE the streets of cairo erupted like Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, again last week in protests over the Maytree Foundation’s Alan Broadslow pace of real democracy and bent and Fair Vote Canada’s Wayne skepticism that an election there Smith is that half our city council, inwould actually advance the plot. cluding the mayor, was elected by But here, engaging people in the less than 50 per cent of voters. The state of our political system seems a same is true of most premiers and much harder sell. Nonetheless, a liveprime ministers, not to mention MPs ly forum hosted by Better Ballots on and MPPs. So where do we go from November 23, Thinking Ahead To here? 2014: Taking A Critical Look At MuniThe British system we’ve inheritcipal Elections, managed to make 11:50 ed, which is used NOW_newspaper_v4_FNL 28/11/11 AM Page 1 at all levels, has proelectoral issues hot items. vided a strong base for democracy. The issue animating participants But let’s face it, most of the world has

moved on to proportional representation and multiple parties or a version of a ranked ballot (less dependent on the existence of parties) that gives voters a first, second and third choice. In the latter scheme, a computer calculates the candidate who gets the highest number of all votes. Since everyone makes three choices, it’s likely that at least half of voters will have voted for the winner, increasing acceptance of the outcome. The value of a ranked ballot is that it promotes more harmonious elections, because candidates can benefit from being someone’s second or third choice and so must be careful not to be too negative about opponents. San Francisco uses this model successfully. Perhaps the most impor-

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tant plus is that such a system fosters moderation, so extreme characters like Rob Ford are unlikely to win. Most voters are more moderate than those over-the-top candidates, and by the time all the secondand third-choice votes are determined, the electorate generally settles on a middle-of-the road option. Another challenge arises from the fact that city council doesn’t come close to representing the municipality we have become and instead looks to be straight out of the 1950s. Far less than half the council seats are held by women or visible minorities, both of whom represent over 50 per cent of the population. Cities with ranked ballot systems generally score more diversity. Elections attract a wider selection of hopefuls, in part because fewer candidates step down, forced out by both left and right to prevent vote-splitting. Alienation from the current

voting process is equally the product of Toronto’s size, the policies that marginalize segments of the population and the structure and nature of elections. In general, democracy works best in smaller units where everyone feels he or she has a stake, one reason why it might be time to give more power to the Community Councils. Former chief city planner Paul Bedford has proposed a new electoral model with 33 wards instead of 44. Everyone would elect a

local councillor, and there would be a 12-member executive committee (11 councillors plus the mayor) chosen directly from the four community council districts. Importantly, exec members would be independent of the mayor (instead of relying on him for appointment) and truly represent a specific district. A similar system has been used in many cities. In Montreal, they combine a strong exec council (they have parties) with strong local elected

councils in each neighbourhood. Lots of options were put forward at last week’s meeting (see betterballots.to) as well. The goal was to get the word out that there are realistic and workable alternatives. Now council should formally start a consultation process leading to a formal request to the province to change the law. We’ve got three years to avoid another disheartening no-show election. 3

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R. Jeanette MaRtin

RolleR deRby woRld cup

We be jammin’ So what if fans think our asses are hot? I never would have worn booty shorts before I started roller racing By SAIRA PEESKER

What’s Next In... Issue: Dec 8

Holiday Happenings Shows to see, gigs to catch and more ways to make the most of the season.

Issue: Dec 15

Holiday movie special The movies, the stars, the goods on all the pics hitting the big screen. Plus, NOW’s New Year’s Eve Guide.

In prInt, onlIne @ nowtoronto.com & on your pHone For advertIsIng InFo, please call 416-364-1300 ext. 381 22

december 1-7 2011 NOW

a world of pain is coming down on Toronto as roller-girls from Buenos Aires to Bristol swarm the Bunker at Downsview Park for the firstever Roller Derby World Cup – bringing four days of hard hits and serious attitude, December 1 to 4.

And along with the hundreds of thousands in 20 countries sure to be watching the tourney via live-stream, I’m giddy/amazed our rag-tag sport has come so far. I started playing derby six years ago, a refugee from school sports

where I always seemed to be the weird person on the team. (I think the term was “drama fag” back then.) It seemed a natural step from kickboxing and ice sports, my fave outlets in my younger years, to lace up the rollers. I was attracted to derby’s physicality, feminist vibe and openmindedness. I’m not the only one. “If it had been a mainstream sport when I started, I never would have got into it,” says Toronto-based Kayla “Brim Stone” Wilkins, an impish powerhouse of a skater who’s the co-captain of Team Canada. Modern derby’s overt acceptance of players regardless of age, sexuality or body type makes it a safe space for people who often feel like misfits, says Kaitlyn Regehr, a sexuality researcher at King’s College in London, England. “There’s the freedom to have an alternative lifestyle in a variety of ways. The majority of women I interviewed who identified as lesbian said they did not feel comfortable coming out until they joined roller derby.” Today’s derby began in the early 2000s, with deep roots in the punk, rockabilly and queer communities. The sport was awash in fishnets and tattoos on girls who’d never worn athletic footwear in their lives. Most leagues are now run by women, with the help of a few brave men, so the whole community has a super-charged, woman-power atmosphere that expresses itself in lots of intra-league dating and pants-less parties. In her research paper, Regehr asserts – and I agree – that derby is a rare space where expressing female sexuality isn’t seen as a negative. So what if the fans think our asses are hot? We know they are. I never

continued on page 24 œ

NOW december 1-7 2011

We be jammin’

R. Jeanette MaRtin

œcontinued from page 22

would have worn booty shorts – a mainstay of derby attire – before I started playing, but now I rock them with pride. And while derby fans are a particularly enthusiastic sort, it’s unheard of to get cat-called. All of this aside, there’s still one aspect I wrestle with: our league’s annual awards, where – in additional to best jammer, best blocker and such – we still honour girls for best tits and ass. I was both flattered and embarrassed to win one of those this year, after once campaigning to get rid of these categories. I’d love to see the awards focus on stats, but that’s just my jock side coming out. The sport has grown exponentially worldwide, but its public image hasn’t caught up, so derby still struggles to shake its past. Televised versions of the 1980s and 90s sport are what most people remember: skaters erupting into outright brawls or hav-

ing to jump over a crocodile pit as they skate around the track. In the game today, a pack of eight skaters – four from each team – moves around a flat oval track while jammers from each side try to lap the pack, earning points for each opposing player they pass legally. Bouts are officiated by a full complement of trained referees who call penalties on players who trip, throw elbows or otherwise behave viciously, although bodychecks of all kinds are fair and square. But misconceptions abound, sometimes fuelled by the sexy outfits worn by some teams. The trend was especially popular at the outset of the renaissance but

gradually faded as teams became more competitive. Even the most scandalous uniforms are no more revealing than those worn by athletes in soccer, tennis or basketball, says Dave Miller, who writes a blog called The Derby Nerd. Then there are the punning pseudonyms skaters adopt, like Tara Part, Clitty Clitty Bang Bang, Dolly Parts’em or my all-time favourite, Liz- OnYa. These names are hard to take seriously, but that’s sort of the point. Lindy Hartsfield, who helps run Blood & Thunder, the derby magazine organizing the World Cup, says she can understand why sports editors might feel weird printing derby names. “Skaters need to

consider names that would work in the media without being censored.” But in spite of its own ethos, derby is undeniably becoming more main-

players themselves, there’s a lot to be gained from more attention and large sponsors, and nearly everyone interviewed for this article seems

Modern derby’s overt acceptance of players regardless of age, sexuality or body type makes it a safe space for people who often feel like misfits. stream. There are now more than 1,000 leagues worldwide, many inspired by the 2009 Drew Barrymore film Whip It. Selling out professional sports complexes isn’t uncommon in some U.S. cities, and Team USA jammer Suzy Hotrod was featured in ESPN The Magazine this year. “If you’d told me this in 2004, we all would have laughed,” says Hotrod, whose real name is Jean Schwarzwalder. “There’s a lot of potential, but I look around and realize I’ve [always] paid out of my own pocket for a uniform, a flight or a meal.” In a sport largely funded by the

keen to go in that direction. But drifting too far from the counterculture place where derby began risks losing the edge that made it special in the first place, and before you know it, it’s about as unique as women’s softball. “Part of me wants it to go mainstream and be on TV, and the other part doesn’t want to lose what we have,” says Team Canada’s Wilkins. So in the meantime, we wait to see what happens at the World Cup and beyond. And some of us dream about going pro. 3 news@nowtoronto.com

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ecoholic

When you’re addicted to the planet

By ADRIA VASIL

Are mainstream toys finally safe? As much as you want the kids in your life playing with, say, natural, recycled wood blocks, chances are their wish lists are topped by a Nintendo 3DS or Let’s Rock! Elmo. When that’s the case, are you in the clear to go mainstream? The scene has certainly shifted since 2007, the Year of the Recall. For one thing, we’ve had a Consumer Product Safety Act for about six months. That means the federal government finally has the power to yank unsafe toys, cribs, sporting goods and certain other products from store shelves. Until then, the feds could only ask nicely that manufacturers pull a faulty rattle or lead-tainted train off shelves. Speaking of that notorious neurotoxin, tougher lead limits were brought in at this time last year, though Gideon Forman of Canadian Physicians for the Environment says that allowing any lead is galling and unnecessary. I’ve got to say Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has noted that the revised regs don’t go far enough. The good news is that independent

toy safety testers are reporting that levels of the brain-damaging toxin seem to have dropped off in recent years. But don’t cross lead off your naughty list entirely. In its 26th annual toy safety report released last month, U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) noted that while “great strides in toy safety” have been made, lead continues to be a problem in some toys. Two toys exceeded Canada’s old 600 parts per million (ppm) lead standard (Little Hands Love touchand-feel book and Whirly Wheel light toy), and three others tanked our year-old 90 ppm lead limit (including a Tinkerbell Watch and Hello Kitty eyeshadow/keychain). A couple of others flunked the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended 40 ppm lead level cap for toys. Also new to the toy world this year, Canada at long last implemented new phthalate regs targeting six of the hormone-disrupting plastic softeners. Three of the six are now restricted in all kids’ toys, and three others are curbed in toys and childcare items likely to be mouthed by young children.

Though the U.S. brought in similar restrictions on phthalates a couple of years earlier, U.S. PIRG still found a few kids’ items that tested off the charts for ridiculously high phthalate levels in 2011 (Joking Around Funny Glasses and a girl’s sleep mask from Claire’s). Probably the biggest remaining worry in toy stores this year, says Environmental Defence, is cadmium. Despite a lot of huffing and puffing by the feds, Health Canada’s restriction on cadmium in kids’ jewellery is still only a guideline. ED’s Erin Charter says it’s best to steer clear of kids’ jewellery altogether at this point. But children’s charms and necklaces aren’t the only cadmium concern. When the California-based Ecology Centre released its 2010 screening report on 200 of the most popular toys, 48 per cent had problematic levels of the heavy metal. Amongst the items that tested T:9.8125” positive for high cadmium were Ice Age and Dora the Explorer back-

Toxic toy hazards are improving, but it’s still best to buy explicitly ecofriendly play stuff.

packs, a stuffed Eeyore Pook-a-Looz, boots, belts, boxing gloves, bobby pins, Ts, erasers and rainbow lip gloss. For a full breakdown of those results, head to healthystuff.org. All this is to say that while laws are tightening and toxic toy hazards are improving, it’s still always best, whenever possible, to buy explicitly ecofriendly toys that are, ideally, made in Canada or the U.S. Support local independent toy stores like the Toy Space on Bathurst, Scooter Girl on Roncy, Little Peeps in Leslieville, Treasure Island on Danforth and Playful Minds on St. Clair

West and ask for a tour of all their kidand-planet-friendly toys. Some stores even specialize exclusively in earth-conscious fun, including 100 Mile Child (the100milechild. ca) and virtual boutique Littlefootprintstoys.com. Specialty green shops like Grassroots (grassrootsstore.com) and Ecoxistence (ecoexistence.ca) also carry good selections of safe and sustainable kids’ gifts. If you’re still going with mainstream toys, though, you can stay on top of current Health Canada recalls at healthycanadians.gc. ca. The site even has a Recalls and Safety Alerts app – perfect for staying informed while you’re trawling toy store aisles.

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NOW december 1-7 2011

daily events meetings • benefits How to find a listing

Daily events appear by date, then alphabetically by the name of the event. F- indicates Festive events r indicates kid-friendly events

How to place a listing

All listings are free. Send to: listings@nowtoronto.com, fax to 416-364-1166 or mail to DailyEvents,NOWMagazine,189 Church,TorontoM5B1Y7. Include a brief description of the event, including participants, time, price, venue, address and contact phone number (or e-mail or website if no phone available). Listings may be edited for length. Deadline is the Thursday before publication at 5 pm.

Thursday, December 1

Benefits

FFestive Bazaar (Toronto Intergenera-

tional Partnerships) Christmas gifts, a silent auction and more. Noon-7 pm. Free.

listings index

Live music Art galleries Readings

53 67 67

Theatre Comedy Dance

FrgingerBread Cookie FaCtory (Trillium Health Centre) Decorate a gingerbread cookie and support seniors’ health. To Dec 18. $4/ cookie, 3 for $10. Sherway Gardens, QEW and Hwy 427. sherwaygardens.ca. the love show (LOFT Youth Centre) Small paintings sale. To Dec 14. $5 or canned food donation. Gallery 918, 918 Bathurst. 918bathurst.com/loveshow. Pint-sized PiCassos (Inner City Angels) Pub and games night. 6 pm. $10. Fox and Fiddle, 27 Wellesley E. hmacdonald87@gmail.com. undies 4 aids (AIDS Comm of Toronto) A drag show, karaoke and more. 8 pm. Donation. Crews/Tango, 508 Church. 416-972-1662.

Events

Between sPeCies Discussion, debate and

imagery with authors Erika Ritter, Andrew Westoll and others. 7 pm. $5. Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View. zoocheck.com. the Breast CanCer diet ConneCtion Lecture. 7 pm. Free. Big Carrot, 348 Danforth. 416466-2129.

Chagall and evolution oF identity Lecture on artist Marc Chagall. Noon. Free. University College, Croft Chapter House, 15 King’s College Cirlce, rm 183. cjs.utoronto.ca. evening with mike and Friends Celebrate Mike Schreiner’s second year as Green Party of Ontario leader. 7 pm. $40. Hotel Ocho, 195 Spadina. 416-977-7476.

Fone oF a kind Christmas show & sale

77 80 83

home ownershiP For low-inCome Families

about remedies for climate change. 4 pm. Free. University College, rm 179, 15 King’s College. scienceforpeace.ca. roller derBy world CuP 2011 First ever World Cup with skaters from 13 countries. To Dec 4. $35, wknd pass $100. Downsview Park Bunker, 75 Carl Hall. torontorollerderby.com.

the leFt’s resPonses to the Crisis in euroPe & north ameriCa Rosa Luxemburg Fdn dia-

soCial Planning toronto Forum on the City’s 2012 Budget Learn what the budget

Centre for Information and Community Svs presentation. 6 pm. Free. Morningaide Library, 4279 Lawrence E. 416-707-8259. how does the Brain reCognize shaPes? Science lecture. 7:30 pm. Free. Ted Rogers School of Management, 55 Dundas W. 416-977-2983. logue with Leon Panitch, Stephanie Ross and others. 7 pm. Free. New College, rm 1016, 40 Willcocks. pance@rogers.com.

the most extreme oBJeCts and environments in the universe Astronomy talk and

telescope observing. 8:10 pm. Free. McLennan Physical Labs, 60 St George. astro.utoronto.ca.

Clothing, accessories, furniture, crafts, toys, gifts and more. Weekdays and Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm. To Dec 4. $12, stu/srs $7. Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. oneofakindshow.com.

ProteCting Farmland and reForesting our Barren Planet Author John Bacher talks

means for communities. 9:30 am-noon. Free. YWCA Elm Centre, 87 Elm. Pre-register 2012citybudgetforum.eventbrite.com. FsPeakeasy holiday sale Hand-crafted gifts and more. 7 pm. Pwyc. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen W. speakeasyTO.com.

text, Context, suBtext: translating From Jewish languages Lecture by Barbara Har-

Friday, December 2

Benefits

Photorama 2011 (Gallery TPW) Sale of photography and lens-based art. To Dec 10. Free. Gallery TPW, 56 Ossington. 416-645-1066. woodlawn Pottery studio show & sale

(YWCA) Handmade ceramics. Today 5-9 pm; Sat-Sun 11 am-5 pm. Free. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen W. woodlawnpottery.ca.

Events

BhoPali Reel Activism film screening and talk on the Bhopal disaster by Ellen Shifrin of Amnesty International. 7 pm. Pwyc. Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor W. 416-966-2815. FrChristmas in highland Creek village

Carollers, music, artists, tree-lighting, Santa and more. 5 pm. Free. Old Kingston and Morrish area of Highland Creek. 416-287-2025. east end CyClist soCial Meet reps from various cycling associations. 7 pm. Free. Sarah’s Cafe Bar, 1426 Danforth. partywithus.ca/ contact.page. Finding your vision Slide presentation with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb. 7 pm. Free. Stephen Bulger, 1026 Queen W. bulgergallery.com. Fholiday wine & Cheese Wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, live music and holiday decorating tips. 5:30 pm. $40. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, 111 Queen’s Park. 416-586-8080.

hot and Bothered 2: hell yes, you Can do

that! Workshop on sex for older LGBTQ women with sex educator/performance artist Felice Shays. 7 pm. Free. 519 Church Community Centre. Pre-register 416-961-0113 ext 123. revolutionary soCialists and the national Question Socialist Action conference. To-

day 7 pm; tomorrow 10 am-9 pm. $4 or pwyc, weekend $10. OISE, rm 2-212, 252 Bloor W. socialistaction-canada.blogspot.com. rom ConneCting singles Mix-and-mingle with a talk on how Shakespeare changed everything by novelist Stephen Marche. 7 pm. $50, adv $45. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. Pre-register rom.on.ca. system Change teaCh-in Council of Canadians discussion with FoodShare’s Debbie Field and MPP Peter Tabuns. 7:30 pm. Free. Centre of Gravity, 1300 Gerrard E. facebook. com/groups/cinema.politica.danforth. Fa taste oF viCtorian liFe Christmas dinner, entertainment and more. 6:30 pm. $100. Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, 416-392-6997. Frtoronto Christmas market Traditional European Christmas market, live music Thu-Sat from 7 pm. To Dec 18. Free. Distillery District, 55 Mill. torontochristmasmarket.com.

december 1-7 2011 NOW

Movie reviews Movie times Rep cinemas

festivals • expos • sports etc.

145 Strathmore. 416-531-8447.

shav. 4 pm. Free. U of T Jackman Humanities Bldg, 170 St George, rm 318. cjs.utoronto.ca. toronto FrenCh Book Fair Michael Ignatieff, Marc Levy and others participate. To Dec 3. $5-$6, pass $15. Reference Library, 789 Yonge. salondulivredetoronto.ca. world aids day demonstration Toronto Drug Users Union protests Russia’s severe abuse of people who use drugs. 10 am-1 pm. Free. Russian Embassy, 1000 Finch W. russianembassyprotest.wordpress.com.

68 72 73

Naturopath CelesteFrenette appearsatthe TorontoRaw/ VeganFestival.

Festivals this week

Pomegranate Film Festival Screenings of Armenian films. $10, passes $50-$125. Armenian Youth Centre (50 Hallcrown), Regent Theatre (551 Mt Pleasant). pomegranatefilmfestival.com. Dec 1 to 4 toronto raw/vegan Festival Speakers, raw and vegan food demos, ethical and cruelty-free products and more. Free. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education. torontorawveganfestival.com. Dec 3 and 4

continuing new groundswell Festival Contemporary women’s theatre with staged readings of plays by Lisa Codrington, Kelly Thornton and others, plus workshops and talks. $20, passes avail. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 416-368-3110, nightwoodtheatre. net. To Dec 10

Saturday, December 3

Benefits

FaBoriginal Christmas CraFt sale (Na-

tive Canadian Ctr) Holiday gifts, a flea market and food. 10 am-4 pm. Free. Native Canadian Centre, 16 Spadina Rd. 416-964-9087. FrgingerBread Build (Habitat for Humanity) Build and decorate a gingerbread house. Today and tomorrow 10 & 11:30 am, 1 & 2:30 pm. $50. Home Building Factory, 155 Bermondsey. torontohabitat.ca/gingerbread. Fholiday extravaganza (Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club) Cupcake decorating, a portrait booth, gifts and more. 9:30 am-12:30 pm. Free. 180 Westmoreland. 416-536-4102. Ftoast to the holidays (Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club) NHL legend Todd Warriner carollers, tours and more. 2-5 pm. $5. Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth. thedanforth.ca.

Events

artisans giFt Fair One-of-a-kind handcrafted

gifts. Today and tomorrow noon-6 pm. Free. Tranzac, 292 Brunswick. artisansgiftfair.com. Canada’s got talent Join the audience at a live theatre audition. To Dec 5, 1:30 & 7 pm. Free. Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front W. canadasgottalent.com. FCavalCade oF lights Tree lighting and Victorian carollers. 6 pm. Free. Berczy Park, Front between Yonge and Church. oldtowntoronto.ca. FdeCemBerween Party Potluck dinner, Santa costume contest and more. 7 pm. $5. Site 3, 718R Ossington. facebook.com/event. php?eid=287443067953608. dJ skate night Skate beside the lake while DJs spin. 8-11 pm. Free. Harbourfront Ice Rink, 235 Queens Quay. 416-973-4000.

FretoBiCoke lakeshore santa Claus Parade Floats, marching bands, Santa and continued on page 28 œ

10 dEcEMBER, 2011 – 4 MARch, 2012

Stan Douglas Entertainment: Selections from Midcentury Studio PRESEnTIng SPOnSOR

Coming After A group exhibition on queer time, arriving too late and the spectre of the recent past SUPPORT dOnORS

Liza Mauer & Andrew Sheiner

AssociAted events internAtionAl lecture series

Stan Douglas

Thursday, 8 December, 7 PM Studio theatre, harbourfront Centre fREE MeMberS, $12 non-MeMberS for tiCketS viSit thepowerplant.org or Call 416.973.4000.

Opening Party Friday, 9 December, 8 — 11 PM the power plant fREE

Featuring a live performance by artist Jonathan VanDyke entitled Obstructed View internAtionAl lecture series

Martha Rosler Thursday, 15 December, 7 PM Studio theatre, harbourfront Centre fREE MeMberS, $12 non-MeMberS for tiCketS viSit thepowerplant.org or Call 416.973.4000. PRIMARy EdUcATIOn SPOnSOR

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416.973.4949 thepowerplant.org

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery

Stan Douglas, Flame, 1947 (2010). Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York.

NOW december 1-7 2011

œcontinued from page 26

more. 10 am. Free. Royal York and Lake Shore W. lakeshoresantaclausparade.com. rGettinG Ready FoR WinteR Hike to witness bugs, mammals, birds and reptiles prepare for winter. 1 pm. $2. High Park Nature Centre, 440 Parkside. highparknaturecentre.com.

Global day oF action on climate chanGe

Speakers, videos, live updates from Durban and a march in solidarity wth Occupy Toronto. 10 am-2 pm. Free. Oakham House, 63 Gould. torontoclimatecampaign.org. Fholiday aRts & cRaFt shoW Handmade goods by local artisans. 11 am-6 pm. $2-$5, kids free. St Stephen-in-the-Fields Church, 103 Bellevue. kidicarus.ca/handmadeholiday. FrFamily bakinG WoRkshop Bake Christmas treats using pioneer recipes. 1-4 pm. $50. Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross. 416-736-1733.

homeless childRen shelteRed by canadian paciFic RailWay, 1869 Urban history walk. 2 pm. Free. King and Strachan. 416-593-2656.

inteRnational VolunteeR day celebRation

Networking, live music and speakers. 1:307:30 pm. Free. Ryerson University, 63 Gould. ivd2011.eventbrite.com. rmondo bazaaR Clothes, jewellery, books fair trade goods and more. 10 am-5 pm. Free. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen W.

Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge. 905-787-8811.

FpaRkdale holiday bazaaR Vintage, and

baldWin-GRossman VillaGe: boWlinG GReens, cReeks and maRkets Lost Rivers

handmade arts and crafts. 11 am-5 pm. Free. Masaryk Cowan Community Centre, 220 Cowan. parkdalecdg.com. What’s youR stoRy? Afternoon of storytelling from diverse cultural traditions. Today and tomorrow 2, 3 & 4 pm. Free. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000.

Sunday, December 4

Benefits

bazaaR (Kidney Fdn/SickKids Camp Oki) Arts

and crafts, baked goods, gifts and more. 8:30 am-2 pm. Free. Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, 45 Ludstone. 416-247-0513. rbRain buRps Jam (Children’s Cancer Recovery Fund) Children’s author and singer Mary Wilkinson performs 2 pm. $5. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen W. mwprodesign.com. Fholiday bReakout (Friends of Music Therapy Endowment Fund at SickKids) Entertainment by Good Rats Radio, the Gentlemen Thieves and others. 7 pm. $4. Rockpile, 5555 Dundas W. holidaybreakout@gmail.com. maJoR celebs & GeneRal Fun! (Third World Awareness) Comedy and music benefit with Colin Mochrie, Scott Thompson, Jet Fighter Pilots and others. 10 pm. $25, stu $15. Second City, 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011.

Events

raubRey daVis Launching Kishka For Koppel. 10:30 am. Free. Richmond Hill Centre for the

heritage walk. 11 am. Free. Meet at College and McCaul. 416-593-2656. climate ReFuGees Citizens Climate Lobby documentary screening and discussion. 1 pm. Free. Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford. lizrice.ca/events.

liVinG With the Wild: canada’s eaRly natuRalists & theiR animal companions Illus-

trated lecture by author Sharon Kirsch. 2:30 pm. Free. Emmanuel College, rm 001, 75 Queen’s Park. torontofieldnaturalists.org.

ResistinG canadian mininG industRy exploitation in colombia Colombian Action

Solidarity Alliance teach-in with Jennifer Moore from Mining Watch Canada, and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives correspondent Asad Ismi. 2 pm. OISE, 252 Bloor W, rm 5150. cca_toronto@hotmail.com. science oF eneRGy Science lecture. 3 pm. Free. Macleod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Bldg, 1 King’s College. 416-977-2983. toRonto monoloGue slam Up-and-coming actors deliver performances in a New Yorkstyle slam. 7:30 pm. $10. Trane Studio, 964 Bathurst. 416-913-8197. FWinteR blooms A Christmas flower show runs to Jan 8, daily 10 am-5 pm (candlelight hours 5-7 pm). Free. Allan Gardens (Carlton and Jarvis), Centennial Park (151 Elmcrest). toronto.ca/parks.

Monday, December 5

Benefits

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kickinG at the daRkness (Parkdale Neighbourhood Church) Benefit concert and book launch. 8:30 pm. $12-$15. Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas W. 416-531-6604, hughsroom.com. Fthe uGly holiday sWeateR paRty (Dress for Success) Wear an ugly sweater to win prizes. 7 pm. $10. WAYLA Bar, 996 Queen E. bit.ly/rxWnXT.

Events

John ibbitson The Globe & Mail columnist speaks on the collapse of Canada’s traditional political order. 5:30 pm. Free. Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Pk. rsvp@reviewcanada.ca. lake ontaRio eVeninGs Fish in the City forum on aquatic habitat restoration along the waterfront. 6 to 9:30 pm. Free. Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen W. torontorap.ca. the makinG and unmakinG oF a GenRe Film

Talk by film critic Shlomo Schwartzberg. 7 pm. $12, stu $6. Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina. 416-924-6211 ext 606. the penelopiad Nightwood Theatre’s Kelly Thornton talks about their play based on the Margaret Atwood book. 7 pm. Free. Reference Library, 789 Yonge. 416-395-5577. tRampoline hall Mini lectures curated by Sholem Krishtalka with host by Misha Glouberman. 6:30 pm. $5-$6. Garrison, 1197 Dundas W. trampolinehall.net.

Tuesday, December 6

Benefits

White chRistmas dinneR (SickKids Hospital/ SickKids, Warsaw Poland) Carolling and dinner. 7 pm. Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terr. 416-9214016.

Events

cleopatRa, the last phaRaoh: FRom histoRy to leGend Society for the Study of Egyp-

tian Antiquities lecture. 7 pm. $35. 4 Bancroft. 647-520-4339, thessea.org. eQuity, laW and Global health Lecture. 5:30 pm. Free. U of T Facuty of Law, 78 Queen’s Park. Pre-register j.kopelow@utoronto.ca. human RiGhts day celebRation Presentations from human rights advocates plus entertainment. 7 pm. Free. Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills. 416-388-2542.

Justice and human RiGhts in mexico – a deepeninG cRisis Presentations by Amnesty

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International Mexico co-ordinators Michael Ballin and Cara Gibbons. 7 pm. Free. St Barnabas Church, 175 Hampton. 416-533-3830. peteR c neWman Talking about the death of Liberal Canada. 7 pm. Free. Reference Library, 789 Yonge. torontopubliclibrary.ca. philippa White The International Exchange director talks about social issues affect leadership in advertising. 5:30 pm. $15-$25. Pilot, 22 Cumberland. 416-482-1396 ext 245. Re-imaGininG ouR VeRtical city Screening of One Millionth Tower and panel discussion with high-rise residents, architects and others. 6 pm. Free. Gladstone, 1214 Queen W. highrise.nfb.ca/gladstone.

RemembeRinG the montReal massacRe

Commemorative service with a talk by feminist laywer Pamela Cross. Noon. Free. Women’s

big3

NOW editors pick a trio of this week’s can’t-miss events

oFFeRinG a Fashion hand up

Dress For Success wants your ugly sweater. The organization – providing disadvantaged women with professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to gain economic independence – sponsors a benefit that awards the plug-ugliest seasonal sweater with a special prize. Plus, a 50/50 draw, silent auction, early-bird prizes and more. Monday (December 5), Wayla Bar (996 Queen East). 7 pm. $10. bit.ly/rxWnXT.

FoR a decent deal in duRban As the United Nations Climate Change conference in Durban struggles to extend emission reduction agreements under Kyoto, the Toron to Climate Campaign, Council of Ca nadians (T.O. chapter) and Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Jus tice host a day of action Saturday (December 3). At 10 am, hear live updates from Durban via video from Richard Girard of the Polaris Institute, Mardi Tindal from the United Church, Hannah McKinnon from the Climate Action Network and others. At 2 pm, the group marches in solidarity with Occupy Toronto. Free. Oakham House (63 Gould). torontoclimatecampaign.org.

BERGE ARABIAN

events

mondobazaar.wordpress.com.

Eco-activists rally December 3 in synch with the UN Climate Change meet.

ViGil FoR the Victims The commemoration of the 1989 Montreal massacre and all women who’ve suffered from male violence is especially poignant this year because it coincides with the movement of the Tories’ Bill C-19 through to final assent. The bill will dismantle the long-gun registry, part of the system of gun control that came out of the 1989 killing of 14 young women. Bring a rose and a candle and join the Women Won’t Forget vigil featuring speakers, performances and a native healing ceremony, Tuesday (December 6), 6 pm. Free. All welcome. Philosopher’s Walk (Bloor west of University). womenwontforget.org.

College Hospital Cummings Auditorium, 76 Grenville. womenscollegehospital.ca.

Travel talk. 6:30 pm. Free. Adventure Travel Co, 408 King W. Pre-register atcadventure.com.

the teRminal classic peRiod in the noRtheRn maya loWlands Lecture by archaeolo-

upcoming

gist Jeremy A Sabloff. 7 pm. $23. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. 416-586-5797. the tRouble With billionaiRes Canadians for Tax Fairness hold a talk by Linda McQuaig on why too much money at the top is bad for the 99 per cent. 7:30 pm. Free. Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil. taxfairness.ca. Women Won’t FoRGet Day of action and remembrance on violence against women with speakers and musical performances. 6 pm. Free. Philosopher’s Walk, Bloor just west of University. womenwontforget.org.

Wednesday, December 7

Events

amReF’s coFFeehouse African Medical and

Research Fdn interactive forum on issues of relevance on the world stage. 6 pm. Free. Urbana Coffee, 1033 Bay. amrefcanada.org. cold and Flu Talk on prevention and treatment. 7 pm. Free. Deer Park Library, 40 St Clair. 416-393-7658. lesley liVinGston Literary salon for girls 13 to 17 with the author of Once Every Never. 6:30 pm. $30 (includes book). Mabel’s Fables, 662 Mt Pleasant. 416-322-0438. maRc chaGall – a liFe in dReams Talk by the AGO’s David Wistow. 7 pm. Free. Locke Library, 3083 Yonge. 416-393-7730. roWl pRoWl Search for Great Horned, Long Eared, Saw Whet and Screech owls. 7 pm. $7.90. Humber Arboretum, 205 Humber College. Pre-register 416-675-5009. stephen claRkson The politial economist talks about his book Dependent America? How Canada And Mexico Construct U.S. Power. Noon. $25 (includes lunch). Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park. 416-586-8080.

theatRe oF the oppRessed – Fall tRaininG

Intensive workshop on techniques for conflict resolution, advocacy and motivating positive change. $45. CSI Annex, 720 Bathurst. Preregister branchouttheatre@gmail.com. tRansit city is dead: noW What? Post Carbon Toronto discussion on the future prospects for mass transit in Toronto with Steve Munro. 7 pm. $2 or pwyc. Metro Hall, rm 310, 55 John. postcarbontoronto.org.

tRekkinG the inca tRail to machu picchu

Thursday, December 8

Benefits

otheR people’s stuFF: the GReat canadian comedy Rip-oFF! (Red Door Family Shelter)

Performances by Paul Bellini, Jenny Parsons, Kris Siddiqi and many others. 8 pm. $10 min. Comedy Bar, 945B Bloor W. 416-551-6540. Rum & Rhythm (CTO Fdn) Caribbean music, food and masqueraders. 6:30 pm. $100. Andrew Richard Designs, 571 Adelaide. rumandrhythm.org. Fholiday sale FoR Guatemala (El Triunfo Education Project) Guatemalan weaving, jewellery, fair trade coffee and more. 10 am-7 pm. Free. Rotman School of Management, Fleck Atrium, 106 St George. 416-946-3818.

Events

boRdeR cRossinGs: lGbtQ Families, immiGRation and inteRnational tRaVel LGBTQ parenting forum. 6:30 pm. Free. Sherbourne Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne, 2nd floor. lgbtqparentingconnection.ca.

hoW to saVe JaRVis and otheR cyclinG

issues Toronto Cyclists Union ward 27 meeting. 7 pm. Free. Recreation Room, buzz 313, 35 Charles W. ward27@bikeunion.to. impact oF climate chanGe on the WateR cycle and health Lecture by Global Warming

And Climate Change editor Velma Grover. 4 pm. Free. University College, rm 179, 15 King’s College. scienceforpeace.ca. Floco FoR local Holiday pop-up shop featuring locally made goods. To Dec 11, 10 am to 8 pm . Free. NACO Gallery, 1665 Dundas W. muttonheadcollective.com.

stRess, emotional eatinG and the inFlammation connection Lecture. 7 pm. Free. Big Carrot, 348 Danforth. 416-466-2129.

Whose stReets? the toRonto G20 and the challenGes oF summit pRotest Launch of a

book about Toronto’s G20 protests, with music by Shadow Hearts and others. 7:30 pm. $10 sliding scale. CineCycle, 129 Spadina (rear). btlbooks.com. yiddish Vinkl Artist Vivian Felsen speaks about anti-Semitism in Lithuania. Noon. $16 (includes lunch). Free Times Café, 320 College. Pre-register yiddishvinkl@yahoo.ca. 3

alt health

Order to your eating Does it matter if you munch proteins with your carbs? By elizaBeth Bromstein this guy i know is trying to shed pounds, and his practitioner put him on a food- combining diet. What’s that? It seems to be a way of eating where you don’t jumble certain kinds of foods, like carbs and pro-

tein, in your tummy at one time. It’s based on the idea that bad combos hinder digestion and absorption. Bye-bye, bread and cheese. An offshoot of this what-goeswith-what approach is a system of

rating foods according to their pH. Some edibles are acidic and some alkaline, and the theory is that balancing them is the key to longevity. Does it really matter what foods sit together on your plate when it comes time to tuck in?

releases pancreatic enzymes for every macronutrient: fat, carbohydrate, protein. Most foods are not single macronutrients. Vegetables have lots of carbohydrate, but they also have protein. Dairy has carbohydrate, protein and fat. Fruit is almost all carbohydrate, but there is a tiny dot of protein. So we’re going to get all those nutrients at the same time anyway. The food that drops into the top portion of the small intestine comes in acidic, but as pancreatic enzymes are released, so are other juices, including bicarbonate. That will control the pH.” JILL WEISENBERGER, dietitian, nutrition consultant, Yorktown, Virginia

in the blood and tissue. That pH is regulated through breathing and through the kidneys. In healthy people, acid can accumulate through an unbalanced diet. It can take a significant toll because the body must buffer those acids. Certain food in excess, like meats, proteins, processed foods, coffee, sugar and alcohol are acid-forming. They can be balanced by foods that alkalize, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. If you eat too many acid foods, the body draws buffering compounds out of the blood, tissue and bone. Half the bone lost in a lifetime is due to acid-buffering.” SUSAN E. BROWN, author, The AcidAlkaline Food Guide, Syracuse, New York

What the experts say “In digestion, proteins need an enzyme called protease, which requires an acidic environment to be activated. Carbs are digested by enzymes lipase and amylase and require more of an alkaline environment. We eat meat and potatoes, but they don’t digest together well. Fruits are best eaten by themselves, though if they’re acidic it’s best to eat them with other acidic foods. Green vegetables go with meat and pretty much everything. Same thing with cheese. Don’t combine two proteins; this is tough on the digestive system.” SUSHMA SHAH, naturopath, Toronto “Food combining sounds scientific, but it’s really pseudoscience. The pancreas

“The body must have a specific pH level

astrology freewill

by Rob Brezsny

Aries Mar 21 | Apr 19 This would be an

excellent week to head down to Pucón, Chile and hire a daredevil to fly you in a helicopter into the caldera of the active Villarrica volcano, whereupon you would bungee-jump out of the copter down to within 700 feet of the molten lava. If that’s too extreme or expensive for your tastes, I urge you to come up with a milder adventure that will still bring you a close encounter with primal heat and light – and maybe even some divine fire.

TAurus Apr 20 | May 20 As a mouse

looks for food or shelter, it is flexible enough to fit through a hole as small as a quarter of an inch. You would really benefit from having a talent like that right now, Taurus. Of course, even if you are as slippery and pliable as you’ll need to be, you will also have to be on high alert for the inviting possibilities, some of which may be brief or subtle. For example, let’s say you spy an interestinglooking person with whom you’d love to chat. The window of opportunity may be open for less than 10 seconds. Seize that moment! Refuse to get hung up in shyness. Don’t convince yourself that another chance will come along later.

GeMini May 21 | Jun 20 One of my

Gemini acquaintances, Tara, has been playing a slow-moving game of tag with three friends since they were all in second grade together. They’re 27 years old now, and still live in the same city. Currently, Tara is “it,” and has been so for quite some time. But she confided in

me that she plans to make a move this week. She says she’ll sneak up on one of the other players during his lunch break at work, tag him, and run away before he can tag her back. I told her she’s likely to meet with success, since this is an excellent time for you Geminis to gain an advantage in pretty much any kind of game you’re playing.

CAnCer Jun 21 | Jul 22 “Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know,” wrote philosopher Eric Hoffer. This is a good idea for you to contemplate right now. I realize it may be a challenge for you to figure out what you would rather not know and are afraid to know and might even be allergic to knowing. Still, I hope you’ll make the effort. Maybe you could enlist a smart ally who’d be skilful in helping you uncover the taboo truth. And maybe you could formulate an intention to be as objective as you’ve ever been.

Leo Jul 23 | Aug 22 Biologists say there

are 680 species of trees and shrubs in the U.S. and Canada. By comparison, Lambir Hills National Park on the island of Borneo is the home of 1,175 species on its 128 acres. I suspect you will feel right at home in places like Lambir Hills in the coming week, Leo. Your own creative urges will be running hotter than usual and are most likely to thrive in contexts that are themselves teeming with lush fertility and rich diversity. Please surround yourself with inspirational influences, thereby giving your-

12 | 01

2011

self the best possible chance to express yourself with vivid imagination.

VirGo Aug 23 | sep 22 “People travel to

faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home,” wrote philosopher Dagobert D. Runes. Your assignment, Virgo, should you choose to accept it, is to refute that assertion. In other words, I’m inviting you to travel to all of your usual haunts and treat everything that happens there with the attitude of a first-time visitor. Just assume that the familiar people and places in your life have stimulating gifts to give and lessons to impart. Remember, though, they can’t do that to the fullest unless you expect them to.

LibrA sep 23 | oct 22 The human brain is composed of 30 per cent protein and 70 per cent fat. So it wouldn’t be incorrect to refer to you as a fathead. In order to nourish your brain cells, you’ve got to eat foods that provide two essential fatty acids your body doesn’t manufacture: omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA. Since you’re now in a “brain-building” phase of your astrological cycle, I urge you to get more than your minimum requirements of these basics. If I may be permitted to resurrect a now-out-offashion slang term, I suggest that you also expose yourself to a lot of extraordinarily phat sources of intellectual stimulation. sCorpio oct 23 | nov 21 The mawashi

is the loincloth that Japanese sumo wrestlers wear while competing. It’s

“These trends come and go, and there isn’t much of a scientific basis for them. If you eat too much acidic food, it might affect the digestion phase in the stomach, but once it passes that, the body has its own system of adjusting and buffering and keeping very tight control. The body buffers all the time, no matter what you eat, but that doesn’t mean that because of acidity you’re going to wind up with diabetes or another chronic disease.” NURGUL FITZGERALD, professor of nutritional sciences, Rutgers University, New Jersey “There haven’t been any studies where two randomized groups of people eat rare for the garment to come off, even in the heat of a match, but it did happen once in 2000, when a wrestler named Asanokiri suddenly found himself standing naked during his bout with Chiyohakuho. In conformity with sumo’s rules, Asanokiri was immediately disqualified. I don’t think you’re at risk for being rendered literally unclothed in the heat of a showdown or a plot twist, Scorpio. But I do advise you to take extra precautions to prevent a metaphorical version of that occurrence. Get your act very together, and keep it very together.

sAGiTTArius nov 22 | Dec 21 “Dear

Mr. Brezsny: My name is Sonny McGee and I own a website that caters to people who are addicted to playing poker. I’m a big fan of your horoscopes, and I’m wondering if you would like to advertise your work to our audience. Gamblers love astrology! Get in touch.” – Sagittarian Wheeler Dealer. Dear Wheeler Dealer: Thanks for your interest, but I’ll pass. I don’t like to encourage anyone to focus their gambling urges on trivial matters like card games, sports events and lotteries. I prefer they direct that mojo to high-minded stuff like daring themselves to excel, pursuing exciting and idealistic adventures and doing brave things to help save the world. By the way, it’s prime time for you Sagittarians to ratchet up your commitment to those kinds of gambles.

CApriCorn Dec 22 | Jan 19 I hope

you’re not so perversely attached to your demons that you’re inclined to keep providing them with a comfortable home. Why? Because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to permanently banish them from the premises. Yes, I know it may seem lonely at first without their nagging, disruptive voices chattering away in your

mixed meals that include fats, proteins and carbohydrates or separated meals. When you eat food, the enzymes released in your mouth (amylase) digest carbohydrates. Fat and protein are broken down into little pieces. So whether you eat a plain baked potato, a potato with butter or with butter and roast beef, it goes to your stomach, where the long strings of protein are broken down into smaller fragments. If the digestive system is flattened out, it’s about the size of a tennis court. The idea that eating meals in certain ratios inhibits absorption is preposterous when you consider that the surface area is so large.” DOUG COOK, registered dietitian, Toronto head. But I really do encourage you to bid them adieu. By the way, as you plan your exorcism, you might want to include a humorous touch or two. They’re allergic to satire and mockery, you know.

AquArius Jan 20 | Feb 18 The Beau-

vais Cathedral in northern France has been called “the most daring achievement of Gothic architecture.” Its soaring facades, carved wooden doors, stained glass windows and astronomical clock demonstrate high artistry. There’s a problem with the place, however: it has never been completed. Work began in the year 1225, and experts are still talking about how to solve certain ongoing difficulties with its construction. I don’t know when this happy ending will occur, Aquarius, but I do expect that in 2012 you will be able to put the finishing touches on your own personal version of the Beauvais Cathedral. And now would be a good time to formulate definite plans to do so.

pisCes Feb 19 | Mar 20 In my prayers, I’ve been negotiating with the Goddess to grant you the power to change the course of rivers, at least in a metaphorical way. I’ve also beseeched her to show you how to overthrow the Puppet Master and convert overwrought hawks into savvy doves. The Goddess seems to be seriously considering these appeals, and has even hinted she might offer you instructions on how to shape a new Adam out of one of Eve’s ribs, mythically speaking. In return, she does have one request: that you do what you can to make sure the sun rises on schedule for the next ten days. Homework: Imagine what your life would be like if you licked your worst fear. Describe this new world to me. Go to RealAstrology.com and click on “Email Rob.” NOW december 1-7 2011

DAVID LAURENCE

food&drink

Lazy Daisy’s Melissa Shaw (left) has a latte ready, the Tree Hugger Parfait awaits, and owner Dawn Chapman serves up sweets.

Daisy’s not at all lazy Lazy Daisy’s brightens up brunch on the east s ide By STEVEN DAVEY Marmalade in Leslieville, Bonjour Brioche in Riverside and quirky Teatree up on the Danforth, and that’s about it. So, you can understand how the launch of Lazy Daisy’s Café in Little India has the east side, if not exactly forming a conga line down Coxwell, dancing in the street. Yes, Daisy’s got the decor down pat, from the regulation funky chandeliers overhead to the whitewashed brick walls hung with abstract acrylics and tables fashioned from reclaimed barnboard. Why, there’s even a map of southern Ontario by the door that indicates where virtual-

LAZY DAISY’S (1515 Gerrard East, at Coxwell, 647-341-4070) Complete meals for $15, including all tax, tip and a coffee. Average main $8. Open Monday to Thursday 7 am to 6 pm, Friday 7 am to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:30 am to 6 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

though there seems to be an all-day lunch cum brunch spot on every corner of the west side, east of the DVP they’re as rare as Rob Ford at the Pride parade. Frankly, there’s Frankly and Lady

ly everything on owner Dawn Chapman’s short card is sourced. Come noon, the SUV stroller brigade has staked out nearly every seat, leaving us the last four-top next to the children’s holding-pen play area. Dodging a rubber pterodactyl tossed by a petulant threeyear-old, we start with the Joy of Veg ($5.25) or – as we like to call it chez nous – crudités with dip, in this case a lemony chickpea hummus lashed

recently reviewed

Tons of restaurants, crossing cultures, every week Compiled by STEVEN DAVEY

Contemporary

egranate seeds and crumbled Greek feta; mains like King Cole Farms duck confit with baked gnocchi and wilted spinach in roasted garlic cream; braised lamb shank ravioli finished with buttery pureed cauliflower; at brunch, crisp rosti dressed with peppery arugula sided with smoked salmon, capers and crème fraîche; to finish, flourless chocolate fudge cake. Complete dinners for $55 (brunches $25), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $21/$12. Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday from 6 pm. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 3 pm. Closed Monday, some holidays. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

L’OUVRIER

791 Dundas W, at Palmerston, 416-9019581, louvrier.ca. Does the super-hip Dundas West strip really need another cuttingedge cantina? It does when the results are this delish: a spacious gallery-like space, attitude-free service and a card that flirts with Southeast Asia (hello, Susur!) and classic French country comfort. Best: chicken liver pâté dressed with pickled celery, paired with smoked ham hock croquettes and house-made piccalilli; ribbons of English cucumber and fennel tossed with pom-

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

French LA SOCIETE

131 Bloor W, at Avenue Rd, 416-551-9929, lasociete.ca. Yorkville’s primo patio come summer, Charles Khabouth and partner Danny Soberano’s unusually polished brasserie in the Colonnade is one of the coziest rooms in town when the temperature dips, even if it is a complete rip on New York City’s famed Balthazar, right down to the art nouveau stained glass ceiling. Best: when a glass of champagne is $26, 16 bucks for a burger is a bargain, especially when it’s a substantial 8-ounce patty

more online nowtoronto.com/food Search restaurants by style, location, $$ and more at NOWTORONTO.COM/RESTAURANTS or download iPhone Restaurant Guide at NOWTORONTO.COM/APPS with parsley-infused olive oil and toasted pine nuts. Rib-sticking Farmstead Chili ($8.75) thick with Berretta Farms ground beef, chunky tomato and the occasional kidney bean delivers more sweet than heat, though its sensational side of a mini-cornbread jalapeño whoopee pie (!) filled with Fifth Town goat cheese from Picton and smoked Mennonite bacon (!!) adds the necessary firepower. Fullsize versions would cause a stampede. But don’t order the naturally raised Cha Cha chicken salad sandwich ($8.25) with roasted hazelnuts and bits of dried pear on a St. Urbain bagel if you want more of it to end up in your mouth than your sweater. Better to go with the toasted whole wheat from nearby Knead Bakery instead. Knead also supplies the terrific broccoli and Woolwich cheddar quiche ($4.95/$6.95 with dressed local greens) – love that buttery croissant crust – and both salted caramel ($2.50) and cheesecake chocolate brownies ($3). And what junior Star Wars fan could resist a Princess Leia cinnamon bun ($2.95)? “We’ve sold twice as many now that we’ve started calling them that,” says Chapman. “I’m good at thinking up names.” She also came up with the café’s handle. “When I was a kid, my grandparents had a cow on their farm called Daisy,” Chapman explains. “I used to help milk her and feed her calves.” Was Daisy unusually lazy? “Come on! She lay in the grass under a tree all day long.” 3 stevend@nowtoronto.com

topped with aged white cheddar and pickle aioli sided with sea-salted frites and greens in a lemon vinaigrette; massive tureens of Lyonnaise-style onion soup spiked with cognac; buttery mac ’n’ cheese, more fromage than pasta; profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream in chocolate sauce. Complete dinners for $75 per person (lunches/ brunches $40), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $25/$18. Open Monday to Thursday 11:30 am to midnight, Friday 11:30 am to 2 am, Saturday 11 am to 2 am, Sunday 11 am to midnight. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Italian

ñBLACK SKIRT

974 College, at Rusholme, 416-5327424, blackskirtrestaurant.com. After making a splash at Wish, Rosa Gallé and Aggie Decina strike out on their own to bring old-school Italiana back to Little

Experiment at L.A.B. L.A.B. (651 College, at Grace, 416-

551-5025, labrestaurant.com) Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a pomegranate mocktail. Average main $12. Open Tuesday to Saturday 6 to 10:30 pm. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. Closed Mondays. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Don’t come to Howard Dubrovsky’s L.A.B. Saturday and Sunday mornings expecting molecular brunch. “I’m trying to keep things a little simpler than dinner,” says the ebulliently bow-tied Dubrovsky. So it’s goodbye, molten chocolate bunny cake – shredded rabbit croquettes with explosive centres à la flourless chocolate cake ($26) – and hello, Green Eggs And Ham ($10). Or rather, perfectly scrambled freerange eggs finished with puréed arugula and a tangle of shoots over Australian English muffins from Cobbs bakery in Kensington, sided with a stack of fried-baloney-style pancetta. Dubrovsky cures local lake trout into gravlax, the translucent pink flesh plated over a barely there salad of watercress and shaved fennel in a lemon vinaigrette, a dollop of basil crème fraîche and rye crostini on the side ($12). A pair of eggs from a hormone-free duck named Delores come deliciously poached in red wine over crisp Yukon Gold rosti and regional kale sautéed in Ontario garlic, an unusually nutty Béarnaise and a garnish of roasted cherry tomato infused with hickory smoke chef’s only nod to molecular gastronomy. Well, that and a bill that shows up in a test tube. “Just because we’re trying to be more accessible doesn’t mean we SD can’t have fun.” Italy. A charming room, engaging service and Sicilian home cooking add up to a trip back to a simpler time. Best: to start, white anchovies and garlicky chopped tomato crostini; grilled lamb speducci; pressed muffuletta panini with tapenade, capicola, mortadella, sweet and hot soppressata and giardiniere pickles; veal sandwiches in Decina-family tomato ragu with Provolone and grilled hot banana peppers; veal ’n’ ricotta ravioli finished with butter, shaved parmigiano and fried sage leaves; grilled New Zealand lamb chops with cheesy baked mashed potatoes and rapini; textbook tiramisu and pistachio cannoli. Complete dinners for $50 per person (lunches $25), including tax, tip and a glass of Chianti. Average main $25/$13. Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 10 pm. Lunch from 10 am, dinner from 5 pm. Closed Sunday, some holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN 3

= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Rare perfection NNNN = Outstanding, almost ﬂawless NNN = Recommended, worthy of repeat visits NN = Adequate N = You’d do better with a TV dinner

food&drink

drinkup

A weekly look at what’s on LCBO shelves

you are By GRAHAM DUNCAN

Alcohol. No instructions, no batteries. WHAT: B&G Partager Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (red) Rating: NNN WHERE: Langdoc, France WHY: Part two in the continuing series Reliable, Easy-To-Find, Affordable Holiday Booze (RETFAHB). This brand has been on the shelves forever, so it’s easily overlooked in favour of trendier labels, but the Cabernet Sauvignon deserves attention. Mellow enough to be a party sipper, but it will also double up at the buffet or even a sit-down. RETFAHB all the way to 2012. PRICE: 750 ml/$9.95 AVAILABILITY: At most liquor stores (product #251074)

WHAT: Bouchard Père & Fils 2 bottle Gift Pack (red and white) Rating: NNN WHERE: Burgundy, France WHY: Unless you’re a home-crafting maniac, when you wrap up a bottle of wine, it always looks like a bottle of wine. So give them a box. They’ll never guess. A Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay from Burgundy, one of the world’s definitive fine wine regions, both are balanced, restrained, enjoyable renditions of their respective styles, and both pair well with a large festive bird. Convenient that. PRICE: 2x750 ml/$32.95 AVAILABILITY: At most liquor stores (product #253682) 3

what you eat

LOUNGE

healthy food, full of flavour

drinks@nowtoronto.com

= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Liquid gold NNNN = Intoxicating NNN = Cheers NN = Drinkable N = Under the bridge

freshdish Kitchen switchin’

Popular midtown lunch and bruncheteria Lola’s Commissary has changed her name to Lola’s Kitchen (634 Church, at Hayden, 416-9663991, lolaskitchen.ca). “I took over the kitchen in Febru-

ary, and we wanted to give the place a bit of a revamp,” says Lola chef Laura Gallivan. “Those ugly brown walls are gone for good.” Though she’s also updated the stately Victorian’s all-day card, she’s wisely kept the cheesecake-stuffed French toast that put Lola on the local culinary map front and centre. “Oh, it’s still there. We just made it

better. Besides, Lola’s old management took the concept from the French toast I used to cook when I was at Yasi’s Place.”

Harlowe no mo’

Eccentric west-side café June Harlowe Foods on Dupont has called it quits. B:9.833” Seems gentrification of the rough-’n’tumble JunctionT:9.833” Triangle is on hold. SD S:9.333”

Daily soup, pasta, salad & sandwich specials fully licenced

We use organic, locally sourced, sustainable produce. Suppliers include St John’s bakery and Rowe Farms. Monday–Friday 11:30am–3:00pm 189 Church St (at Church and Shuter) nowlounge.com

S:5.042”

Forr a lilimi Fo mite mi ted te d ti time me,, en me enjo joyy Al jo Alex Alex exan ande an derr Ke de Keit ith’s Harvest Ale. It’s a full-bodied, arom ar omat om atic at ic bee eerr wi with th a rob obus ustt ta us t stte wi w th hints of caramel. Uniquely blended wiith spe with peci cial ci alty al ty roa oast sted st ed mal alts ts and sel e ec ectt North American hops – we think it’’s ratthe it her er ta tast sty. st y. We ho hope pe you and you o r ffrrie i nds will agree. Cheers.

*TM/MC Keith’s Brewery. NOW december 1-7 2011 LBK_111037HP_Harvest_A.indd 1

11/25/11 5:03 PM

Introduce the 80s card game UNO to video-game-addicted, smartphonetoting peeps with UNO Roboto ($39.99, Toys R Us, Dufferin Mall, 900 Dufferin, 416-532-8697, and others, toysrus.ca). On Daniel: sweater ($87, American Apparel, 338 Yonge, 416977-8005, and others, americanapparel.net).

December has finally arrived, and that means it’s officially time to shop till you drop every giftable person from your list. Choose using these present picks, arrayed by price from low to higher. By ANDREW SARDONE and ALEXANDER JOO Photos by DAVID HAWE Hair and makeup by MICHELLE ROSEN, TRESemmé Hair Care/ judyinc.com Fashion assistant: STEFANIA YARHI Models: Rachel H (B&M) and Daniel Sanchez (Elite)

Make flavour, not war with these grenade-shaped salt and pepper shakers ($21.95, Drysdale & Co., 107 Danforth, 416484-8592, drysdaleandco.com).

Just like its bags, Mari Cla Ro’s laptop case ($39, Nathalie-Roze & Co., 1015 Queen East, 416-792-1699, nathalieroze.com) is created with reclaimed car upholstery, vinyl and seat belts.

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

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10/18/11 8:45 AM

If you’re still salivating from NOW’s mid-November meat issue, snag a Egg, 267 cookbook from Montreal carnivore canteen Joe Beef ($40, Good Egg, Augusta, 416-593-4663, goodegg.ca).

Sock it to them with a Cate and Levi hand puppet ($29, The Centre Shop, 235 Queens Quay West, 416-9734993, harbourfrontcentre.com).

Every year, MADE invites its designers to create one-of-a-kind ornaments for its Give & Take exchange, with sales benefiting charities. These glass drops are by Orest Tataryn ($30 each, 867 Dundas West, 416-607-6384, madedesign.ca).

Puppy might not know the difference between lapping from a designer dog bowl and the toilet, but a designconscious owner will appreciate this mod dish ($45, Timmie Doggie Outfitters, 867 Queen West, 416-203-6789, and other, timmie.ca). No need to wait for the Saturday paper. Pick up a pack of New York Times crossword pages ($18, Drake General Store, 1144 Queen West, 416531-5042 ext 101, and others, drakegeneralstore.myshopify.com).

Bookhou’s Arounna Khounnoraj uses natural indigo to dip-dye this market tote ($40, 798 Dundas West, 416-203-2549, bookhou.com).

As precious as toddler-sized versions of grown-up togs can be, baby will probably appreciate Mini Mioche’s Scout sweats most ($48, 795 Queen West, 647-3485883, minimioche.com).

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

For its 10th anniversary, the very first edition of Halo has been remastered for Xbox 360 as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, with eye-gouging graphics, ear-splitting sounds and an Xbox LIVE feature ($39.99, Best Buy, 65 Dundas West, 416-642-8321, and others, bestbuy.ca).

Light up JimmyJane’s Afterglow massage candle ($28, Come as You Are, 493 Queen West, 416504-7934, comeasyouare.com) for a holiday rubdown.

It’s quite possible that you’ll spot someone you know in Julie Moon’s series of Doppelganger brooches ($30 each, Magic Pony, 680 Queen West, 416-861-1684, magic-pony.com).

What I want Cory Vitiello

Harbord Room chef (theharbordroom.com) Best gift you’ve ever received? My mom surprised me when I dropped in to see her before going abroad to cook in Asia and Australia. She took care of my plane tickets to support my travel. Best gift you’ve ever given? Last year I made a black walnut coffee table with a brass base. It took me a month and a half to finish. It’s a gorgeous piece that I gave to my then girlfriend. I’m happy it’s in good hands, but I miss it! What’s on your list this year? Every year, Curt Martin, my Harbord Room partner, and I take each other out for a blowout tasting at a restaurant in town. This year we’ve chosen Acadia (50C Clinton, 416-792-6002, acadiarestauStefania Yarhi rant.com).

NOW december 1-7 2011

Don’t be tempted to pass off Gris’s knit wool toque ($60, Bookhou, 798 Dundas West, 416-203-2549, bookhou.com) as your own handiwork.

Fair Isle is in fashion for sweaters, scarves and Big Buddha’s knit duffle bag ($90, Trove, 2264 Bloor West, and other, 416-766-1258, trove.ca).

Keep little hands cozy with Isak and Inger’s recycled fur mitts ($50, Distill, 55 Mill, building #47, 416-304-0033, distillgallery.com).

Indispensable for racing games, Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel’s joystick lets the driver feel every bump in the road while also looking like a futuristic adult toy on your coffee table when not in use ($69.99, Best Buy,, 65 Dundas West, 416-642-8321, and others, bestbuy.ca). Biko’s compass necklace ($80, Blackbird Vintage Finds, 55 Mill, building #57, 416-681-0558, blackbirdvintage. com) is quite the bauble find.

Toast the holidays with a mulled tipple served up in Kuksa Finnish drinking cups ($70, Mjölk, 2959 Dundas West, 416-551-9853, mjolk.ca).

The Samsung Galaxy SII X 4G with dual-core processor, 4.5inch super AMOLED touch screen and 8MP camera with LED flash is the best smartphone you can give someone who isn’t an Apple junkie ($99.99 with three-year term, Telus , Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge, 416-205-9489, and others, telusmobility.com).

This air hockey table is guaranteed to score some points with your favourite sports fan ($75, Drake General Store, 1144 Queen West, 416-531-5042 ext 101, and others, drakegeneralstore.myshopify. com). On Rachel: Joe Fresh sweater ($59, 589 Queen West, 416361-6342, and others, joefresh.com), and Converse high-tops ($65, Get Outside, 437 Queen West, and other, 416-593-5598, converse. com). On Daniel: Rugby shirt ($54, American Apparel, 338 Yonge, 416-977-8005, and others, americanapparel.net).

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

Leatherman’s Skeletool ($84, Mountain Equipment Co-op, 400 King West, 416340-2667, mec.ca) packs in a knife, bit driver, two sets of pliers and a wire cutter.

To avoid contaminating its Skin Savior balm ($68), One Love Organics also creates a bacteria-busting miniature silver spoon ($98, both Pretty Beauty & Books, 587 Markham, 905-580-0285, shoppretty.ca) for scooping it out.

After 25 years, the storied Zelda franchise is updated for the Wii. Nintendo Wii: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword Limited Edition includes a gold-coloured “sword” controller to hack your way through the enemies and a soundtrack CD of orchestral arrangements performed at the The Legend Of Zelda 25th-anniversary concert. Nintendo Wii not included ($69.99, Best Buy, 65 Dundas West, 416-642-8321, and others, bestbuy.ca).

9 2 0 Q u e e n W e s t at s h a W 416 5 8 8 70 9 0

Give the Gift of

AGO Membership

Free admission. Loads of discounts. Free coat check and more!

CALL 416 979 6620 CLICK www.ago.net/membership VISIT the AGO

Art Gallery of Ontario 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4

Volunteer Opportunities of the Week • Family Service Toronto • Youth Assisting Youth • Community Microskills Development Centre • The Toronto Green Community (TGC) For details on these opportunities, see this week’s Classified section everything goes. in print & online. 416 364 3444 • nowtoronto.com/classifieds

Classifieds NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

DVD/Blu-ray

In Underworld Trilogy: The Essential Collection (2003 -06 -09, Blu-ray, DVD), Kate Beckinsale stars as a key player in this action trio about the ongoing vampire-werewolf war. A fourth disc develops the story further with anime series Underworld: Endless War. Ample extras include commentaries, one with Beckinsale, making-of docs, stunt docs, monster docs, music videos and more ($29.99 at HMV, 333 Yonge, 416-596-0333, and others, hmv.ca).

The Sophia Loren Award Collection (Blu-ray) includes four classic Italian movies by director Vittorio De Sica, three of them pairing Loren, a great beauty and fine actor, with Marcello Mastroianni, her ideal onscreen partner: comedies Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow (1963) and Marriage Italian Style (64) and poignant drama Sunflower (70). Loren appears in the De Sica-directed segment in Boccaccio ’70 (62), which has three other short erotic films by Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli. A fifth disc offers a feature-length bio of De Sica ($92.99 at HMV).

By ANDREW DOWLER

All six of the original, much-loved space operas, plus 40 hours of extras, many with new material, are included in Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005, Blu-ray). Highlights include 90 minutes of spoofs kicked off by Kevin Spacey’s imitation of Christopher Walken auditioning for Han Solo and a feature-length doc on the superfans of the 501st legion who get to march in the Rose Bowl parade ($109.99 at HMV).

Get 168 episodes of wry humour and outlandish cases in Barney Miller: The Complete Series (1974-82, DVD), in which the almost unflappable Captain Miller presides over the detectives of Manhattan’s 12th precinct. The generous extras package includes commentaries, season one of spinoff series Fish, commemorative 40-page book and new interviews with star Hal Linden and cast members Abe Vigoda and Max Gail ($169.99 at HMV).

D.W. Griffith’s hugely controversial masterpiece about the American Civil War mixes epic battles, romance and a vicious portrayal of African Americans. The Birth Of A Nation: Three Disc Special Edition (1915, DVD, Blu-ray) has a newly remastered version featuring new music, spoken introduction by Griffith and Walter Huston and the newly discovered intermission sequence. There’s also a 1992 restoration with music adapted from the original score, along with a making-of doc, seven Griffith Civil War shorts, a doc on the legal battle over the 1922 re-release, NAACP protests and more ($34.99 at HMV).

On Now! GIFT IDE A

CER A M BY A M IC & G L A S S M O N G E L IE L U C IE JU ICER M A R E AU B D O OT H & JU L IE N E G – 51

FREE FASHION SHOWS FREE CHILDCARE FREE RE-ADMISSION MONS TO SATS 10AM – 9PM SUNS 10AM – 6PM TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR AT THE DOOR

SHOP FOR FASHION FLAVOURS HOME DÉCOR ART KID’S CLOTHING TOYS JEWELLERY CERAMICS FURNITURE GLASS

1 38Now_1-2_HP_RunDec1.indd DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

11/24/11 10:50:48 PM

NOW december 1-7 2011

Generic Man’s lug-soled Wingman brogues ($420, Uncle Otis, 26 Bellair, 416-920-2281, uncleotis.com) mix grey pebbled leather and dapper wool.

Display holiday desserts on Patrick LaJoie’s Rootsy cake stand ($125, One Of A Kind Show, , One Of A Kind Show, booth L-03, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, to December 4, $7-$14, oneofakindshow.com).

HTC EVO 3D dual-core smartphone captures photos and videos in 3-D, then lets you view them on the 4.3inch touch screen in 3-D – without the glasses ($149.99 with three-year term, Rogers Plus, Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge, 416-977-7555, and others, rogers.com).

Claesson Koivisto Rune’s ring stand ($120, Mjölk, 2959 Dundas West, 416551-9853, mjolk.ca) opens up to reveal a compartment for stashing other baubles.

Stick with our striped Gift Guide wardrobe theme when picking a holiday frock like this Steven Alan dress ($315, Robber, 863 Queen West, 647-351-0724, robberstore. wordpress.com). Melissa velvet degrade heels ($154.99, Balisi, 711 Queen West, 416-203-2388, and others, balisi.com) and Sibilia gold and copper earrings ($100, Trove, 2264 Bloor West, 416-766-1258, and other, trove.ca).

McArthur & Company and Robert Laffont are pleased to welcome bestselling author

MARC LEVY

for his first visit to the Toronto French Book Fair. November 30 to December 3 9:00am to 8:00pm

Friday December 2

5:00 - 6:00pm: English event Location: Bram & Bluma Appel Salon 6:00 - 9:00pm: French event Marc Levy, Monia Mazigh and Ying Chen Location: Atrium

Saturday December 3

3:00 - 4:00pm: French event Location: Bram & Bluma Appel Salon

Toronto Reference Library

Bram & Bluma Appel Salon/ Atrium 789 Yonge St. (one block north of Bloor)

GREAT VENUE EASY ACCESS For more information: info@salondulivredetoronto.org or www.salondulivretoronto.org 40

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

WINTER SPECIAL 20% OFF ALL DAY

12 DAYS OF THE BEST IJANUARY NDIE THEATRE I N CANADA 4-15, 2012

Expires DEC. 31, 2011

THE TORONTO FRINGE PRESENTS THE 2012 NEXT STAGE THEATRE FESTIVAL TICKETS NOW ON SALE! TICKETS $12-15. PASSES AVAILABLE FRINGETORONTO.COM 416.966.1062

Ethiopian Restaurant Book your holiday season party

686 Queen East • 416.461.9663 lerossignolbistro.com

1405 DANFORTH AVE 869 BLOOR ST. W (E. OF OSSINGTON) (E. OF GREENWOOD) 416.535.6615 416.645.0486

LalibelaEthiopianRestaurant.com

Authentic & Delicious Ethiopian Coffee

THE DANFORTH EXPERIENCE

Toast to the Holiday Holidays Todd Warriner

Lou Franceschetti

Terry Clancy

Join celebrity guests, including hockey greats Todd Warriner, Lou Franceschetti & Terry Clancy as the Danforth officially kicks off the 2011 Holiday Season with an afternoon of shopping and festive refreshments!

patagonia for the holidays

SATURDAY, DEC. 3 • 2:00 - 5:30PM

2pm Official kick-off ceremony in front of The Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave.

Toast the Holidays at participating Danforth retailers enjoy an array of wine samples from Churchill Cellars and special treats for the kids. See danforth.ca for a complete list.

ALL ACCESS TICKET $5

(includes all refreshments at participating businesses) Tickets on sale Dec. 3 from 2pm-5pm in front of The Music Hall. For information go to

Presented By 807 Broadview Avenue Broadview north of Danforth

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs’ Holiday Hamper program

Corporate Sponsors

Check out our beautiful store in Toronto featuring a great selection of outdoor clothing and gear for the whole family.

toronto 500 King Street West (416) 861-1102 twitter.com/patagoniatornto :: facebook.com/patagoniatoronto

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NOW december 1-7 2011

NYC designers Mociun and Katy Krantz collaborate on this ceramic and metal necklace ($128, Ewanika, 1083 Bathurst, 416-927-9699, ewanika.ca). The handsome, portable Bose Soundlink Wireless Mobile Speaker connects to any Bluetooth device and plays music at Bose quality 30 feet away from the source ($329.99, Bay Bloor Radio, Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor West, 416-967-1122, baybloorradio.com).

What I want John Catto

LG LMP1171SS 1.1 Cu.Ft. Countertop Microwave with Oven’s 1,400watt pizza drawer automatically adjusts cooking times for fresh or frozen pizzas ($299.99, The Brick, 1352 Dufferin, 416-535-3000, and others, thebrick.com)

guitarist, the Diodes (myspace.com/mondocatto)

Best gift you’ve ever received? A silver wallet chain I got from my wife that she bought in Japan. It’s always there, every day. Best gift you’ve ever given? A Kindle for my wife. I say that because of all the use it’s gotten. What’s on your list this year? A book by Don Pyle called Trouble In The Camera Club ($29.95, troubleinthecameraclub.com) that features photographs of punk culture and performances in Toronto in 1977. At that time, Pyle was an underage kid who used to sneak into gigs. Now he’s got a book. STEFANIA YARH

Let your vino aerate in Clayton Haigh’s glass decanter ($360, The Centre Shop, 235 Queens Quay West, 416-973-4993, harbourfrontcentre.com).

Stella McCartney’s knit onesie ($218, Advice from a Caterpillar, 8 Price, 416460-2223, advicefromacaterpillar.ca) is the ultimate in playpen style this season.

Bamboo Capture Pen & Touch Tablet $ .95

Griffin Helo TC The easy-to-fly indoor RC helicopter you control with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch!

Take your digital creativity to the next level!

.95

Apogee JAM Guitar Input for iPad, iPhone & Mac

X-MINI Capsule Speaker The Best Little Speaker for Big Sound On-The-Go

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24.95

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Edirol MA-15D

Powered Speakers 3 inputs: RCA, 1/8”, Optical

179.95

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Find something for everyone on your list at Carbon Computing! 772 Queen Street East | 416.535.1999 | www.carbonation.com Store Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-8, Sat 10-6, Sun CLOSED 42

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

IN STYLE

< PLANET OF SOUND

< OUTER LAYER

Ultimate Ears 500vi iPhone Headphones Selected for superior sound quality and comfort. With mic and track controls. $89 263 Queen St E • 416.601.1313 planetofsoundonline.com

KeepCup. Have that cute Barista prepare your latte in the KeepCup! Designed in Australia, it’s the ﬁrst barista standard reusable coffee cup. It’s lightweight, BPA free/non-toxic, splash-proof, dishwasher safe and microwaveable. KeepCup comes in the coolest of colours for sustainable coffee consumption. 12oz (‘Tall’) $13.95 or 16oz (‘Grande’) $16.95 577 Queen W 416.869.9889 430 Bloor W 416.324.8333 www.outerlayer.com

Larkin $314.99 Sale $219.99

Agalia $334.99 Sale $239.99

AROMA WELLNESS CLINIC & SPA

Try the best waxing Spa in Toronto for FREE! 1st Time Guest? On your ﬁrst visit you’ll receive: Absolutely FREE. Bikini Line, Upper lip or Under Arm Wax (No purchase necessary.)**Gratuities Not Included**

588 Bloor St W, 2nd ﬂr • 416.505.5222 aromawcs.ca

BALISI

Go high this holiday season in Balisi’s perfect party platforms. Available at Balisi 650 College St • 711 Queen St W • 439 Danforth Ave • 2507 Yonge St or shop online @ balisi.com

< TRYST LINGERIE <STAG SHOP

The adult fun store. One piece woven pinstripe Cami Top, $51.99. Tis the season to be sexy with lingerie from the Stag Shop. Look nice and feel a little naughty; with a variety of styles and sizes ranging from small to plus sizes, you’re sure to ﬁnd lovely wrapping for his perfect gift, you. 239 Yonge St • 416.368.3507 StagShop.com

Gift giving is easy at Tryst: beautiful silky and lacy chemises, sexy bra and panty sets, sleepwear, slippers and more. If you can’t decide, a gift certificate is also a great gift idea. Tryst Lingerie, a Toronto bra-fitting favourite, is known for its comfortable and friendly atmosphere, and with over 150 sizes of bras from 28-52, AA-K, at Tryst you can find just what you’re looking for. Available at 465 Eglinton Ave. West 559 Queen St. West trystlingerie.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 416-364-1300 X381 NOW december 1-7 2011

Spirit of Giving Photo by Gary Dowd

This holiday season, GIVE THE gift that gives back.

Free gift card with every item ordered!

camhgiftsoflight.ca/grandma GOL_NOWAd_FINAL_10 Nov 2011.indd 1

11/10/2011 5:52:04 PM

Will you touch a life and provide a Christmas Dinner for only $3.11?

Yonge Street Mission needs your help to provide hot meals and other essential services to hungry, homeless and hurting people in the Toronto area this Christmas season. Make this possible for as little as $3.11.

www.ysm.ca

Donate online at or by calling 1.800.416.5111 306 Gerrard St. E., Dept NOW120111 Toronto, ON M5A 2G7 Tel: 416.929.9614 Fax: 416.929.7204 www.ysm.ca

Serving ToronTo for 115 YearS!

Honour the readers in your life by making a donation to the Toronto Public Library Foundation in their name. Your gift will help Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Library provide the joy of reading, learning and discovery to many in our community. To make a gift, speak to branch staff, call 416-393-7123, or visit tplfoundation.ca/give-joy.

december 1-7 2011 NOW

www.savethechildren.ca/holidaygifts

Your donation will support us in building healthy and strong communities in Southwest Scarborough To Donate Call: 416 694 1138 x 132 or visit www.wardenwoods.com

Warden Woods Community Centre

Where Community Meets Opportunity

nity mu

Com

Dev elop

me nt

Children and Youth

Crisis Intervention

Seniorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Health and Wellness

Community Education Engagement and Support

Please call 416-364-3444 ext. 382 to book your ad for December 8th

If you can’t afford to get your loved ones pricey A/V equipment, get them the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote Control to control multiple sources, with full-colour touch screen ($199.99, Future Shop, Toronto Life Square, 235 Yonge, 416971-5377, and others, futureshop.ca).

This holiday season, give the “Promise of Home” To a woman or child at Nellie’s shelter. Nellie’s Because everyone deserves a home during the holidays.

Nellie’s Shelter for Women & Children Shelter ~ Education ~ Advocacy Promise of Home

Charitable Registration Number: 11930 2727 RR0001

This cable-knit throw is cozy in organic cotton ($128, Grassroots, 372 Danforth, 416-4662841, and other, grassrootsstore.com).

Donate Now: www.nellies.org or by phone: 416-461-0769

Working with the Community. Building for the Future.

Your donation will allow us to continue to provide programs and services to children, youth, adults and seniors. A St. Christopher House Century Celebrating our 100th Anniversary in 2012 After School Program

Visit our website for more information.

Donate Today - Call 416-504-3535 x. 225

www.stchrishouse.org

Women escaping abuse have many worries. Furnishing a new home shouldn’t be one of them. Get Involved. Please help us this holiday season with a “fresh start” donation of $25 visit us at www.furniturebank.org

What I want Stephen Gauer

author, Hold Me Now (onegoodwriter.com)

Best gift you’ve ever received? In 1992, my partner and I decided to buy ourselves a gift of art. In a Gastown gallery devoted to native art, we found a brilliant print, Sailing In A Beautiful Boat, by Inuit artist Jamasie Teevee. Every night at dinner, I can look at it and imagine that I’m sailing the ocean in Teevee’s beautiful pink boat. Best gift you’ve ever given? Last year I wanted to surprise Judith, my partner, with a beautiful silver bracelet. We hadn’t exchanged gifts in a decade or more. I spent almost two weeks scouring jewellery stores and got lucky at Made You Look (1338 Queen West, 416-463-2136, madeyoulook.ca). What’s on your list this year? Two things. The new, cheaper Kindle is out from Amazon (amazon.ca). At the top of my book wish list is Cave Art, by Jean Clottes, at the AGO bookstore (317 Dundas West, 416-979-6610, ago.net/shop), about the STEFANIA YARHI cave paintings in Europe.

416-934-1229

For almost a hundred years, Evangel Hall Mission has been building community with poor, homeless and socially isolated people in downtown Toronto through support, housing, services and advocacy. We are a community of compassion and a place of hope. EvEry day at ehm wE:

x 7

• Serve over 200 people in our drop – in centre. • Provide over 200 hot meals for the hungry. • House over 130 people in fully furnished affordable housing units. • Provide spiritual and emotional comfort to those who otherwise feel helpless and alone. • Provide free basic health and dental services to hundreds in people in need. • Provide community, support, life skills, and advocacy for at risk, inner city youth. Your charitable contribution this holiday season will make a significant impact in our community and help those who would otherwise feel helpless and alone. Please help us continue to bring hope into people’s lives.

Thank you for your support.

2011

For more information about how you can help, please visit our website: www.evangelhall.ca or call 416-504-3563 x 221. 552 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, ON M5B 3W8.

NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

The Epson MegaPlex MG-50 projector takes your HD videos and blasts them onto the wall and – here’s the killer – docks your iPod, iPhone and iPad ($719, Epson Online Store, 416-642-8321, 1-800-807-7766, epson.ca).

The Toshiba Qosmio F750’s 15.6-inch laptop features a full HD that can display both 2-D and 3-D simultaneously in separate windows – without the glasses ($1,698.97, Future Shop, Toronto Life Square, 235 Yonge, 416-971-5377, and others, futureshop.ca).

Using the Sony Tablet S, browse Sony’s wealth of resources – PlayStation games, Reader e-books and new-release movies – or use the advanced universal remote software to control all your toys (16GB, $500; 32GB, $600, The Sony Store, Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge, 416-971-7589, and others, sonystyle.ca).

Beginner bass players can start strumming on Fender’s Modern Player Telecaster ($599.99, Long & McQuade, 925 Bloor West, 416-5887886, long-mcquade.com).

Serving Up Great Value Since 1849! Collectors Preview: Thursday, December 1, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Purchase a Collector Membership at gallerytpw.ca/membership

Opening Reception: Friday, December 2, 6:00 - 9:00 pm Sale continues: Saturday, December 3, Noon - 6 pm + Tuesday, December 6 - Saturday, December 10, Noon - 6 pm Thanks to our sponsors 56 Ossington Avenue Toronto, ON M6J 2Y7 T 416.645.1066 E info@gallerytpw.ca

check out our NeW meNu items! /2 price

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This Holiday Season

GIVE THE GIFT OF TORONTO our book about your city

210 PAGES AND 300 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CITY WE LOVE AND CALL HOME Get your copy at all Indigo/ Chapters, Book City and Type Books locations in the GTA Visit the website for our Etsy store and other local retailers 46

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

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Hang up Anita Kunz’s odd mouse and owl couple ($2,000 each or $3,600/pair, Neubacher Shor Contemporary, 5 Brock, 416-546-3683, neubachershor.com).

Put a bow on the MacBook Air 11.6-inch MC968, the best damn laptop ever created, and even the most steadfast Windows fan will fall into its dual-core, ultra-thin embrace ($999, Carbon Computing, 772 Queen East, 416-535-1999, carbonation.com).

Every woman in Canada has the right to a safe home. Yet every year, more than 100,000 women and children leave their homes for shelters for abused women. It’s time for action on homes for women. For safety’s sake.

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music

more online nowtoronto.com/music Audio clips from interview with THE GERTRUDES + WATCH THE THRONE live video + RAEKWON interview + Searchable upcoming listings

MASTODON

ROGER CULLMAN

AT KOOL HAUS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25

the scene

MASTODON and DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN at Kool Haus, Friday, November 25. Rating: NNNN

While Prince dazzled the sold-out Air Canada Centre with dance moves, glitter, backup singers and encores aplenty, nearby at Kool Haus, Mastodon went for a decidedly no-frills visual approach. The stage set-up was classic metal: drum kit high atop a riser, Marshall stacks on either side, huge Mastodon banner stretched behind the hairy, black-clad four-piece. It evoked early

Metallica concert footage from Cliff ’Em All, or Accept’s Balls To The Walls video. Aside from some cool lighting (and in spite of a mix that lacked bass and left the guitars fairly indistinct), the Atlanta band’s technical precision and heavy, widescreen songs did all the dazzling. The full house banged their heads continuously throughout the 90-minute set, which kicked off with songs from The Hunter and delved deep into their more pummelling back catalogue before returning to the present.

more to play less to pay look for

415 Queen St. West 416-593-8888 stevesmusic.com 48

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

Shows that rocked Toronto last week

Steve’S NoteS reward points

10$

Drummer Brann Dailor took over lead vocals from bassist/singer Troy Sanders on Creature Lives for the triumphant, feel-good finale that saw a few dozen people onstage, including members of Dillinger Escape Plan, who had earlier delivered their brash hardcore with thrilling recklessness. CARLA GILLIS

JAY-Z and KANYE WEST

at the Air Canada Centre, ñ Wednesday, November 23. Rating: NNNN Although hip-hop often emphasizes

ChooSe your SpeCial! make a purchase of . . .

competition, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne tour – much like their joint album – is more like a minimalist study in complement-and-contrast. Through all the lasers, fireballs, stock footage of wild animals and, of course, West’s leather Givenchy skirt, the first of their two ACC shows was all about energy and performance. As a duo, they couldn’t be better matched: West is fiery, emotive and self-effacing, while Jay-Z is laid-back, cerebral and precise. The nearly three-

500

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hour show began with both ascending on twin platforms to the operatic swells of H.A.M., a backing band tucked behind a spartan set beneath two massive screens. They alternated Throne cuts with solo hits, giving the

1,000

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2,000

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0% financing*

$25 gift certificate**

$100 gift certificate**

$200 gift certificate**

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= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Freakin’ transcendental NNNN = Roof-raising NNN = Some kicks NN = Tedious N = Two hours of my life I’ll never get back

crowd ample opportunity to take in every nuance and snarl during the 40song set list. Jay-Z kept his solo moments punchy, igniting the arena with the massive beats of Big Pimpin. West went heartfelt, singing an extended outro on Runaway while bathed in red light. They ended with a three-peat of bonkers banger Niggas In Paris, and we got the sense that if the crowd had rocked it a little harder, they would’ve fired it up KEVIN RITCHIE again and again.

JUST ANNOUNCED!

PRINCE at the Air Canada

Centre, Saturday, Novemñ ber 26.

ROgeR CullmAN

Rating: NNNN At part two of a two-night stand at the ACC, Prince played a shorter set than the night before but still gave us two and a half hours of hits and covers. Only an artist with Prince’s confidence could throw out a song as powerful and popular as Purple Rain at the very beginning without worrying that the rest would pale in comparison. That’s just what he did, showering the audience in purple confetti in the process. The band was a simple bass, drums, keyboards and second guitar set-up, with three backing singers dressed like space goddesses working the stage as hard as the man himself. The electrifying concert came to a weirdly truncated conclusion. After a high-energy rendition of Kiss that included stunning choreography, the Purple One disappeared beneath his symbolshaped stage without a good night. The audience cheered for a return until an announcement came over the P.A. that the show was over. JoaNNE Huffa

TIMBER TIMBRE at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Saturday, November 26. Rating: NNN

Timber Timbre’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre show, a homecoming of sorts and only their fourth outing with their new drummer, was high on ambience and recent Creep On Creepin’ On songs. Surrounding a blue light, the four-piece churned out spooky, carnivalesque music built on Taylor Kirk’s low, idiosyncratic vocals and blues-folk guitar lines. Dry ice vapour floated across the stage. A chilling collage of black-andwhite photos was projected onto a screen behind the band. Violinist/keyboardist Mika Posen and multi-instrumentalist Simon Trottier filled the empty spaces with sonic flourishes that evoked horror movie scores. Spotlight-shy Kirk added some levity with a few wry jokes, though technical issues early on seemed to throw him off. “Nothing’s going right tonight,” he said before launching into the first of three encore songs – an exquisite solo rendition of Demon Host from their breakthrough 2009 album that left some of us wishing for a bit more of his seriously lonely, less-is-more apCG proach of yore.

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NOW December 1-7 2011

fei 50

december 1-7 2011 NOW

eist Are we reading too much into the darker moods and grittier textures of Leslie Feist’s new post-hiatus album, Metals?

By BENJAMIN BOLES

an’t a gal put her feet up and relax for minute without the world as suming she’s had some kind of breakdown? Leslie Feist’s richly textured and moody fourth studio album, Metals (Arts & Crafts), has been enjoying a strong critical response. That hasn’t stopped the press from latching onto a narrative that paints a picture of the artist struggling against debilitat ing writer’s block and a crisis of con fidence after the iPodcommercial fuelled success of the insanely catchy 1234 propelled her to international pop fame. According to Feist, though, she just needed a vacation after coming off a marathon stretch of endless touring. “I like to call it a sabbatical, be cause it sounds more professional than a vacation,” she jokes from a tour stop in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have writer’s block at all, be cause I wasn’t trying to write. I just wanted to stop touring, so I took a break and stayed still for a while. I didn’t even try to write until last fall, and as soon as I sat down and was interested again, I wound up writing more quickly than I ever have in the past.” The result is her most cohesive and confident album yet, a disc that feels much more like a selfcontained en tity than a collection of great songs. While it may have no obvious singles that could translate into memorable 30second ads for Apple products, it’s a record that demands to be heard in its entirety. You’re never tempted to hit the skip button. “I usually write on the road, and in fragments. In this case it was more determined, clear and relatively quick. That’s why it feels more like an album than a compilation of ideas. The songs all point to each other and have more in common than the songs on my other albums.” Metals finds Feist sounding more like a live rock band than a singer/ songwriter, and that’s no accident. In fact, that was the plan for The Re minder as well, but it’s a tough trick to pull off when you’re in the middle of the hurricane of the endless tour ing and recording cycle. “I was on tour forever and then was spat out into the studio with just some bits of songs for The Reminder on my Dictaphone,” Feist explained to me earlier this fall at the Thomp son Hotel as she prepared for Metals

feist, Bry WeBB at Massey Hall (178 Victoria), tonight (Thursday, December 1), 7 pm. $35-$55. RTH, TM. Sold out.

to hit the streets. “We were arranging on the spot and choosing the chem istry that would balance out each song as we were recording. We just didn’t have enough time to deliver that kind of band feel, so we had to play the hand we were dealt. “This time we really knew that you have to take some time if you want to get that feeling.” As was the case with The Remind er, her initial song sketches were later fleshed out and developed with her goto team of Chilly Gonzales and Mocky (aka Dominic Salole), who are known in Europe as principal mem bers of the Canadian Crew, an unoffi cial collective of Canuck expats that also includes Peaches, Taylor Savvy, Feist and others. The next step was assembling a live band for the tour. It would have to bring a collaborative spirit to the task of reinventing the older material so it would sit comfortably alongside the new songs. As the documentary Look At What The Light Did Now explored in detail, Feist sees the larger team around her as an essential part of the package. Feist is a person, a recording team and a band, as are many solo artists, but that fact is rarely acknowledged so explicitly and consistently. “I want to and need to write alone. I also want to and need to make the records with Mocky , Gonzo and Re naud Letang [a French producer and mixer who’s worked with her since Let It Die]. They’re kind of a mirage of a band. And then to tour with people who roll their sleeves up and feel like the work belongs to them as much as me – that stage feels more like Feist is the band’s name than my own. “That interests me more than carrying it all on my own shoulders. It’s the way I’ve figured out to twist and turn things so I feel each of those steps is at its optimum enjoyment for me, which is kind of selfish. “It’s not about people beside you who can carry some weight, but about people you admire and can learn from. Within this thing called

Feist that I’ve built, there’s no place where I feel alone. The band I have right now is blowing my mind every day. I come to rehearsal and they’ve gone to junkyards and welded scrap metal into new instruments.” Feist often speaks about her music as a type of physical space within which the songs live. As collaborators come and go and as she explores new musical paths, that space changes. The place where Metals lives is more like a loft where a garage band is playing a party in a haze of hash smoke, which has given her older material an injection of fuzzedout guitars and rock bravado. It even en courages semiregular stage inva sions by the audience, something that would have seemed bizarrely out of place a few years ago. “There’s a will in the collective mind of audiences these days to break down the fourth wall, and I ab solutely welcome that.” Some songs are easier to trans form than others, though, and the absence of 1234 from set lists on the Metals tour has surely fed into as sumptions that it’s the hit she’s try ing to run away from. “I just haven’t found a way yet. It’s one of the songs that’s resisting find ing its new shape, and I’m not really interested in playing it like a jukebox or with a karaoke vibe. “This album lies within certain son ic boundaries, and some of the older songs were able to crawl inside this new world and take the shape of the instrumentation and intentions of the new songs, but others not so much.” “You know the relationship that women have with their jeans? If you swap jeans with your mom or your best friend, they’re not necessarily going to work for you. Some songs are just resisting putting on the clothes of Metals.” So if her sabbatical/vacation was blown out of proportion, should we also be taking the breakup of her sometime collaborators Broken So cial Scene a little less seriously? “The difference is that they’re call ing it a breakup, whereas I just went into the distance and took a couple of years off. I know it’ll only last a couple of years, and you can quote me on that.” 3 benjaminb@nowtoronto.com

More on dark follow-ups to pop hits – next page NOW december 1-7 2011

RCM_Now1/2_4c_Chava/Maryem+SHarlem__V1 11-11-16 12:30 PM Page 1

“A Feast for the Ears and the Eyes!” - Classical 96.3FM

Chava Alberstein and

Running from the light

Maryem Tollar

IN THE HISTORY OF POP, IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR MUSICIANS TO FOLLOW UP A COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL ALBUM WITH A DARKER AND MORE INTROSPECTIVE ONE. THE RESULTS ARE OFTEN WEAKER THAN FEIST’S STRONG METALS. BY BENJAMIN BOLES

Saturday, December 3, 2011 8pm Koerner Hall “The most important female folk singer in Israel history,” (Yedioth Ahronoth), Chava Alberstein shares the stage with Egyptian-Canadian vocalist Maryem Tollar, the voice of the theme song for Little Mosque on the Prairie.

MGMT

Spanish Harlem Orchestra: A Salsa Christmas

Friday, December 9, 20118pm Koerner Hall The classic sounds of New York City salsa by the Grammy-winning 13-member all-star ensemble directed by Oscar Hernández. “[As] thrilling as riding a horse that suddenly breaks into a gallop.” (Los Angeles Times)

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DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

Oracular Spectacular (2007) Congratulations (2010) While many critics were dismayed that there weren’t any obvious upbeat singles like Kids or Electric Feel on Congratulations, the follow-up to their 2007 debut, Oracular Spectacular, that didn’t stop Congratulations from going straight to number two on the Billboard 200 chart, far ahead of the number-38 position reached by the former.

Nirvana

Nevermind (1991) In Utero (1993) The massively successful genre-defining grunge of Nevermind was darker than anything else on the pop charts in 1991, but that was nothing compared to the claustrophobic and abrasive mood of their third and final album, In Utero. Not surprisingly, it sold less than half as many copies as their breakthrough but was critically adored.

Lou Reed

Transformer (1972) Berlin (1973) Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Transformer balanced gritty themes with catchy glam rock hooks and spawned Reed’s best-known song, Walk On The Wild Side. A year later he followed it up with the tragic rock opera of Berlin. Though widely panned at the time, it’s now deemed by many the best album of his career.

Weezer

Weezer (1994) Pinkerton (1996) Pinkerton’s lyrical themes and noisier sound were a deliberate reaction against the runaway success of their self-titled debut. At the time, it was a critical and commercial failure. Frontman Rivers Cuomo later described it as a “hideous record” and a “hugely painful mistake.” However, it’s recently enjoyed a positive critical re-evaluation and has continued to sell steadily. Cuomo’s changed his mind about it as well.

Drake

Thank Me Later (2010) Take Care (2011) The Toronto rapper became famous because of his free mixtape So Far Gone, and while his major-label debut, Thank Me Later, sold shitloads of copies, Drake has since admitted he felt rushed into it, and NOW found it disappointing. Take Care, on the other hand, lives up to his early promise and debuted at number one on Billboard despite being a deeply moody and introspective record. Somehow, he’s managed to prove that insecurity can be as valid a subject as braggadocio in commercial hip-hop.

clubshot&concerts

CRYSTAL STILTS, DOLDRUMS

Horseshoe (370 Queen West), tonight (Thursday, December 1) See Doldrums preview, page 58.

FEIST, BRY WEBB

tickets

Massey Hall (178 Victoria), tonight (Thursday, December 1) See Feist cover story, page 50.

THE GERTRUDES, CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen West), Friday (December 2) See preview, page 54.

HOODED FANG, MAKEOUT VIDEOTAPE

Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Friday (December 2) Local indie heroes’ homecoming gig.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH, PETER JACKSON, SHEEK LOUCH,

KILLAH PRIEST

Sound Academy (11 Polson), Friday (December 2) Much-anticipated Wu-Tang alumni gig.

LEON REDBONE, PAUL ASARO Hugh’s Room (2261 Dundas West), Friday (December 2) Mysterious early-Americana legend.

ROLLIN’ & SCRATCHIN’ 4TH ANNIVERSARY

w/ Kidstreet, DJs Rollin’ & Scratchin’ Supermarket (268 Augusta), Friday (December 2) Eclectic electro dance party.

CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS

w/ Common Thread Community Chorus, Loreena McKennitt, Jim Byrnes, Rose Cousins Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles West), Sunday (December 4) Giant folk music awards show.

BON IVER, LIANNE LA HAVAS

Massey Hall (178 Victoria), Tuesday and Wednesday (December 6 and 7) See Lianne La Havas preview, page 59.

JANE BIRKIN

The Great Hall (1087 Queen West), Wednesday (December 7) See preview, page 55.

SYNTH-POP

Austra

this week How to find a listing

Music listings appear by day, then by genre, then alphabetically by venue. Event names are in italics. See Venue Index, page 62, for addresses and phone numbers.

ñ 5

= Critics’ pick (highly recommended) = Queer night F = Festive event

How to place a listing

All listings are free. Send to: music@nowtoronto.com, fax to 416-364-1166 or mail to Music, NOW Magazine, 189 Church, Toronto M5B 1Y7. Include artist(s), genre of music, event name (if any), venue name and address, time, ticket price and phone number or website. Deadline is the Thursday before publication at 5 pm. Weekly events must confirm their listing once a month.

Thursday, December 1

The Toronto six-piece fronted by Katie Stelmanis has had an amazing year, conquering the world through constant touring of their excellent debut album, Feel It Break. The response has been so good, they’ve just announced a deluxe version containing an extra disc of B-sides, remixes and covers, including an amazingly haunting version of Roy Orbison’s Crying. At the Phoenix (410 Sherbourne), tonight (Thursday, December 1), 9 pm. $18, PDR, RT, SS, TW.

POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP/SOUL

ALLEYCATZ Soular (R&B/soul/funk). AQUILA UPSTAIRS Alain Richer (acoustic pop). BOVINE SEX CLUB TNG, the Lad Classics, Van-

ess Alegacy, DJ Boom Boom. CLINTON’S Tracking Nicely, the Folk, the Jilted Lovers Club (indie pop rock) doors 8 pm. DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND Zack Mirza’s Astonishing Night Of Magic Coleco, Kyle Marshall doors 10 pm. DRAKE HOTEL LOUNGE Weekend Startup Boot Knives doors 11 pm. EL MOCAMBO Battle Of The Bands Benefit for the United Way and Ryan’s Well Foundation. THE GARRISON Doll, Skullians, Sista Fista. GRAFFITI’S The High Tides Surf Band 8 pm. HEMINGWAYS Jan Albert (rock/blues) 9 pm. HORSESHOE Crystal Stilts, Doldrums doors 8:30 pm. See Doldrums preview, page 58. LEE’S PALACE Jam Rock Reunion Days of You, Superham, King Harvest. MASSEY HALL Feist, Bry Webb doors 7 pm. See cover story, page 50. OPERA HOUSE We Came As Romans, Sleeping with Sirens, Atilla, For All I Am, Lions Lions doors 6 pm, all ages. PARTS & LABOUR Most People, Christ Vs Krishna, Neighbourhood Watch, Stacey Adams (indie rock) 10 pm. PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE Austra, Tasseomancy, Young Galaxy doors 9 pm, all ages. THE PISTON EP release Octoberman, Lou Canon (indie pop) 10 pm. SILVER DOLLAR Littlefoot Longfoot, BellaClava, Petty Victories 8:30 pm. SOUND ACADEMY The Tea Party, the Reason 8 pm. SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY’S Skip Tracer (rock/top 40) 9:30 pm. VELVET UNDERGROUND Jessica Speziale, the Train Electric, Alex Bien Band 8 pm. WHITE SWAN R&B Rock Jam.

ñ ñ ñ

FHAWKSLEY WORKMAN Stuart McLean & The Vinyl Cafe Christmas Tour Sony Centre for the Performing Arts $43.10-$60, 7:30 pm December 9 and 10; 2:30 pm December 11.

FBIG SUGAR, WIDE MOUTH MASON, Q107 HOUSE BAND Q107

Jingle Ball Sound Academy doors 7 pm, win-to-get-in tickets. q107.com. December 10.

FFUCKED UP, PS I LOVE YOU, QUEST FOR FIRE Benefit Concert for

COUNTERfit’s Drug Users Memorial Project & the Barriere Lake Legal Defense Fund The Great Hall doors 7 pm, $20. RT, SS. December 20. FSLOAN, OHBIJOU, BONJAY Benefit Concert for COUNTERfit’s Drug Users Memorial Project & The Barriere Lake Legal Defense Fund The Great Hall doors 7 pm, $20. RT, SS. December 21.

THE CREEPSHOW, THE DREADNOUGHTS Opera House doors 8 pm, all

ages, $15.50. HS, RT, SS, TM. January 7. PISSED JEANS Sneaky Dee’s $tba. PDR, RT, SS, TM. January 20. CASS MCCOMBS The Garrison doors 9 pm, $14.50. RT, SS. January 27. JANN ARDEN Massey Hall doors 7 pm, $59-$79. RTH, TM. March 9 and 10. LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III Hugh’s Room 8:30 pm, $42.50-$45. May 2 and 3.

Just announced

clubs&concerts

LADY ANTEBELLUM, DARIUS RUCKER, THOMPSON SQUARE Molson Am-

phitheatre doors 5:30 pm, $29.50-$49.50. TM. June 16. NEIL DIAMOND Air Canada Centre. June 26.

ñ ñ

FOLK/BLUES/COUNTRY/WORLD

ASPETTA CAFFE Open Mic Nite El Faron 7 pm. BLUE MOON Firedance (drum and dance circle)

8 pm.

CADILLAC LOUNGE Tim Bradford & the Bandits (country) 10 pm.

CASTRO’S LOUNGE Jerry Leger & the Situation (country/folk/rock) 9 pm.

THE DANNY Acoustic Open Stage Sebastian Agnello (eclectic) 9:30 pm.

DAVE’S... ON ST CLAIR Uncle Herb’s Open Mic

(country/folk/blues/rock) 9:30 pm. GLADSTONE HOTEL MELODY BAR Doc MacLean (blues) 9 pm. THE GREAT HALL Peirson Ross (roots) 8:30 pm. HUGH’S ROOM Craig Cardiff 8:30 pm. THE LOCAL Suitcase Sam, Evans & Allen. MAGPIE CAFE Rochelle, Ian McDonnell (folk/

roots) 10 pm. PRESS CLUB Reverend Uncle Bastard (country/ honky tonk/ gospel gone bad) 10 pm RIVOLI One Mic Stand Keith Pedro, Jean Paul, Keesha Brownie 9 pm. TRANZAC SOUTHERN CROSS Bluegrass Thursdays Lost Girl (old time) 10 pm, Houndstooth (bluegrass/old-time) 7:30 pm.

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/EXPERIMENTAL

AL GREEN THEATRE Jazz For Mara Daniel and

Micah Barnes Jazz Quartet (literary concert event) 8 pm. CHERRY STREET RESTAURANT Thursday Night Jazz The Melissa Lauren Quartet 7:30 pm. DOMINION ON QUEEN George Grossman Trio 8 pm.

EDWARD JOHNSON BUILDING WALTER HALL

Pedagogy Profs Perform Midori Koga, Lorna MacDonald, Erika Raum, Russell Hartenberger noon to 1 pm. Music In The Afternoon Adrianne Pieczonka, Michiko Otaki (soprano, piano) 1:30 pm.

EDWARD JOHNSON BUILDING MACMILLAN THEATRE Poulenc Double Bill U of T Opera Division

7:30 pm.

EDWARD JOHNSON BUILDING BOYD NEEL ROOM

Improvisation Workshop gamUT Ensemble 7 to 9 pm. THE FLYING BEAVER PUBARET Lea & Maggie’s Particularly Queer Holiday Pageant Heather Bambrick 7 pm.5

FOUR SEASONS CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS RICHARD BRADSHAW AMPHITHEATRE

Creative Explorations Artists of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra noon to 1 pm. GATE 403 Elizabeth Martins Jazz Trio 9 pm, Jorge Gavidia Jazz & Blues Band 5 to 8 pm. HARLEM UNDERGROUND Carl Bray (jazz) 8 pm. JANE MALLETT THEATRE St Lawrence String Quartet 8 pm. OLD MILL INN HOME SMITH BAR John Sherwood (solo piano) 7:30 pm. REPOSADO The Reposadists (Gypsy-bop jazz). REX Alex Goodman Quintet 6:30 pm, Gabriel Palatchi Band (Latin jazz/world music) 9 pm. ROSE THEATRE Bill McBirnie, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Brandi Disterheft Trio 8 pm. ROY THOMSON HALL Russian Gems Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Leila Josefowicz (violin) 8 pm. SOMEWHERE THERE STUDIO Chris Worden, Jonathan Adjemian, Mike Gennaro, Tomasz Krakowiac 8 pm. SOUNDSCAPES In-store performance Brodie West (experimental jazz) 7 pm. TRINITY ST. PAUL’S CHURCH Baroque Splendour: The Golden Age Of Dresden Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Alfredo Bernardini (oboe) 8 pm.

DANCE MUSIC/DJ/LOUNGE

ALICE FAZOOLI’S SQUARE ONE DJ Other Brother

Darryl (rocksteady/rock & roll/hip-hop/funk) 7 pm. ANDY POOLHALL Flave The World B.U.D., Patrick K, Lori J Ward, T Orlando, Josh Switchbass 9 pm. BLACK MOON LOUNGE Sound Directions (disco/ house/electronica) 6:30 pm to midnight. BLONDIES No Rule!! (underground rock & roll past and present) 10 pm. COBRA LOUNGE Emergency Quintino, Dzeko & Torres. FLY Rocket DJ Sumation 10 pm.5 GOODHANDY’S Ladyplus Parties DJ Todd Klinck doors 8 pm.5 GROTTO LOUNGE Bar Fly DJ Spence Diamonds, DJ Corey Dawkins 8 pm. INSOMNIA DJ Ron Jon (funk/soul/house). LOLABAR DJ Mr Stylus (hip-hop/funk/soul). SHALLOW GROOVE New Country Thursdays DJ Jonathan Demers 8 pm. VELVET UNDERGROUND DJ Ozaze (industrial/ goth) 11:30 pm.

Friday, December 2 POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP/SOUL

ALLEYCATZ Lady Kane. BAR ITALIA UPSTAIRS Shugga (funk/soul/R&B/ top 40) 9:30 pm.

BOVINE SEX CLUB Bootleg Glory, Corners, High Road Pilots, DJ Vania.

CADILLAC LOUNGE Ginger St James. continued on page 54 œ

NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

clubs&concerts œcontinued from page 53

CadillaC lounge BaCk Patio Ancient Chinese

Secret (instrumental) 7:30 pm. dominion on Queen Swingin’ Blackjacks 9:30 pm. dora keogh Long Haul (roots rock). drake hotel underground The Gertrudes, Charlotte Cornfield doors 8 pm. See preview, page 54. eton house 3 Hour Tour (rock & roll) 9 pm. the garrison Modernboys Moderngirls DJ Reverend Throwdown (and members of the Balconies), Dinosaur Bones, Hands & Teeth, Hotkid and others (50s rock & roll party) doors 9 pm. gladstone hotel melody Bar Freedubstar (psychedelic dub) 9 pm. hard luCk Bar Ash Lee Blade, Joe Thrasher, Sanktuary, Possessed Steel, F.A.F., Lethal Voltage. hemingways Jan Albert (rock/country) 10 pm. holy oak Cafe Mantler 10 pm. horseshoe Hooded Fang, Makeout Videotape, Lisa Conway 9:30 pm. kaPisanan PhiliPPine Centre Soundz Of The Youth Creep Creep Beach, the Writer Society, Chairs on the Roadside, No King for Countrymen, Nikki Fierce, Remora, Sean Ferkul doors 7 pm. lee’s PalaCe Angela Saini & the Residents, Little Creatures, Alter Kakers, Charge of the Light Brigade 9:30 pm. meadowvale theatre Liberty Silver 8 pm. musiC hall The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway The Musical Box (Genesis tribute band). Parts & laBour Bat Sabbath Cancer Bats, Baptized in Bleach, DJ Scoeb City (Black Sabbath covers, Nirvana tribute) 10 pm. the Port LP release Silver Dapple, Each Other, Odonis Odonis 10 pm. Press CluB Alun Piggins & the Goat Men (rock) 10 pm.

ñ ñ

rivoli Left Foot Yellow, Dildoniks, Sleep for the Nightlife 9:30 pm. roCkPile Blushing Brides (Rolling Stones tribute). silver dollar The Jones, Groovesmith 9 pm. sound aCademy Ghostface Killah, Peter Jackson, Sheek Louch, Killah Priest doors 9:30 pm. tranzaC southern Cross Down by Riverside (soul/rock) 10 pm. virgin moBile mod CluB Corey Taylor doors 8 pm.

Folk/Blues/Country/World

aQuila uPstairs The New Mynah Birds w/

Nicole Dunn (blues). asPetta Caffe Jim Haze, Bear With Me 7 pm. highway 61 southern BarBeQue Dylan Wickens & the Little Naturals 8 pm. lula lounge Son Ache (salsa) 10 pm. rePosado The Reposadists (Gypsy-bop jazz).

riChmond hill Centre for the Performing arts Festival Of Carols Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (classical) 8 pm.

tranzaC southern Cross Pete Eastmure & the Welldigger Band (folk pop) 7:30 pm.

Jazz/ClassiCal/experimental

edward Johnson Building maCmillan theatre Poulenc Double Bill U of T Opera Division

7:30 pm.

edward Johnson Building World Music Lobby Concert: African Drumming noon to 1 pm.

the flying Beaver PuBaret Lea & Maggie’s

Particularly Queer Holiday Pageant Heather Bambrick 7 pm.5 fuzion Fridays At Fuzion Melissa Lauren & Ken Lindsay 6 to 9 pm. gallery 345 Alejandro Vela, Theresa Rudolph (piano, viola) 8 pm. gate 403 Sabor Latin Jazz Band 9 pm, Mike Field Jazz Band 5 to 8 pm. glenn gould studio CD launch Eve Egoyan 8 pm. harlem Carol Oya (jazz vocalist) 7:30 pm. hiruit fine ethioPian Cuisine CD release Brodie West (experimental jazz) 8 pm. humBer College lakeshore CamPus Humber

ñ ñ

Music Jazz Series Humber Mainstream Project, Pat La Barbera, Humber Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Lisa Martinelli (jazz) 8 pm. hugh’s room Leon Redbone, Paul Asaro (early American jazz/blues) doors 6 pm.

ñ markham theatre for the Performing

arts Bill McBirnie & Emilie-Claire Barlow,

Brandi Disterheft 8 pm. old mill inn Fridays To Sing About Irene Atman, Danny McErlain, Pat Collins 7:30 pm. rex Sara Dell 6:30 pm, Hogtown Syncopators 4 pm.

royal Conservatory of musiC mazzoleni hall The Magic Flute 7:30 pm. royal Conservatory of musiC koerner hall Steve Isserlis & Connie Shih (cello, piano) 8 pm.

somewhere there studio Leftover Daylight

Series Jason Sharp, Germaine Liu, Allison Cameron, Mark Zurawinski 8 pm. trane studio Fundraiser The Thin Skulls. trinity st. Paul’s ChurCh Baroque Splendour: The Golden Age Of Dresden Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Alfredo Bernardini (oboe) 8 pm. waterfalls Jim Heineman Trio (jazz) 6:30 pm.

danCe musiC/dJ/lounge

annex wreCkroom Torontojungle.com 14-

Year Anniversary DJs Marcus Visionary, Lush, D-Monic, Hydee, Mutt, Grimm, Ryan Ruckus, BombaMan, Billionaire, Frankie Gunns and others (drum n bass/jungle/dubstep) doors 10 pm. Bar neon Scissors DJs Fawn Big Canoe, DJ Sokes doors 10 pm.5 BlaCk moon lounge Sound Directions (disco/ house/electronica) 6:30 pm to midnight. Castro’s lounge DJ ‘I Hate You’ Rob (soul/ funk/R&B/punk rock/rockabilly) 10 pm. Clinton’s Girl & Boy 90s Dance Party. drake hotel underground Never Forgive Action DJ Dalia, DJ Numeric, Ted Dancin’ (hip-hop/R&B) doors 11 pm. drake hotel lounge DJ Your Boy Brian doors 10 pm. fly Dirty Sexy party Porn Star, DJ Foxx Trot 11 pm.5 footwork Luv This City Fridays Addy, the

Junkies, Chris Ink, Baby Joel doors 10 pm. fox & fiddle mansion Sexy Swagg Fridays Suppa Natty, Fresh Cut de Mayor, DJ Wise Guy. goodhandy’s Ladyplus Parties DJ Todd Klinck doors 10 pm.5 hot Box Cafe Big Spliff Joda C, Mike S (roots/ reggae/rocksteady/dub/early dancehall) 7 pm. insomnia Funkn’ Fresh Fridays Boots Boogie (house/breaks). magPie Cafe Pop Lobster 9:30 pm. naCo gallery Cafe Sugar Bush DJ Home Rekha 10 pm. Phoenix ConCert theatre VNV Nation, Straftanz (goth industrial dance) doors 8 pm. the Piston DJs A Digital Needle (funk/soul/ disco) 10 pm. the savoy DJ JRyDee (hip-hop/old school) 10 pm. shallow groove House & Old School. suPermarket Rollin’ & Scratchin’ 4-Year Anniversary Kidstreet, Rollin & Scratchin 10 pm. traffik nightCluB Live N Love Rave Out Blax Dun Da Place, Whitebwoy, FireKid Steenie, Gaza Sharpe and others. velvet underground DJ Bingo Bob 10 pm. virgin moBile mod CluB Arcade Jelo, Simon Jain. woo’s lounge Heart Of The City DJs J-Class, Kariz doors at 10:30 pm.

Saturday, December 3 pop/roCk/Hip-Hop/soul

alleyCatz Lady Kane. asPetta Caffe Ciaran O’Shea, Luke Vasjar’s

Hypnotic Smash, the Sandy Pockets 5 to 11 pm. Bar italia uPstairs Jordan John & the Funk Parade w/ Prakash John & Al Webster 9:30 pm. Bovine sex CluB Rabid Whole, Heavy Metal for Girls, Crooked Valentine, DJ Sir Ian Blurton. Chalkers PuB Soul Stew (R&B/soul/jazz/ funk) 9:30 pm. dominion on Queen Ronnie Hayward Trio 4 to 7 pm.

el moCamBo Papermaps, Parks & Rec, Behind Sapphire, Darren Eedens 9 pm. eton house Drunk on Sunday (rock) 9 pm. the garrison Cherry Bomb Live! Amai Kuda, Masia One, MC Jazz.5 graffiti’s Stalker’s Irony w/ Nathan Bishop evening, Taxi Chain 4 to 7 pm. hemingways Jan Albert (rock/blues) 10 pm. highway 61 southern BarBeQue Jon Knight 8 pm. Fhorseshoe Stag Xmas Bash Julian Taylor Band, Evylyn, Shoot the Camera Man, Henry Taylor Band doors 9 pm. John Bassett theatre Canada’s Got Talent Live Theatre Audition Tour 1:30 & 7 pm. lamBadina CD release J Nichole Noel, Colin Levy, Winston Hammond, Jimmy Reid Wally Richie, Barbara Dan, Max Persia and others 8 pm. lee’s PalaCe Unison, Kill Them With Colour, the Futureless, Blue Neptune, Gray Moonen. F living arts Centre rBC theatre And On Earth, Peace Mississauga Festival Choir 2 & 8 pm. the loCal Combo Royale 10 pm. molly Bloom’s irish PuB Azalea 10 pm. monarCh tavern Biodieselband, Chameleon Project. musiC hall The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway The Musical Box (Genesis tribute band). oPera house Thrash & Burn Tour Winds of Plague, Chelsea Grin, As Blood Runs Black, For the Fallen Dreams doors 5 pm, all ages. rex Brunch Matinee Danny Marks (pop) noon. rivoli Dave Bidini Band, CR Avery doors 8:30 pm. silver dollar Record release Del Bel, Skeltones 4, Lowlands doors 9 pm. smiling Buddha Sound Off #3 Torrent, EMIC, Vicious Company, Roma, Basement Scene, Seena, Shipley Hollow, My Worlds End, Philomena doors 6:30 pm. Fsound aCademy EDGE Jingle Bell Rock benefit for the Daily Bread Food Bank Arkells, We Barbarians doors 8 pm, all ages. southside Johnny’s Rainey & the Mannequins (rock/top 40) 10 pm. soyBomB Wavelength #530 Ell V Gore, the Soupcans, Cartoons, Tonkapuma doors 10 pm. sPortster’s Nicola Vaughan 10 pm.

ñ ñ

velvet underground Burning Love 9 pm. ñ virgin moBile mod CluB Honor Society doors 6 pm, all ages.

Folk/Blues/Country/World

aQuila uPstairs The Crossroads Blues Band

(blues).

FCadillaC lounge Caddy Kids Christmas Party & Cadillac Ranch 3:30 pm.

dakota tavern Big Tobacco & the Pickers,

futuristic folk

The GerTrudes

For the sprawling Kingston band, community is everything By Sarah Greene the gertrudes with Charlotte Cornfield at the Drake Underground (1150 Queen West), Friday (December 2), doors 8 pm. $8. 416-531-5042.

Futuristic folkestra the Gertrudes are all about community. Over 100 Kingston musicians, including PS I Love You and the Queen’s Symphony Orchestra, pitched in on the band’s 2010 debut, Dawn Time Riot. Their sophomore album, Till The Morning Shows Her Face To Me (Apple Crisp), is more subdued and sees the core group gathering in tighter. “I remember listening to Dawn Time

December 1-7 2011 NOW

Riot as a group and saying we should make the next one just us,” says singer/banjo player/violinist Annie Clifford on the phone from the home she shares with husband guitarist/vocalist Greg Tilson in Kingston’s Skeleton Park neighbourhood. Of course, in the context of the Gertrudes, “just us” still entails 14 musicians, including two drummers, a horn section, recording engineer Matt Rogalsky, also on guitar, mandolin and bass, and Chris Trimmer, who’s in charge of theremin and spectral processing. Spectral processing? “It has to do with the computer ma-

nipulation of audio files,” says Clifford. “To be honest, most of us don’t really understand what he’s doing, but he’s always telling us how meaningful the samples are.” The song Six Jars, for example, opens with samples of accordionist Josh Lyon’s kids playing in Skeleton Park, while the La Salle Causeway that runs through their neighbourhood made an appearance on DTR. At full force, the Gertrudes are capable of near-cacophonic space-age pop exuberance, though Morning’s songs about loneliness and the passage of time show the band’s more delicate, restrained side.

“I think one of our strengths is that we share our sorrows as much as anything else,” says Clifford. “Community isn’t all about celebration all the time. We had two friends die right around the time we were making the record.” Recently, the band found inspiration in the local roller derby, about which they wrote the song Derby Girl. “The Gertrudes are bringing people together through music, and [the derby’s] bringing people – specifically women – together through athletics,” says Clifford. “Anything that brings people together in a non-superficial way gets my two thumbs up.” 3 music@nowtoronto.com

Kayla Howran & the Fellas (country) 10 pm. dora keogh Ironbark (Greg Quill, Bucky Berger, Terry Wilkins) (country rock) 9 pm. drake hotel underground Nicole Atkins, Megan Bonnel (folk rock) doors 8 pm. eton house Box Full of Cash (country) 4 pm. gate 403 Melissa Boyce Jazz & Blues Band 9 pm, Bill Heffernan (folk/country/blues) 5 to 8 pm, Ken Yoshioka Blues Band (blues) noon to 3 pm. gladstone hotel melody Bar Laura Repo Country Band 9 pm. hugh’s room Canadian Folk Music Nominee Showcase Concert 8:30 pm. the loCal Arthur Renwick 4 pm. lula lounge Un Poco Latino, DJ Gio (salsa) 10 pm. massey hall Overture Of Hope: Hope Exchange Benefit Steve Bell, Toronto Symphony Orchestra members (singer/songwriter) 8 pm. Press CluB Erika Werry & the Alphabet, Labour Day (folky pop) 10 pm. reBas Café Open Mic Saturdays The Just Us Band 1 to 4 pm. Frunnymede united ChurCh A Hands Across The Border Christmas Cantores Celestes Women’s Choir 8 pm. southside Johnny’s Robin Banks Trio (blues/ jazz/soul) 3:30 to 7:30 pm. tranzaC tiki room Fiddle Class Anne Lederman noon. tranzaC southern Cross Cassandra Rutherford & her Minions noon.

Jazz/ClassiCal/experimental

Chalkers PuB Kirk MacDonald Quartet 6 pm. edward Johnson Building maCmillan theatre Poulenc Double Bill U of T Opera Division

7:30 pm.

the flying Beaver PuBaret Lea & Maggie’s Particularly Queer Holiday Pageant Heather

Bambrick 7 pm.5

FGRACE CHURCH ON-THE-HILL Winter Nights Pax Christi Chorale 7:30 pm.

HARLEM Reece (jazz/soul) 7:30 pm. HARLEM UNDERGROUND Carl Bray (jazz) 8 pm. MAGIC OVEN QUEEN E Avi Granite 3 9 pm. OLD MILL INN HOME SMITH BAR Jazz Masters

Colleen Allen Trio 7:30 pm. REX Nadje Noordhuis 9:45 pm, Elena Kapeleris (swing) 7 pm, Swing Shift Big Band 3:30 pm.

ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC KOERNER HALL Chava Alberstein & Maryem Tollar ñ (Middle Eastern music) 8 pm. ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC MAZZOLENI HALL The Magic Flute 7:30 pm. SAINT LUKE’S UNITED CHURCH Jupiter Counterpoint Community Orchestra 8 pm.

SOMEWHERE THERE STUDIO Matt Miller 8 pm. FST THOMAS’S ANGLICAN CHURCH A Child Is

Born Voices Chamber Choir 8 pm. TRANE STUDIO The Singer’s Jazz Series Sophia Perlman, Julie McGregor, Coleman Tinsley, Laura Marks, Norman Amadio, Artie Roth, Chris Hercules 8 pm. TRANZAC SOUTHERN CROSS Jason Sharp (Montreal jazz) 6:30 pm. TRANZAC CD release Brodie West (experimental jazz) 10 pm. TRINITY ST. PAUL’S CHURCH Baroque Splendour: The Golden Age Of Dresden Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Alfredo Bernardini (oboe) 8 pm.

FRENCH POP

JANE BIRKIN The actor/singer’s still devoted to Serge Gainsbourg By JOANNE HUFFA

DANCE MUSIC/DJ/LOUNGE

ANDY POOLHALL Major Rager Billionaire, Ballistik, Mickey D, Mandelephant, O-God (house/dubstep/reggae/remixes) 10 pm. ANNEX WRECKROOM DJ Rick Toxic 10 pm. AUGUSTA HOUSE Reality Bytes DJs 4est, Lindzrox & Jrox (90s night). THE BARN Mad House DJ ViVi Diamond (top 40/remixes/electro) 10 pm.5 BLONDIES House Not Home Fridays Soapy & Ssugg, the Goons (funky house). BOAT Chronologic 10 pm. ñ CLINTON’S Shake, Rattle & Roll Bangs & Blush

(rock & roll dance party).

DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND Bang The Party Mano Le Tough doors 11 pm. ñ DRAKE HOTEL LOUNGE Membersonly DJs doors 10 pm.

FLY Our City Beats: Fly All Stars! DJ Shawn Riker,

DJ Dwayne Minard, DJ Sumation doors 10 pm.5 THE FLYING BEAVER PUBARET Jailbreak DJ TNT (deep & exotic house) 9 pm. FOOTWORK KaiserDisco, Joee Cons, Anthony D’Amico & Iron Mike, Rob Lamberti doors 10 pm. GLADSTONE HOTEL MELODY BAR Beats N Brunch DJ Matt Blair (16 novice & veteran DJs playing 20 min sets) 11 am to 4 pm. GOODHANDY’S Fetish Party DJ Jimi Lamort.5 HARBOURFRONT CENTRE ICE RINK DJ Skate Night: Fusion Freeze Promise DJs, David Macleod & Irving Shaw 8 to 11 pm. HOT BOX CAFE Saturday Slam: Pot Smokers Dub Science Open Mic Red Gorilla Sound Brigade (reggae/jungle/dubstep/dnb/electro) 7 pm. INSOMNIA Sense Saturdays DJ Charles (deep house). LOLABAR DJ Mr Stylus (house/hip-hop/R&B/ reggae). MINT NIGHT CLUB Marquee Saturdays Renegade Squad, DJ P-Plus. NEU+RAL Fixion Saturdays DJ Dwight (alt/ electronic/indie/retro/remix). THE PISTON Fine Tuning DJ Davy Love (psych/ northern soul) 10 pm. PREMIUM BANQUET HALL Pull Up Di Vibes: Bashment Party & Happy Hour Metro Media, Body Guard, DJ Tyrone. Military, Journey, Black Shadow. REVIVAL Aint Nuthin But A Solid Garage Party DJs Groove Institute, Jason Palma & Dirty Dale, Chico Pacheco (house) 10 pm. SHALLOW GROOVE DJs Carl Allen & Jay Dunaway (top 40/hip-hop/R&B/retro). SNEAKY DEE’S Shake A Tail (60s pop & soul) 11 pm. SUPERMARKET Do Right Saturdays! DJ John Kong, MC Abs. SUTRA The Bridge DJ Triplet (ol’ skool hip-hop). VELVET UNDERGROUND DJ Joe (alt rock) 11:15 pm.

JANE BIRKIN at the Great Hall (1087 Queen West), Wednesday (December 7), 7 pm, all ages. $34.50. RT, SS, TM, UE.

When Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin released Je T’Aime… Moi Non Plus in 1969, the English singer/actress was 23 years old and smitten with the moody French songwriter 18 years her senior. The BBC banned the breathy duet, which, unsurprisingly, became a hit. Rumour had it that the couple sang it while having sex in the studio. The truth is far less risqué but quite charming. “Well, you have to believe me!” Birkin insists. “At Marble Arch Studios in London, Serge and I [were] separated in glass cubicles. He directed me from 300 yards away. You just have to credit us as actors and the fact that it’s a great song! “Serge was afraid I’d miss the high ‘Tu va, tu va et tu viens’ by getting carried away with the breathing, so he orchestrated it like a conductor!” While Birkin ultimately left the

sS aATT RbLe E e sS a oOD aOiOL GoO ALTavD L sTi

carousing Gainsbourg, who died in 1991 of a heart attack, she speaks of him and his talent with singular affection. In her current Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Via Japan tour, she performs from his songbook with a group of Japanese musicians she met after the tsunami disaster earlier this year. “Gainsbourg is now considered by the French to be their greatest writer,” she enthuses. “I sing Les Amours Perdues, which is 50 years old and incredibly beautiful. I was a child when he wrote it, and it hasn’t aged a day. “He was as clever as Cole Porter but emotional, too, and sexual and ambiguous, [giving] two meanings to some words. Amour Des Feintes means ‘love of feigning’ and also ‘love of the dead.’ It was his last song, written for me six months before he died.” Birkin admires the music of Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, Feist and Rufus Wainwright. But of all contemporary artists, it’s Tom Waits, another darkly romantic songwriter, she loves most. “I do shows dedicated to him and his wife.” music@nowtoronto.com

RCM_Now1/5bw_contests_Dec1_Layout 1 11-11-16 12:32 PM Page 1

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THIS CONCERT

at nowtoronto.com

Spanish Harlem Orchestra: A Salsa Christmas Friday, December 9, 2011 8pm Koerner Hall The classic sounds of New York City salsa by the Grammy-winning 13-member all-star ensemble directed by Oscar Hernández. “[As] thrilling as riding a horse that suddenly breaks into a gallop.” (Los Angeles Times)

Performs

The Lamb Lies Down on broaDway

Sunday, December 4 POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP/SOUL

CASTRO’S LOUNGE Ronnie Hayward (rockabilly) 4 pm.

GRAFFITI’S Michael Brennan 4 to 7 pm. continued on page 58 œ

Tickets ON SALE NOW! rcmusic.ca 416-408-0208

Tickets @ Ticketmaster.ca December 2nd-3rd Danforth music hall

The original 1974-75 show licensed by Genesis and Peter Gabriel

273 Bloor St. W. (Bloor & Avenue Road) Toronto

NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

soUnd CHoiCEs FoR mUsiC And moViEs YoU CAn’t Go wRonG witH tHEsE HARd HittinG ACtion-pACkEd FiLms on dVd oR BLU-RAY

CHEVELLE

HAts oFF to tHE BULL AVAiLABLE dECEmBER 6 Alternative hard rock trio Chevelle is back with their 6th studio album, Hats Off To the Bull, the anticipated follow-up to 2009’s Sci-Fi Crimes, which debuted #6 on the US Billboard 200. This album is full of melodic, hard rock anthems with new lyrical depth and production elements that still maintain that addictively hypnotic grind that is uniquely Chevelle, exemplified by the explosive first single, “Face to the Floor”, while exploring themes such as corporate corruption, greed and the spirit of the underdog.

CowBoYs & ALiEns

AVAiLABLE dECEmBER 6 on dVd And BLU-RAY

ASSASSin’S CrEEd Lineage EvAnESCEnCE Evanescence

FlEET FOxES Helplessness Blues

GOrillAz The Singles Collection 2001-2011

THE MidwAy STATE Paris Or India

THE nEw CiTiES Kill The Lights

THE STrOkES Angles

FAST FivE

PirATES OF THE CAriBBEAn On Stranger Tides

SOnS OF AnArCHy Seasons 1, 2 and 3

30 MinUTES Or lESS

x-MEn First Class

© 2011 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 New Video Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Entertainment One. © 2011 Disney. © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “Twentieth Century Fox,” “Fox” and their associated logos are property of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. © 2011 MRC II Distribution Company L.P. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 Layout and Design Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. X-Men character likenesses: TM and © 2011 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc. “Twentieth Century Fox,” “Fox” and their associated logos are property of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

don’t miss HmV’s BiGGEst HoLidAY sALE EVER! 56

december 1-7 2011 NOW

NOW december 1-7 2011

Bad Times Workshop Candace Shaw, Evalyn Parry, Dave Gunning & Melisande 1 to 2 pm. VICTORIA COLLEGE Canadian Folk Music Awards: Mad For Trad Workshop Eleanor & Warren Robinson, Shane Cook, Jean Hewson & Christina Smith, Qristina & Quinn Bachand 2:15 to 3:15 pm.

clubs&concerts ñ œcontinued from page 55

TOMORROW

JOHN BASSETT THEATRE Canada’s Got Talent

GHOSTFACE

Live Theatre Audition Tour 1:30 & 7 pm.

KILLAH

THE PISTON The Bodine Brothers 7 pm. FROCKPILE Holiday Breakout: Music Therapy

SOUND ACADEMY

AQUILA Sunday Junction Jam The New Mynah Birds w/ Elana Harte (mostly blues) 3:30 pm. AQUILA UPSTAIRS Open Mic The McDales (country) 8:30 pm. FCADILLAC LOUNGE Toy Drive Whiskey Jack 4 pm. CLINTON’S Home & Native Sound Series doors 7:30 pm. DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND Neema (indie folk) doors 8 pm. DUFFY’S TAVERN Ken Yoshioka (blues) 9:30 pm. GLADSTONE HOTEL BALLROOM Brain Burps CD Jam (family concert) 1 & 3:30 pm. GLADSTONE HOTEL MELODY BAR Sunday Family Acoustic Brunch (bluegrass) 9 am to 2 pm. GROSSMAN’S Blues Jam Brian Cober 9:30 pm. HUGH’S ROOM John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member) 8:30 pm. ISABEL BADER THEATRE Canadian Folk Music Awards Common Thread Community Chorus, Loreena McKennitt, Jim Byrnes, Rose Cousins, Soul Influence, De Temps Antan 8 pm. THE LOCAL Kristine Schmitt’s Special Powers 5 pm. THE LOCAL Gord Zubrecki Band 10 pm. LULA LOUNGE Sunday Family Salsa Brunch Luis Mario Ochoa Quartet (Cuban son) 12:30 & 2:30 pm. PRESS CLUB Staggy Townsend (country rock) 10 pm. REBAS CAFÉ Banjoman Darin Parise (bluegrass) 1 to 4 pm. SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY’S Jam Rebecca Matiesen & Phoenix Band 9:30 pm. SUPERMARKET Freefall Sundays Open Mic/Jam 8 pm. THIRSTY FOX PUB Acoustic Open Jam Fera 4 to 8 pm. TRANZAC CD release Phillip Brown, Michael Burton (folksinger) 7:30 pm. TRANZAC SOUTHERN CROSS Lullaby North The Spanish Waiter 7:30 pm. VICTORIA COLLEGE ALUMNI HALL Canadian Folk Music Awards: Good Songs For

Endowment Fund benefit Good Rats Radio, On Corinthians, Michael Ursini, Soundsmiths, the Gentleman Thieves doors 6:30 pm, all ages.

FRIDAY DEC 2

FOLK/BLUES/COUNTRY/WORLD

ART POP

JANE DOLDRUMS NEXT WEEK

BIRKIN SINGS: SERGE GAINSBOURG

WEDNESDAY DEC 7 THE GREAT HALL

ON SALE NOW

PISSED

JEANS ANAGRAM & TV FREAKS

FRIDAY JAN 20 SNEAKY DEE’S

ON SALE NOW

THIS SATURDAY:

Ex-Spiral Beach member gets weird with new project By RICHARD TRAPUNSKI

At the ripe old age of 22, Airick Woodhead is already a music veteran… and a social media philistine. Since the dissolution of Spiral Beach, the kaleidoscopic Toronto indie pop group in which he whiled away his teenage years, the young musician has moved to Montreal and channelled his musical upbringing into his new solo project, Doldrums. “I’m kind of an old fart in a way,” says Woodhead in his high-pitched voice over Google Voice (he doesn’t own a cellphone). “Technology has led to the constant sharing and quantifying of experience, and I think that loss of the private life is detrimental to happiness.” That’s a somewhat surprising sentiment considering Doldrums’ “collages” are so reliant on samplers and electronics – he recently toured the United States by train, fitting all his gear into a single backpack – but it’s also representative of Woodhead’s aural exam-

ination of contemporary artificiality. On Doldrums’ just-released Empire Sounds EP (No Pain in Pop), organic and synthesized elements combine to create a jittery, amorphous stew of psychedelia, pop, techno and noise. “People are sitting down and thinking, ‘What three genres am I going to put on my MySpace page?’ and shoving disparate styles into each other,” says Woodhead. “I want to reject that whole notion, so I just go so far into it that all that falls apart.” Despite the weirdness, it’s definitely starting to catch on. After hearing Doldrums’ cover of Portishead’s Chase The Tear, the British trip-hop mavens decided to release it as the B-side to their upcoming single. It should be interesting to see whether Doldrums’ eccentric pop can hold a wider audience. Doldrums plays the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), tonight (Thursday, December 1). $13.50-$15. HS, RT, SS. RICHARD TRAPUNSKI

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/EXPERIMENTAL

DE SOTOS Jazz Brunch Ken Foster 11 am. DOMINION ON QUEEN Jazz Jam Noah Leibel 4 to 7 pm, Hana Waldston 7:30 pm.

EDWARD JOHNSON BUILDING WALTER HALL U

of T Percussion Ensemble, Michael Burritt 7:30 pm.

EDWARD JOHNSON BUILDING MACMILLAN THEATRE Poulenc Double Bill U of T Opera Division

2:30 pm.

GATE 403 Carissa Newfeld Jazz Duo 9 pm, Shafton Thomas Jazz Quartet 5 to 8 pm, Melissa Lauren Jazz Band noon to 3 pm. GLENN GOULD STUDIO Canadian Voices Daniel Okulitch, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (bassbaritone) 2 pm. FGRACE CHURCH ON-THE-HILL Winter Nights Pax Christi Chorale 7:30 pm. HOT BOX CAFE Jazz 7 pm. LULA LOUNGE Album release TORQ Percussion 8 pm. REX Brunch Matinee Excelsior Dixieland Jazz noon. REX Jorge Gavidia & Sarah Begin Quintet 9:30 pm, AJ Ing Quartet 7 pm, Bob Cary Big Band 3:30 pm. ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC MAZZOLENI HALL Mazzoleni Masters Monica Whicher & Judy Loman (soprano, harp) 2 pm.

SOMEWHERE THERE STUDIO John Kamevaar,

David Sait, Ken Aldcroft, Germaine Liu 8 pm, Jack Vorvis & Scott Thomson 5 pm. TORONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS Concert For Children Orchestra Toronto, Clarisse Schneider 3 pm. TRANZAC SOUTHERN CROSS The Woodchoppers Association (improv jazz) 10:30 pm, Monk’s Music (jazz) 5 pm. TRINITY ST PAUL’S CHURCH Baroque Splendour: The Golden Age Of Dresden Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Alfredo Bernardini (oboe) 3:30 pm.

DANCE MUSIC/DJ/LOUNGE

BOVINE SEX CLUB School For Band Aids DJ Candy-O. CASTRO’S LOUNGE Watch This Sound DJ Greg (old school soul/reggae/dub/ska/rock-steady) 9 pm.

COBRA LOUNGE Industry Night DJ 4Korners (house/hip-hop/rock).

DOMINION ON QUEEN Rockabilly Brunch 11 am to 3 pm.

GRAFFITI’S Blackmetal Brunch DJ Murder Mike (black metal) 11 am to 5 pm.

INSOMNIA DJ Shannon (old school hip-hop/

disco/funk).

LAMBADINA Grown & Sexy DJ Black Lotus 7 pm. THE OSSINGTON Unlimited Sundays. VELVET UNDERGROUND DJ Hanna (80s) 10 pm.

ARKELLS

Monday, December 5

SATURDAY DEC 3

CASTRO’S LOUNGE Rockabilly Night 9 pm. DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND Elvis Monday

w/ WE BARBARIANS

SOUND ACADEMY

K-OS & BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH w/ THE DIRTY MAGS

FRIDAY DEC 9

SOUND ACADEMY

AWOLNATION & USS

POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP/SOUL doors 9 pm.

DRAKE HOTEL LOUNGE Ride the Tiger (60s &

70s soul/Motown/stax/R&B) doors 10 pm. HARLEM Open Jam Night CarolynT (R&B/soul/ jazz/pop/funk) 8 pm. HARLEM UNDERGROUND Daniel Gagnon (pop/ folk/rock) 8 pm. HORSESHOE Shoeless Monday Red General 9 pm. JOHN BASSETT THEATRE Canada’s Got Talent Live Theatre Audition Tour 1:30 & 7 pm. ONLY CAFÉ The Shoes (super rock) 8 pm. PARTS & LABOUR Cruddy, School Damage, the Ward, Cave Baby (melodic punk) 9 pm. PRESS CLUB Domestic Bliss Mondays Christ Staig & the Marquis Players 10 pm.

FOLK/BLUES/COUNTRY/WORLD

w/ DINOSAUR BONES & THE PACK A. D.

to 9 pm.

SOUND ACADEMY

HUGH’S ROOM Kicking At The Darkness: Bruce

THURSDAY DEC 15

BUY TICKETS AT TICKETMASTER, ROTATE THIS, SOUNDSCAPES & PLAY DE RECORD FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @THEUNIONEAST

GRAFFITI’S Kevin Quain’s Gutbucket Lounge 6 HIGHWAY 61 SOUTHERN BARBEQUE Chris Chambers (blues) 7 pm.

Cockburn & the Christian Imagination book launch and Parkdale Neighbourhood Church benefit concert Steve Bell, Glen Soderholm, Mike Janzen, Wine Before Breakfast Band 8:30 pm. THE LOCAL Bluegrass Mondays Hamstrung String Band 5 pm. LULA LOUNGE Record release d’bi.young anitafrika 8 pm. OLD NICK M Factor Mondays One-Year Anniver-

continued on page 62 œ

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

singer/songwriter

Lianne La Havas Buzzed-about singer takes an old-school career approach By Kevin Ritchie As far as major label buzz acts go these days, Lianne La Havas is unusual. The London-based singer/songwriter isn’t a Tumblr star, doesn’t have a viral video hit, and in general, her digital footprint is modest. “I haven’t necessarily had a huge internet impact, but I’ve been at it for a little while,” she says. The 22-year-old’s landed a deal with Warner the old fashioned way: through a combination of perseverance and luck. Earlier this year, she released the EP Lost & Found, a collection of hushed, stripped-down electric guitar torchers that offer a taste of her forthcoming debut LP, due out spring 2012. “I want it to be like you’re shaking my hand and meeting me

when you listen to it,” she explains, “ – like a group of songs that illustrate who I am as an artist and a collection of what I hope are really enjoyable tunes that you can sing to or, if you like, have a small dance to.” One song that’s getting attention for its incisive take on May-December love is Age, about her decision to dump a lame boyfriend for an older man. “I’ve used the song to make my mind up. I’ve decided that age doesn’t really matter as long as you’re being treated right, the chemistry is there, and the companionship is there. That’s the overall message,” she says, before adding wryly, “Also, I just thought it would be funny to rhyme ‘rather’ with ‘father.’” With Bon Iver at Massey Hall (178 Victoria), Tuesday and Wednesday (December 6-7). $44.50$49.50. RT, TM.

KEVIN RITCHIE

NOW December 1-7 2011

friday december 9 opera house

$ 20.50 adv • pitchfork indie faves

clap your hAnds say

yeAh with waterS

Straftanz

friday

december 2 @ the phoenix

goth industrial dance $28.50 advance • doors 8:00pm

wed december 7 @ the phoenix $24

. 5 0 a dva n c e + f f • a l l- ag e s

between the buried and me AnimAls As leAders + TesseracT

thursday december 15 @ the phoenix $

20.00 advance • new york • beggars

st.vincent

neko case dance With

colD sPecks

keith’s live presents...

saturday december 31 With DJ Mr. Pete

aSmalli rTheatrecMode an a d a c e n t r e • Intimate • 2 Levels • Terrific Sightlines New SIde STage TIckeTS JuST ReLeaSed!

thurs december 8 w i t h

wye oak

december 1-7 2011 NOW

tickets $ 43.50 - $ 59.50 Adv + FF @ ticketmAster.cA • 1-855-985-5000 & Air cAnAdA centre

cave nye $ 12.50

advance • students with valid i.d. get in free before 10:30pm!

saturday january 21 @ the phoenix $

27. 50 advance • tickets on sale saturday december 3rd @ ticketmaster, rotate this & soundscapes

advance ticketS @ ticketmaster.ca or 1-855-985-5000 • HorSeSHoe Front Bar • SoundScapeS • rotate tHiS Saturday december 3

tHurS december 1

Friday december 2

brooklyn • $13.50 advance

t.o. indie rock • $ 10.00

crysTAl hooded

sTIlTs fang

doldrums + makeout videotaPe whale tooth & lisa conway Sat december 3

mon december 5 • no cover

annuaL StaG X-maS BaSH!

Asleep In The MAchIne Patrick mccauley red General

$8.00

+ pleaSe bring food donationS

juliAN tAylor bANd evylyN

shoot the camera man henry taylor band WedneSday december 7

third annual

shoeless mondays

tueSday december 6 boSton • $13.50 advance

sTreeT

dogs

electric cHristmAs FreAKout

off with their heads + murder the stout

tHurS december 8

Friday december 9

brooklyn • $13.50 advance

jajaguar philly kurt vile indie • $13.50 advance

tHurS december 15 @ Sneaky dee’S • $15.00 @ door

nicole the flatliners atkins Saturday december 17 drake • $15.00 advance • Solo

junior battles + permanent bastards

KeitH’s live preSentS...

W/ meGAN boNNell

Sunday jANuAry 22 horSeShoe • $15.50 advance

jj Grey & mofro jackSonville • blueS rock

friday jANuAry 27

smith wesTerns horSeShoe • $15.00 advance

• fat poSSum garage •

friday jANuAry 27 lee’S palace • $12.00 advance

thee silver

lee’S palace • $15.50 advance

wHite

cowbell

oKlAHomA friday december 30 horseshoe tavern • $18.50 advance

elecTrIc sIx KeitH’s live preSentS...

Saturday december 31 horSeShoe tavern • $25.00 advance

mt. zion the

eLeventH annuaL nye BaSH!

woods drugs charles sadies war on

Saturday

FebruAry 11 lee’S palace

daptone recordS • Soul & funk • $ 22.50 advance

with

With

wet hair

Arc iN rouNd

Sat december 10

tHurS december 15 • $5.00

roger edWardS annual X-maS ShoW

bunkhouse

romeo pWyc donationS

the Parlor moB The AMbAssAdors + sTone rIver neW jerSey rock ‘n’ roll

tHurS december 22 • $8.00 first annuaL hoLiDay Drinkin’ Party!

san sebastian goddamn robots the organ thieves tHe dirty Nil

friday december 16 Saturday december 17

skydiggers $ 22.50

With

advance • annual holiday ShoWS

tHe Good FAmily

artist bookings: craig@horseshoetavern.com or 416-598-0720

horseshoetavern.com 370 Queen Street WeSt / Spadina 416-598-4226 • 1947 to 2010

with

bradley and hiS

extraordinaires Saturday FebruAry 18 horSeShoe • $13.50 advance

danieL romano

keith’S live preSentS...

Saturday december 31 lee’S palace

neW yearS eve!

elliott $

20.00 adv • rootS alt country

the queers the ataris brood

tHurS december 1 • $ 10.00 Jam rock reunion

days of you superham King HArvest Saturday december 3 $ 10.00 @ door

• $ 7.00 w/ canned Food

unison kill them with colour the futureless blue neptune Gray moonen collecTIve concerTs 416-598-0720

ben@leespalace.com

friday december 2

angela saini & the residents little creAtures alter KaKers charge of the light brigade tHurS december 8

anna calvi

$ 15.00

advance • London domino

w ith

tHe GiFt

fri december 9 & Sat december 10

Jingle bell rock

$1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the daily bread food bank. non-perishable food items will be collected at all shows.

botH sHows sold out! friday december 16 • $18.00 advance

danny michel broThers The creepshow

tueSday FebruAry 28 lee’S palace • $16.50 advance

the punch

avett brotherS meetS trampled by turtleS bluegraSS

Saturday jANuAry 7 @ opera houSe $ 15.50 advance • all-ageS • pSychobilly punk

the dreadnouGhts + the brains

y los hombres malos! with Lindy

Vopnfjörð

thurSday december 22 • $7.00 @ door

thurs january 26 @ horseshoe • $12.50 adv

Friday february 10 @ Great HaLL • $17.50 advance

annuaL Punk X-mas throWDoWn

the heartbroken william fitzsimmons bathurst Queens ladies of the canyon fri january 27 @ garrison • $14.50 adv

tues february 14 @ garrison • $10.50 adv

mon march 19 @ horseshoe • $8.00 adv

cass mccombs veronica falls grimes

artiSt bookingS: 416-598-0720 or ben@leespalace.com

leespalace.com 529 bloor Street WeSt / bathurSt NOW december 1-7 2011

clubs&concerts œcontinued from page 58

sary Elana Harte, Anna Sudac, Lucio Agostini, Kim Jarrett, Mike Costantino, Courage My Love, Trish Kerr, Jumple and others 7 pm. TrAnzAc souThern cross Open Mic 10 pm.

JAzz/CLASSiCAL/ExPERiMEnTAL

edWArd Johnson BuildinG World Music Lobby Concert: Japanese Taiko Drumming noon to 1 pm. GATe 403 Vincent Bertucci Jazz Band 9 pm, The Roper Show 5 to 8 pm. PeoPle’s chicken Advocats Big Band (bop/ mambo/swing/swoon) 7:30 pm. rex John Cheesman Jazz Orchestra 9:30 pm, U of T Student Jazz Ensembles 6:30 pm. royAl conservATory oF music koerner hAll Denis Matsuev (piano) 8 pm. someWhere There sTudio Jason Sharp, Lina

Allemano, Rob Clutton, Scott Thomson 8 pm. TrAnzAc souThern cross This Is Awesome (jazz) 7 pm.

DAnCE MuSiC/DJ/LOunGE

Bovine sex cluB Moody Mondays Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

crAWFord Mix Fix Mondays (Motown/funk/ dance R&B).

insomniA DJs Topher & Oranj. The ossinGTon Ice & Yo (spooky styles). The PisTon Junk Shop DJs Tweed & Jeeks (pre

to post punk/new wave/garage/indie) 10 pm.

rePosAdo Mezcal Mondays DJ Ellis Dean.

Tuesday, December 6 POP/ROCK/HiP-HOP/SOuL

Bovine sex cluB Pink & Black Attack Dead City Citizens & Rusty Trombones.

drAke hoTel underGround Diana Salvatore,

Michael Rault, Melissa Bel (soul) doors 8:30 pm.

horseshoe Street Dogs, Off with Their

Heads, Murder the Stout doors 8:30 pm. mAssey hAll Bon Iver, Lianne La Havas (indie folk rock) doors 7:15 pm, all ages. See Lianne La Havas preview, page 59.

The PisTon Dead Tuesdays 10 pm. rAncho relAxo Raleigh. sound AcAdemy Share The Welt Tour Five

Finger Death Punch, All That Remains, Hatebreed doors 6:30 pm. TATToo rock PArlour My Hometown Film Debut Edwin, Tom Wilson 8 pm. TrAnzAc souThern cross Collette Savard (indie pop) 7:30 pm.

FOLK/BLuES/COunTRY/WORLD

Annex Wreckroom Drummers In Exile (freestyle drum and dance circle) 8:30 pm.

cAsTro’s lounGe Quiet Revolutions Acoustic Jam blueVenus 10 pm.

drAke hoTel lounGe Memphis Tuesday The

Treasures (country/bluegrass) doors 10 pm. GATe 403 Blues Night Julian Fauth (barrelhouse) 9 pm. GrAFFiTi’s Max Marshall 5 to 7 pm. huGh’s room Ian Thomas 8:30 pm. The locAl Massey/Harris. lulA lounGe Lonesome Heroes Danielle Duval, Don Brownrigg, Kendel Carson, Sam Cash (singer/songwriter) 9 pm. monArchs PuB Acoustic Tuesdays Brian Gladstone. orBiT room Farewell Toronto... For Now! The Clayton Doley Organ Experience w/ Davide DiRenzo & James Robertson (blues/jazz/soul) 7 pm. Press cluB Toast n’ Jam Open Mic 10 pm. rex Rex Blues Jam Dr Nick & the Rollercoasters (blues) 9:30 pm. smilinG BuddhA Open Stage 9 pm.

JAzz/CLASSiCAL/ExPERiMEnTAL

AlleycATz Swing Tuesdays Carlo Berardinucci & the Double A Jazz Swing Band. dominion on queen Hot Club of Corktown Wayne Nakamura 8:30 pm. FedWArd Johnson BuildinG WAlTer hAll

Klinck doors 8 pm.5 insomniA Soulful Tuesdays D-Jay. rePosAdo Alien Radio DJ Gord C.

Wednesday, December 7 POP/ROCK/HiP-HOP/SOuL

noon to 1 pm. GATe 403 Kelsey McNulty Jazz Band 5 to 8 pm. hArlem underGround John Campbell (jazz/ pop/soul/R&B) 8:30 pm. JAne mAlleTT TheATre Louise Bessette (piano) 8 pm. rex Matt Newton Trio 6:30 pm.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale 8 pm. ther Segger 8 pm.

TrAne sTudio Franky Rousseau Large Band

w/ Austin Peralta (big band jazz) 8 pm.

FRIDAY DEC 2 / 11

crAWFord Drink & Destroy (punk rock). GoodhAndy’s Ladyplus T-Girl Lust DJ Todd

Four seAsons cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs Eclectasy Humber Studio Jazz Ensemble

someWhere There sTudio New Works Hea-

(416) 588-4MOD (663)

Four seAsons cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs 145 Queen W. 416-363-8231. Fox & Fiddle mAnsion 1294 Liverpool. Fuzion 580 Church. 416-944-9888. GAllery 345 345 Sorauren. 416-822-9781. The GArrison 1197 Dundas W. 416-519-9439. GATe 403 403 Roncesvalles. 416-588-2930. GlAdsTone hoTel 1214 Queen W. 416-531-4635. Glenn Gould sTudio 250 Front W. 416-205-5555. GoodhAndy’s 120 Church. 416-760-6514. GrAce church on-The-hill 300 Lonsdale. 416488-7884. GrAFFiTi’s 170 Baldwin. 416-506-6699. The GreAT hAll 1087 Queen W. 416-826-3330. GrossmAn’s 379 Spadina. 416-977-7000. GroTTo lounGe 647 College. hArBourFronT cenTre 235 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000. hArd luck BAr 772a Dundas W. hArlem 67 Richmond E. 416-368-1920. hArlem underGround 745 Queen W. 416-3664743. heminGWAys 142 Cumberland. 416-968-2828. hiGhWAy 61 souThern BArBeque 1620 Bayview. 416-489-7427. hiruiT Fine eThioPiAn cuisine 2050 Danforth. holy oAk cAFe 1241 Bloor W. 647-345-2803. horseshoe 370 Queen W. 416-598-4753. hoT Box cAFe 191A Baldwin. 416-203-6990. huGh’s room 2261 Dundas W. 416-531-6604. humBer colleGe lAkeshore cAmPus 3199 Lake Shore W. 416-675-5005. insomniA 563 Bloor W. 416-588-3907. isABel BAder TheATre 93 Charles W. JAne mAlleTT TheATre 27 Front E. 416-366-7723. John BAsseTT TheATre 255 Front W. kAPisAnAn PhiliPPine cenTre 167 Augusta. 416-979-0600. lAmBAdinA 875 Bloor W. 416-888-4607. lee’s PAlAce 529 Bloor W. 416-532-1598. livinG ArTs cenTre 4141 Living Arts (Mississauga). 905-306-6000. The locAl 396 Roncesvalles. 416-535-6225. lolABAr 1173 Dundas E. lulA lounGe 1585 Dundas W. 416-588-0307.

Songs Of The Season Performance Class for Singers noon to 1 pm.

richmond hill cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs Czech Boys Choir 8 pm. FroyAl conservATory oF music koerner hAll An Indigo Christmas...Navidad Nuestra

722 COLLEGE STREET

Venue Index

Al Green TheATre 750 Spadina. 416-924-6211. Alice FAzooli’s squAre one 209 Rathburn W (Mississauga). 905-281-1721. AlleycATz 2409 Yonge. 416-481-6865. Andy PoolhAll 489 College. 416-923-5300. Annex Wreckroom 794 Bathurst. 416-5360346. AquilA 347 Keele. 416-761-7474. AsPeTTA cAFFe 207 Augusta. 416-725-0693. AuGusTA house 152 Augusta. 416-977-8881. BAr iTAliA 582 College. 416-535-3621. BAr neon 1226 Bloor W. The BArn 418 Church. 416-593-9696. BlAck moon lounGe 67 Richmond W. 416-6033100. Blondies 1378 Queen W. Blue moon 725 Queen E. 416-463-8868. BoAT 158 Augusta. 416-593-9218. Bovine sex cluB 542 Queen W. 416-504-4239. cAdillAc lounGe 1296 Queen W. 416-536-7717. cAmerA lounGe 1028 Queen W. 416-530-0011. cAsTro’s lounGe 2116 Queen E. 416-699-8272. chAlkers PuB 247 Marlee. 416-789-2531. cherry sTreeT resTAurAnT 275 Cherry. clinTon’s 693 Bloor W. 416-535-9541. coBrA lounGe 510 King W. 416-361-9004. crAWFord 718 College. dAkoTA TAvern 249 Ossington. 416-850-4579. The dAnny 2183 Danforth. 416-686-1705. dAve’s... on sT clAir 730 St Clair W. 416-6573283. de soTos 1079 St Clair W. 416-651-2109. dominion on queen 500 Queen E. 416-3686893. dorA keoGh 141 Danforth. 416-778-1804. drAke hoTel 1150 Queen W. 416-531-5042. duFFy’s TAvern 1238 Bloor W. 416-628-0330. edWArd Johnson BuildinG 80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-3744. el mocAmBo 464 Spadina. 416-777-1777. eTon house 710 Danforth. 416-466-6161. Fly 8 Gloucester. 416-410-5426. The FlyinG BeAver PuBAreT 488 Parliament. 647-347-6567. FooTWork 425 Adelaide W. 416-913-3488.

DAnCE MuSiC/DJ/LOunGE

Andy PoolhAll 24K Hip-Hop Jam DJ Serious, Kaewonder, DJ Starting From Scratch, Muziklee Inzane, Big Jacks, Mensa, DJ Ariel and others 10 pm.

AquilA uPsTAirs James Carroll (acoustic rock). cAdillAc lounGe The Neil Young’uns. drAke hoTel underGround Ash Koley (in-

die) doors 8 pm.

GArrison Wildlife, Chamberlin, Topanga. ñThe The GreAT hAll Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Via Japan Jane Birkin (Gainsbourg Songñ book accompanied by Japanese musicians) doors 7 pm, all ages. See preview, page 55. Fhorseshoe Electric Christmas 3: Free The Children Benefit Wordburglar, MC Sean Ward, Fucker & the Men, Melissa Azore and others. The locAl Dodge Fiasco (rock). mAssey hAll Bon Iver, Lianne La Havas (indie folk rock) doors 7:15 pm, all ages. See Lianne La Havas preview, page 59. Phoenix concerT TheATre Between the Buried and Me, Animals as Leaders, TesseracT doors 7 pm, all ages. The PisTon Chris Brown Openhearts Society 10 pm.

mAGic oven queen e 360 Queen E. 416-703-3555. mAGPie cAFe 831 Dundas W. 416-916-6499. mArkhAm TheATre For The PerForminG ArTs 171 Town Centre Blvd (Markham). 905-305-7469. mAssey hAll 178 Victoria. 416-872-4255. meAdoWvAle TheATre 6315 Montevideo (Mississauga). 905-615-4720. mezzeTTA 681 St Clair W. 416-658-5687. minT niGhT cluB 173 Eglinton E. molly Bloom’s irish PuB 191 College. 416-9166448. monArch TAvern 12 Clinton. 416-531-5833. monArchs PuB 33 Gerrard W. 416-585-4352. music hAll 147 Danforth. 416-778-8163. nAco GAllery cAFe 1665 Dundas W. 647-3476499. nAWlins JAzz BAr 299 King W. 416-595-1958. neu+rAl 349a College. 416-926-2112. old mill inn 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641. old nick 123 Danforth. 416-461-5546. only cAFé 972 Danforth. 416-463-7843. oPerA house 735 Queen E. 416-466-0313. orBiT room 580A College. 416-535-0613. The ossinGTon 61 Ossington. 416-850-0161. PArTs & lABour 1566 Queen W. 416-588-7750. PeoPle’s chicken 744 Mt Pleasant. 416-489-7931. Phoenix concerT TheATre 410 Sherbourne. 416-323-1251. The PisTon 937 Bloor W. 416-532-3989. The PorT 1179 Dundas W. 416-516-1270. Premium BAnqueT hAll 2360 Lucknow (Mississauga). Press cluB 850 Dundas W. 416-364-7183. rAncho relAxo 300 College. 416-920-0366. reBAs cAFé 3289 Dundas W. 416-626-7372. rePosAdo 136 Ossington. 416-532-6474. revivAl 783 College. 416-535-7888. rex 194 Queen W. 416-598-2475. richmond hill cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs 10268 Yonge (Richmond Hill). 905-787-8811. rivoli 332 Queen W. 416-596-1908. rockPile 5555 Dundas W. 416-504-6699. rose TheATre 1 Theatre Lane (Brampton). 905874-2800. roy Thomson hAll 60 Simcoe. 416-872-4255.

The PorT Oscar Tango (power pop/rock) 10 pm. rivoli Meaghan Smith. suPermArkeT Wednesdays Go Pop! Old World

Romance (crooner rock/garage-swing) 9 pm.

FOLK/BLuES/COunTRY/WORLD

cAmerA lounGe Laura Marling (singer/ songwriter) 7 & 9 pm, all ages. ñ cAsTro’s lounGe Smokey Folk (bluegrass) 9 pm.

GATe 403 Rusty Water & the Broken Troubadour 5 to 8 pm. GrAFFiTi’s Kitgut Oldtime Stringband evening. GrossmAn’s Rockin’ Blues Jam Ernest Lee & Cotton Traffic 9 pm. hiGhWAy 61 souThern BArBeque The Chris Antonik Blues Band 7 pm. Press cluB Chris Dignan 10 pm. silver dollAr High Lonesome Wednesdays: Crazy Strings (bluegrass jam) 9 pm. TrAnzAc souThern cross David Woodhead’s Confabulation (folk) 7:30 pm. TrAnzAc souThern cross Jordan Faye (indie pop) 10 pm.

JAzz/CLASSiCAL/ExPERiMEnTAL

dominion on queen Corktown Ukulele Jam

8 pm.

edWArd Johnson BuildinG WAlTer hAll 1

O’Clock Big Band 7:30 pm.

FedWArd Johnson BuildinG mAcmillAn TheATre A Seasonal Celebration: Choirs In

Concert The MacMillan Singers, the Women’s

royAl conservATory oF music 273 Bloor W. 416-408-0208. runnymede uniTed church 432 Runnymede. 416-767-6729. sAinT luke’s uniTed church 353 Sherbourne. 416-924-9619. The sAvoy 1166 Queen W. shAlloW Groove 559 College. 416-944-8998. silver dollAr 486 Spadina. 416-763-9139. smilinG BuddhA 961 College. 416-516-2531. sneAky dee’s 431 College. 416-603-3090. someWhere There sTudio 227 Sterling, unit #112. sound AcAdemy 11 Polson. 416-461-3625. soundscAPes 572 College. 416-537-1620. souThside Johnny’s 3653 Lake Shore W. 416521-6302. soyBomB 156 Bathurst. sPorTsTer’s 1430 Danforth. 416-778-0258. sT ThomAs’s AnGlicAn church 383 Huron. 416-979-2323. suPermArkeT 268 Augusta. 416-840-0501. suTrA 612 College. 416-537-8755. TATToo rock PArlour 567 Queen W. 416-7035488. ThirsTy Fox PuB 1028 Eglinton W. ToronTo cenTre For The ArTs 5040 Yonge. 416-733-9388. TrAFFik niGhTcluB 287 Richmond W. TrAne sTudio 964 Bathurst. 416-913-8197. TrAnzAc 292 Brunswick. 416-923-8137. TriniTy sT. PAul’s church 427 Bloor W. 416-9228435. velveT underGround 510 Queen W. 416-5046688. vicToriA colleGe 91 Charles W. virGin moBile mod cluB 722 College. 416-5884663. WATerFAlls 303 Augusta. 416-927-9666. WhiTe sWAn 836 Danforth. 416-463-8089. Woo’s lounGe 10 Dundas E, 4th floor. 416-9779966. yorkminsTer PArk BAPTisT church 1585 Yonge. 416-922-1167. younG cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs 55 Mill. 416-866-8666.

Chorus, Women’s Chamber Ensemble, the Men’s Chorus and others 7:30 pm.

Four seAsons cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs richArd BrAdshAW AmPhiTheATre Contemporary Conversations Bruce Cassidy, Nancy Walker (trumpet, piano) 5:30 to 6:30 pm. GATe 403 Kurt Nielsen & Richard Whiteman Jazz Band 9 pm. FGlAdsTone hoTel melody BAr A Very Boylesque XXX-Mas (burlesque) 9 pm. huGh’s room JazzFM.91 Jazz Series Daryl Sherman 8:30 pm. mezzeTTA David Mott, Rob Clutton (sax/bass) 9 & 10:15 pm. nAWlins JAzz BAr Jim Heineman Trio (jazz) 7 to 11 pm. rex Griffith/Hiltz Trio 6:30 pm.

rex Botos Brothers 9:30 pm. ñ someWhere There sTudio Cheryl O (cello) 8 pm.

TrAne sTudio The Brazilian Project Part One Luanda Jones & Brownman Electryc Trio (bossa/jazz/funk) 8 pm. TrAnzAc mAin hAll York University’s Grad Students Cabaret Night 7 pm. FyorkminsTer PArk BAPTisT church Festival Of Carols Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Festival Brass (classical) 7:30 pm. younG cenTre For The PerForminG ArTs TAnk house TheATre Galgenlieder à 3 (Gal-

lows Songs) Betty Allison, Ryan Scott, Joseph Phillips 8 pm.

DAnCE MuSiC/DJ/LOunGE

Bovine sex cluB Tupper Ware Remix Party. insomniA DJ O-God (house/reggae/

ELECTRO / HOUSE

SATURDAY DEC 3 /11

music by

UK-UNDERGROUND

INDIE / ELECTRO / DUBSTEP / ROCK!!! main stage Dj

in the Loft’

GIO

DECEMBER

SAY MEDIA 2 COREY TAYLOR 3 HONOUR SOCIETY 4 DSNOW 10 MACKELMORE 1

CHOREOGRAPHERS BALL 62

December 1-7 2011 NOW

mashups).

THE OSSINGTON Thu 1 RetuRn of Slo-Mo

CoMeau ... free to spin his mind... Fri 2 Get By fRidayS ...

hip hop, dancehall, soul and beyond...

SaT 3 SeCRet ModelS ...

super fun, ultra-sexy dance party...

Sun 4 BRaSS faCtS tRivia ... get quizzed by the best, followed by:

unliMited Sunday

... 2 turntables, special guests, special times...

Mon 5 iCe & yo ... tales from the neighbourhood ...

TueS 6 GaMeS with

Johnny ... pastimes & diversions...

Wed 7 CoMedy at the

oSSinGton ... hilarity presented

by Mill St...

61 OSSINGTON AVE | 416•850•0161 | theossington.com

The ossinGTon HumbleMania XXXI. rePosAdo Sol Wednesdays Spy vs Sly vs Spy.

THE DAKOTA TAVERN 10pm DAKOTA’S 5TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Thu Dec 1

w/DJ Boom Boom

thu Dec 1

tng

THE BEAUTIES, FLASH LIGHTIN’, THE SURE THINGS, HOT ROCK +MORE

w/The Lad Classics, Vaness Alegacy w/DJ Vania

fri dec 2

Bootleg glory

Fri Dec 2

w/Corners, High Road Pilots w/DJ Sir Ian Blurton

Sat Dec 3

w/Crooked Valentine, Heavy Metal For Girls

ScHool For Band aidS tue Dec 6 Pink & Black Attack Presents

dead city citizenS & Rusty Trombones

Sun Dec 4 Mon Dec 5

w/DJ Vania

Wed Dec 7

THE jOnES, GROOVESmiTH

exclaim! Holiday party featuring Eamon McGrath, Biblical

542 Queen St W • 416 504 4239 bovinesexclub.com • bovinebooking@gmail.com

10pm

BIG TOBACCO

& THE PICKERS

11-3pm BLUEGRASS BRUNCH 10pm 6-10pm MILL STREET PRESENTS

THE BEAUTIES

MARIACHI MONDAYS

MARIACHI FEUGO THE SURE THINGS Tue Dec 6 10pm JASON COLLETT’S BASEMENT REVIEW

PETTY ViCTORiES

tupper Ware remix party

COLONEL TOM

WITH 10pm

BellaClava

wed dec 7 fri Dec 9

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H thu dec 1 The round table presents H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H fri dec 2 The indie Machine presents H H H H H H H H H H H H sat dec 3 record release show H H H H H H H H H H H H H (Orchestra) H H H H H H w/ H H H H H H H H H HigH lonesome Wednesday • 9:30pm H H H H H H big city bluegrass H H H featuring members of H H the foggy hogtown boys H H & the creaking tree H H string quartet H H H thu dec 8 country-rock, indie-pop H H H H H H H (Ottawa) H H H H H H H H H H fri H H H H dec 9 H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H and H H H H H H sat dec 10 Juke Joint Xmas H H H H H H H H H H H H H w/ H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H $7 w/ Xmas Canned fOOd dOnatiOn H H H H H canadian fem-rap trio H H thu dec 15 H H H H H H H H H H w/ H H H H H H H H H H Plus! 9pm H H H fri dec 16 NYc New Wave Legend H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H tickets @ rotate This, soundscapes H H H H thu dec 22 Party Wallet Xmas Bash H H H H H H H H H H H H H HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H

liTTlEFOOT lOnGFOOT

w/DJ Candy-O

sun dec 4

Sat Dec 3

486 spadina ave. @ college www.silverdollarroom.com

raBid WHole

10pm

& THE AMERICAN POUR

10pm THE

7-9pm HEAVY DREAM CANADA GOOSE BAND w/MOLLY SWEENEY

249 OSSINGTON AVE (just north of Dundas) 416-850-4579 · thedakotatavern.com

DEl BEl

Skeltones 4

lOWlAnDS

crazy strings

thursday december 1

most people chrIst Vs. KrIshna neIGhbourhood watch stacey adams

jm7, SilVER CREEK

FrIday december 2

motel English, FlEECE ElVES

bat sabbath

cancer bats perform Black SaBBath baptIZed In bleach

the 2Kristmas show!

aKa

Baptized in Blood perform nirvana 10pm - no advance ticketS Saturday december 3

TwiTTer.com/Thesneakydees booking@sneaky-dees.com

$3.25 BREAKFAST • MON - FRI 11AM- 4PM

nowtoronto.com

dJ Jay anderson

garage, funk, r&B - main floor REVIEWS, the Shop closed for private event monday december 5

cruddy school damaGe the ward caVe baby

thursday NOVEMBEr 24

A FASTER NOW

S AND MOR E S, CONTEST LISTINGMOJAVE BLOOM

LESION BURY HER ALIVE THE TIDE WILL TAKE US

m onto.co nowtor #SHAKE A TAIL

FrIday december 9

marK sultan

formerly of the king khan & BBQ Show douBle lp releaSe party

stranGe attractor comInG soon:

tue dec 13 KIll all rednecK prIcKs a documentary film aBout a Band called karp

sat dec 31 whIte

GIrl nye party

hip hop - $10 all night +dJ Scott wade main floor

www.partsandlabour.ca

nowtoronto.com REVI EWS , LISTI NGS, CONTESTS

AND MOR E

EVEry saturday

60’s pop & soul

suNday S, NOVEMBEr 27 REVIEW 4TH S, ING LIST ALTOBEELAYS TESTS CON MELISSA MURpHY SUBURBAN SMITH AND MOR E THE CLOSE ENCOUNTERS EVEry MONday

#Legends oF karaoke EVEry tuEsday

#mFoy

pop punk/hardcore dance party EVEry WEdNEsday

#what’s poppin’ 80’s/90’s hip hop party upcOMiNg DEC 9 ROB DYER dANcE PARTy DEC 15 THE FLATLINERS DEC 31 #MFOy PRESENTS:

BETTER LUCK NExT YEAR

THE TWO KOREAS

Powers SPORTS Planet Creature

CATl

The Speaking Tongues

BRADlEYBOY mACARTHuR

THE RHYTHm mETHOD

Dress Rehearsal julian Hacquebard TESS PARKS

jAmES CHAnCE w/ Ell V Gore

Slim TWiG

Grand Trine, Soup Cans

B17, THE lOST BABiES, Queen licorice, Drunk Woman

thu dec 1 | drs 9pm | $20

gilson & sylvie’s

oNE mic STaNd Feat. Keith pedro, JeAn pAul & KeeshA brownie.

fri dec 2 | 9:30pm | $10

rAising Money For CAMh

ZACK miRZA mAGiC w/ COLECO + KYLE mARSHALL

DOORS @10Pm_$5

w/ dildoniKs & sleep For the nightliFe

THE GERTRUDES DOORS @8Pm_$8

cr avEry

BANG THE PARTY

lEFT FooT yElloW sat dec 3 | 8:30pm | $10

w/ dAve bidini bAnd suN dec 4 | drs 8:30pm | $5

laUgH SaBBaTH: TalENT SHoW!

Hosted by JamES HarTNETT

every sundAy At the rivoli www.lAughsAbbAth.CoM

mON dec 5 | drs 8:30pm | pwYc ($5) mc k. TrEvor WilSoN eddie della siepe, barry taylor ian gordon, patrick smith rachelle elie Alex dewitt

tue dec 6 | drs 8:30pm | pwYc ($5) What do you get when you mix 3 comics, 2 truths, & 1 lie?

THE liar liar SHoW

A unique comedy show where the audience is asked to do more then just applaud.

SkETcHcomEdyloUNgE.com wed dec 7 | $12 dr

w/ mANO LE TOUGH DOORS @11Pm_$10

RiDE THE TiGER

DOORS @10Pm_FREE

mEmPHiS TUESDAY w/ THE TREASURES

DOORS @10Pm_FREE

TRiViA NiGHT

DOORS @8Pm_$2

Juno AwArd winning Artist

mEagHaN SmiTH thu dec 8 | drs 9pm | $20

Sara kamiN PrESENTS

Sara kamiN w/AbigAil lApell, sArAh burton, everybody wAve, Jolies Alien bAbes

BROKEN ENGLiSH w/ BAD BAD NOT GOOD

DOORS @8Pm_$10

POETRY SLAm DOORS @7Pm_$5

COMING SOON

DeC 16 JiTTErS Holiday SHoW DeC 21 JErry lEgEr DeC 23 Black PiSTol FirE DeC 30 TiN STar orPHaNS 332 QUEEN ST. W. | 416.596.1908 | rivoli.ca

THEDRAKEHOTEL.CA/EVENTS TwiTTER.COm/THEDRAKEHOTEL 1150 QUEEN ST w TORONTO 416.531.5042

NOW december 1-7 2011

december 1-7 2011 NOW

NOW december 1-7 2011

have taken a small miracle to piece together. Not as polished as 2009’s Food For The Moon, it’s mellow and intimate, with Tuck’s low, raspy voice supported by sparse arrangements. Bagpipes and bodhran give opener Slappin’ The Make On You a Celtic flavour, while live recording Hello, Prince Edward Island is crackly blues. On No Need To Wonder, Every Day Winning and Wishing Well, Tuck gets us in the gut while softly rocking. Top track: Every Day Winning Al Tuck plays the Cameron House December 13. SARAH GREENE

disc of the week

R&B

THE BLACK KEYS El Camino (Nonesuch) Rating: NNNN

MARY J. BLIGE My Life II… The Journey

More than a decade into their career, the Black Keys have unexpectedly become the mainstream torchbearers for purist rock and roll. In 2010, with R&B and hip-hop dominating the pop charts, the duo’s breakout Brothers sold a million copies, sent them to Saturday Night Live twice, won them their first three Grammys and propelled them from modest bar shows to full-scale theatres and arenas. That likely brought the weight of expectation to their much-anticipated follow-up, but El Camino doesn’t bear the strain of excess pressure. Produced by Danger Mouse in singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach’s new Nashville studio, the disc finds the duo amping up their raw, minimalist blues-rock template with touches of soul, R&B and, more than ever, 70s arena rock (see Stairway To Heavenesque Little Black Submarines). They’ve sped up the tempos but still focus on hooks, both vocally and instrumentally. Maybe their tightest, most replayable album yet, El Camino isn’t likely to send the Black Keys back into obscurity. Top track: Lonely Boy RICHARD TRAPUNSKI

OCTOBERMAN Sweater EP (independent)

Pop/Rock

ODONIS ODONIS ñ NNNN

Hollandaze (Buzz/Daps/Pleasence) Rating:

Toronto musician Dean Tzenos self-recorded the demos for Hollandaze before recruiting the other two-thirds of his band, Odonis Odonis. But rather than rerecord them at a proper studio, he decided to release them in their original state. Such lo-fi efforts are often viewed suspiciously as attempts to bury unremarkable songs under piles of grime and distortion, but here the production does justice to the 80s-undergroundevoking mix of surf, punk, industrial and shoegaze. Besides, the melodies are definitely there. Surfier tracks like Handle Bars and Ledged Up could qualify as pop tunes if not for the layers of noise and sludge, and even more plodding, foreboding tracks like the six-minute Seedgazer don’t leave the hooks behind. Tzenos’s strong vocals switch between a flat croon and an Albini snarl, while the largely drum-sampled rhythms never overpower the human element. Top track: Ledged Up Odonis Odonis play the Port Friday (December 2). See nowtoronto.com for an interview. RT

AVAILABLE ONLINE & IN STORES NOW!

Rating: NNN Not That Kind, the first song on Octoberman’s new four-song EP released in advance of the Toronto band’s impending full-length album, has a great energy. In addition to Marc Morrissette’s endearing vocal rasp, it features raucous drums and twangy country guitar and comes in under the two-minute mark. The three tracks that follow don’t command attention quite the same way, and leave rollicking folk behind for smartly arranged, layered indie rock. Shaun Brodie and Jeremy Strachan lend deft touches of horns, new to Octoberman’s sound. There’s a lightness to the lyrics, which focus on love: chasing it, attaining it, ending it, being worn down by it. The almost title track, Old Wool Sweater, has a gentle Yo La Tengo feel that’s appropriately cozy. It all bodes well for the 2012 release. Top track: Not That Kind Octoberman release the Sweater EP at the Piston tonight (Thursday, December 1). CARLA GILLIS

LOS CAMPESINOS! Hello Sadness (Arts &

Crafts) Rating: NNN As if responding to our irritation at that incessant Budweiser ad featuring the feverish guitar intro to You! Me! Dancing! by Los Campesinos!, the band has delivered an album packed with songs that will surely never be licensed to a sports-related beer commercial. Hello Sadness, the Welsh seven-piece’s fourth album, makes good on its title and reels through a purported breakup experienced by lead singer Gareth Campesinos prior to the recording. Appropriately, Gareth’s voice has gone from excited and jubilant to pained and miserable – an uncanny cross between Robert Smith and Conor Oberst. The gang vocals on Songs About Your

LIGHT ORGAN RECORDS. . . . With Bells On! featuring FREDERICK “Artificial Christmas” ADALINE “Can’t Feel This Feeling” DEAD GHOSTS “Christmas Time” and many more. . . www.lightorganrecords.com

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

Girlfriend help sunlight break through the clouds, and the danceable tempos of the title song make sure the album never quite reaches the Cure’s Disintegration level of navel-gazing. Not that it doesn’t try. Top track: Hello Sadness JASON KELLER

NNNN ñMARVELOUS DARLINGS

Single Life (Deranged) Rating: Ben Cook is best known as a guitarist for Fucked Up, but he’s also cranked out a long stream of records for a variety of different projects in his home studio in Toronto’s east end. Marvelous Darlings, his band with Matt Delong and Mark Fosco, proves he’s just as adept at tuneful powerpop as hardcore punk. The group’s been recording since 2007 but has stuck to releasing music mostly in limited runs of 7-inch vinyl records, all of which have sold out. Single Life collects them all into a handy compilation that shows the band’s almost superhuman consistency. Over 16 tracks (plus five demos), there’s not a single weak link – an impressive feat considering that the simplest-sounding, catchiest pop songs are often the most difficult to write. The tracks all teem with hummable hooks, and because they were all intended as singles, the energy level never drops. Let’s hope this signals an end

AVAILABLE ONLINE & IN STORES NOW!

to their hiatus. Top track: Teenage Targets

DEL BEL Oneiric (Out of Sound)

Rating: NNNN Del Bel are yet another sprawling Toronto band featuring members of a bunch of other local acts, including players from Do Make Say Think, Ohbijou, Flowers of Hell, Sunparlour Players and many more. Yes, they blend elements of post-rock, roots music, indie, ambient and pop, but, no, they don’t sound anything like Broken Social Scene. Instead, picture the dreamy space-blues of Mazzy Star backed by the cinematic orchestral rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, with a bit of Portishead atmospherics thrown in. At first, it’s so easy to get so lost in the dense layers and the glistening beauty of Lisa Conway’s vocals that you miss the actual songs. The more time you spend with Oneiric, however, the more the melodies and hooks become ingrained in your brain. Del Bel haven’t played many shows, but they have no problem duplicating the mesmerizing textures live, making them one of the more promising local acts to emerge this year. Top track: Missing And Done Del Bel launch Oneiric Saturday (December 3) at the Silver Dollar. BENJAMIN BOLES

Folk/Rock

ñAL TUCK

Under Your Shadow (New Scotland) Rating: NNNN I’m not sure whose shadow PEI songwriter Al Tuck is labouring under on his seventh album; he seems to offer a cryptic nod to Bob Dylan in the liner notes, but you could add Nick Drake and Woody Guthrie to the list. Canadian musicians love Tuck for his eccentricities, and this album, gathered from disparate recording sessions in Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland, appears to

ADALINE MODERN ROMANTICS featuring

“REBELS OF LOVE” & “THE NOISE” www.lightorganrecords.com www.adalinemusic.com

= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Stratospheric NNNN = Sizzling NNN = Swell NN = Slack N = Sucks

Continues (Act 1) (Universal) Rating: NN Mary J. Blige asserts her role as R&B’s authoritative life coach on her 10th album, a sequel to her 1994 breakthrough effort. Her pain is less harrowing – she’s older now and knows how to cope – so instead of singing only for herself, she’s doing it for her listeners, a noble goal but also dull and predictable. Working with the usual producers and songwriters, Blige front-loads My Life II with beats reminiscent of her grimier 90s output and ends with a handful of easylistening ballads that wouldn’t sound out of place in the final credits of Disney’s next blockbuster. In the middle we get an unnecessary reworking of Chaka Khan’s 80s anthem Ain’t Nobody and a Beyoncé duet that aims for posterity rather than chemistry. The best moments are the most badass: the embittered Nas team-up Feel Inside and the cocky, Lil Wayne-assisted bonus track Someone To Love Me (Naked). They’re the only tracks that really strut with high heels on. Top track: Someone To Love Me (Naked) KEVIN RITCHIE

Hip-hop

NNNN ñTHE ROOTS

Undun (Universal) Rating: When you hear the words “concept album,” you often worry that what follows will be a pretentious mess covering up a lack of decent songs. Thankfully, the Roots’ 13th album finds the soulful hiphop band aiming high and hitting their target. Undun tells the story of the short, tragic life of the fictional Redford Stevens, who’s named for indie folk hero Sufjan Stevens’s song Redford. Stevens makes an appearance here in a cover of the song. If any rap group could pull off a project this unwieldy, it’s the Roots, and they make it seem effortless. As you’ve probably guessed from the theme, this is not a party record. Sure, you can nod your head to much of it, but often the vibe is closer to classical music or jazz than to anything you’d hear in a club. They avoid the temptation of turning the story of a life cut short by poor choices into a holier-than-thou exercise in preaching to the choir, and instead make it more about understanding that predicament. And they pull off this narrative without resorting to obtrusive skits and interludes, something more artists making concept albums should consider. Top track: Sleep BB

art

BLOCKBUSTER RETROSPECTIVE

Pop star Chagall Russian artist wasn’t a game changer By DAVID JAGER CHAGALL AND THE RUSSIAN AVANTGARDE at the Art Gallery of Ontario

(317 Dundas West), to January 15. $25, stu $16.50. 416-979-6648. Rating: NNNN

marc chagall, beloved painter of whimsical folkloric dreamscapes set mostly in his childhood village of Vitebsk, is one of a handful of modernist artists who were wildly popular in their lifetime. He never strayed far from his trademark floating goats, fiddlers, brides and acrobats – evocations of Jewish shtetl life and the beauty of Paris. Some insist that this lyric symbolism makes him more a gifted pop

surrealist than a founding genius of French modernism alongside Picasso and Matisse. The current exhibition at the AGO (borrowed from the Centre Pompidou) contextualizes Chagall among Russian contemporaries like Wassily Kandinsky, Sonia Delaunay and Kasimir Malevich, all caught up in the ar tistic ferment leading up to the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution and the birth of the Soviet Union. The contrast is telling. While Chagall’s colleagues were experimenting with bold and severe abstract forms they hoped would foster the emerging new society, he was honing his

MUST-SEE SHOWS F = festive season show FARTA GALLERY Holiday Show, Dec 2-18,

reception 6-8 pm Dec 2. 55 Mill, bldg 9, #102. 416-364-2782. FBAU-XI PHOTO One-Off Exhibition, Dec 1-17, reception 2-4 pm Dec 3. 324 Dundas W. 416-977-0400. CIRCUIT GALLERY @ GALLERY 345 Sculpture: Robert Bean, to Dec 3. 345 Sorauren. 416822-9781. COOPER COLE GALLERY Brother Of The Weird group show, to Jan 22. 1161 Dundas W. 647-347-3316. DANIEL FARIA GALLERY Chris Curreri, to Jan 7. 188 St Helens.

EDWARD DAY GALLERY Painting: Carole Freeman, Dec 1-Jan 8, reception 6-9 pm Dec 1. 952 Queen W. 416-921-6540. FGALLERY 44 Photos: Wall To Wall members and friends show, Dec 1-10, reception 6-9 pm Dec 1. 401 Richmond W #120. 416-979-3941. FGALLERY TPW Photorama, Dec 2-10, reception 6-9 pm Dec 2. 56 Ossington. 416-6451066. FGLADSTONE HOTEL SpeakEasy Holiday Sale, 7-11 pm Dec 1 (pwyc, $4 sugg, SpeakEasyTO. com). Mondo Bazaar, 10 am-5 pm Dec 3 (mondobazaar.wordpress.com). Textiles: Hard Twist 6 – Obsession group show, to Jan 29. 1214 Queen W. 416-531-4635.

books MAGIC REALISM

Sly Fox

MR. FOX by Helen Oyeyemi

(Penguin), 336 pages, $22 cloth. Rating: NNNN

is brit author helen oyeyemi really only 26? Mr. Fox displays more worldly wisdom and literary craft

than a 20-something ought to have. St. John Fox, a successful New York novelist in the 1930s, likes to knock off his female protagonists. His current heroine, Mary Foxe, will not go down without a fight. She haunts him, tries to seduce him and eventually comes to life, even recruiting Fox’s wife, Daphne, who’s misconstrued her husband’s

READINGS THIS WEEK Thursday, December 1 BRAVE NEW TEACHERS – DOING SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK IN NEO-LIBERAL TIMES Launch.

5:30 pm. Free. OISE Library, 252 Bloor W. bit. ly/uffEZi. 45 BOOKS IN 45 MINUTES Whirlwind presentation on the season’s hottest books. 6:30 pm. Free. Ben McNally Books, 366 Bay. Preregister 416-361-0032.

SHARI LAPENA/MARK LAVORATO/ROB BENVIE/PATRICIA WESTERHOF Reading. 8:30 pm. Free. Supermarket, 268 Augusta. 416-3610032. ANNE PERDUE/REBECCA ROSENBLUM Short story double bill. 6:30 pm. Free. Lillian H Smith Library, 239 College. 416-393-7746.

Sunday, December 4

Events

rAUBREY DAVIS Launching Kishka For Koppel. 10:30 am. Free. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge. 905-7878811.

Monday, December 5 TEKSTEDITIONS LAUNCH Brian Dedora, Mark Miller, Opal Luis Nations, Gerry Shikatani and Richard Truhlar. 7:30 pm. Free. Supermarket, 268 Augusta. teksteditions.com.

Tuesday, December 6 BEST CANADIAN ESSAYS 2011 Launch. 7 pm.

Double Portrait With Wine Glass hangs in AGO’s show of Russian modernists.

own peculiar brand of richly coloured magical realism. Chagall ran a Bolshevik art school with Malevich in Russia, but was HARBOURFRONT CENTRE Painting/ photos/prints: Suzanne Nacha, Clare ñ Samuel and Astrid Ho and others, to Dec 31.

Multimedia (Fresh Ground): Shelley Miller and More or Les, to Dec 4. 235 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000. FI.M.A GALLERY Full Frame Holiday Show silent auction, Dec 1-9, preview 4-6 pm, reception 7-10 pm Dec 1. 80 Spadina #305. 416-7032235. INTERACCESS Video/game intervention: Harun Farocki, Wafaa Bilal and Mohammed Mohsen, to Dec 17. 9 Ossington. 416-532-0597. KATHARINE MULHERIN Video installation: John Dickson, Dec 1-31, reception 6-9 pm Dec 1. 1082/1086 Queen W. 416-993-6510. KOFFLER OFFSITE Spin Off: Contemporary Art Circling The Mandala group show, to Dec 4. 80 Spadina, 5th fl. 416-636-1880.

distracted behaviour as that of a man having an affair. This narrative – brilliantly tapping the old Bluebeard tale – is broken up by stories written by Foxe and Fox about the push-pull of their relationship. In one, a woman is attracted to a psychotherapist she meets on a plane who may have killed his wife. In another, delinquent boys are trained to be “world-class husbands.” The fact that each of these tales could stand on its own is testimony to their virtuosity. Mixed in are more stories, variaFree. Dora Keogh Pub, 141Danforth. tightropebooks.com. REGIS PHILBIN Signing his memoir How I Got This Way. 7 pm. Free. Indigo Manulife, 55 Bloor W. chapters.indigo.ca. SISTER WRITES Literary mag launch. 10 am. Free. Bloor Gladstone Library, 1101 Bloor W. sisterwrites.com. TADDLE CREEK LAUNCH Gary Barwin, Adrienne Weiss and others. 8 pm. Free. The Boat, 158 Augusta. taddlecreekmag.com.

Wednesday, December 7 KEVIN O’LEARY Talking about his book Cold

Hard Truth. 12:30 pm. Free. Indigo, First Canadian Place. chapters.indigo.ca. OLIVE SENIOR Reading from Dancing Lessons. 6 pm. Free. Riverdale Library, 370 Broadview. torontopubliclibrary.ca. 3

= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Can’t live without it NNNN = Riveting NNN = Worthy NN = Remainder bin here we come

never considered a revolutionary hard-liner. He was lucky enough to survive the revolution unscathed and to catch the next big painting wave in Paris. There, he adopted the style for which he became immensely famous (and rich) over the next 60-odd years. The Bolshevik connection, though real enough, hardly figures in the arc of his very long career. Some of his early works are very strong. His 1917 self-portrait with his wife, Double Portrait With A Glass Of Wine, one of the most joyous images of newly married bliss ever painted, crackles with the energy of bohemian Paris. In later paintings, Chagall remains a master colourist while his imagery gradually slides into a sweetness verging on sentimentality. Despite this show’s ambition, Chagall’s legacy is unchanged. He was never painting’s Igor Stravinsky, but more its Stéphane Grappelli. He remains a lovable figure in the history of French art, but hardly a towering figure in 20th-century painting. 3 art@nowtoronto.com

KWT CONTEMPORARY Geography Of Ano-

nymity group show; paint/sculpture Alex D’Arcy and Lauren Nurse, to Jan 7. 624 Richmond W. 416-646-2706. NICHOLAS METIVIER Drawing/painting: John Scott, to Dec 10. 451 King W. 416-2059000. FOCADU Book Arts Fair, 10 am-5 pm Dec 3. 100 McCaul. 416-977-6000. STEPHEN BULGER Photos: Alex Webb, Dec 1-Jan 14, reception 5-9 pm Dec 1. 1026 Queen W. 416-504-0575. TORONTO IMAGE WORKS Photos: Shawna Eberle, Dec 1-Jan 14, reception 6-8 pm Dec 1. 80 Spadina. 416-703-1999. WYNICK/TUCK Transitional Movement group show; installation: Janice Gurney, to Dec 17. 401 Richmond W, #128. 416-5048716.

tions on the Bluebeard myth, all expertly conceived as well. The tone swings from wry to angry, and the results are both hilarious and horrifying. Only an immensely skilled writer could keep all this under control. Underneath the crafty narrative is a passionate rumination on creativity and intimacy, a vivid instance of the difficulty of keeping one’s characters under control, and a feminist response to the murderous preoccupations of male writers. Somehow, this is the work of a seasoned and accomplished writer. SUSAN G. COLE Stunning. Write Books at susanc@nowtoronto.com

THIS WEEK IN THE MUSEUMS ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA Eat Drink Man Woman, to Dec 22. 300 City Centre (Mississauga). 905-896-5088. AGO Chagall And The Russian AvantGarde, to Jan 15 ($25, stu $16.50). Robert Motherwell, to Dec 11. General Idea, to Jan 1. Jack Chambers, to May 13. $19.50, srs $16, stu $11, free Wed 6-8:30 pm. 317 Dundas W. 416979-6648. ART GALLERY OF YORK U Raqs Media Collective, to Dec 4. 4700 Keele. 416-736-5169. BLACKWOOD GALLERY Daïchi Saito and Cindy Mochizuki, to Dec 11. 3359 Mississauga N (Mississauga). 905-828-3789. DESIGN EXCHANGE Design Exchange Awards, to Feb 26. $10, stu/srs $8. 234 Bay. 416-3636121. DORIS McCARTHY GALLERY Beatriz Olano and Magdalena Fernández, to Jan 28. 1265 Military Trail. 416-287-7007.

FGARDINER MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART

Twelve Trees Of Christmas, to Dec 11. Creamware, to Dec 4. The Tsar’s Cabinet: 200 Years Of Russian Decorative Arts, to Jan 8. $12, stu $6, srs $8; Fri 4-9 pm half-price, 30 and under free. 111 Queen’s Park. 416-586-8080. JUSTINA M. BARNICKE How Near Is Far: Models For Taking Part, to Dec 11. 7 Hart House. 416978-8398. McMICHAEL CANADIAN Lomen Brothers, to Jan 8. Jack Chambers, to Jan 15. Norval Morrisseau and others, to Jan 31. $15, stu/srs $12, free Oct 1-2. 10365 Islington (Kleinburg). 905893-1121. MOCCA Ineffable Plasticity: The Experience Of Being Human; Human/Nature, to Dec 31. 952 Queen W. 416-395-0067. OAKVILLE GALLERIES Hyper Spaces, to Mar 4 (Centennial Square; 120 Navy). Chris Kline, to Feb 19 (Gairloch Gardens, 1306 Lakeshore E). 905-844-4402. ROM ICC: David Hockney, to Jan 1. JThe Kingston Prize, to Jan 29. Maya: Secrets Of Their Ancient World, to Apr 9 ($25, stu/srs $22.50, Fri after 4:30 pm $19, stu/srs $17). $15, stu/srs $13.50; Fri 4:30-8:30 pm $9, stu/ srs $8. 100 Queen’s Park. 416-586-8000. TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA GRAFT: Linking Textiles, Art And Science, Dec 3-Jan 22. Andrew McPhail, Grace Ndiritu and Tazeen Qayyum, to Feb 12. $15, srs $10, stu $6; pwyc Wed 5-8 pm. 55 Centre. 416-599-5321. 3

MORE ONLINE

Complete art listings at nowtoronto.com/art/listings

BUY THE BOOK Ice skaters are passionate people. If you can relate to those keeners who took to the City Hall ice rink last week when it was flooded in 15°C temperatures, pick up a new spectacular picture book by Frances Dafoe Dafoe. Packed with superb illustrations and excellent notes, Figure Skating And The Arts ($46.72, Schiffer) illustrates the influence of ice skating on painting, sculpture and photography, from 1610 portraiture to TV’s 2010 Battle Of The Blades. Now you can check SGC that skater off your gift list.

ART LINK

WEEKLY ART GALLERY DIRECTORY

reserve your art event or gallery - call 416-364-1300 x 371

Barbara Steinman reconfigurations December 3, 2011 - January 21, 2012

olga korper gallery

Opening Saturday, December 3, 2-5PM

N = Doorstop material

17 Morrow Ave, Toronto 416 538 8220 | olgakorpergallery.com NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

stage

more online nowtoronto.com/stage Audio clips from interview with GROUNDSWELL PLAYWRIGHTS • Review of WOULD YOU SAY THE NAME OF THIS PLAY? • Scenes on JESUS CHRYSLER, DYING CITY • and more Fully searchable listings with venue maps nowtoronto.com/stage/listings

CHEOL JOON BAEK

Jordi Mand (left) and Lisa Codrington get to test drive their two-handers in real productions.

THEATRE FESTIVAL PREVIEW

Groundswell rising Fest of plays by women now includes three staged productions By JON KAPLAN THE NEW GROUNDSWELL FESTIVAL – A NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN’S THEATRE presented by Nightwood Theatre at the Berkeley Street Theatre Upstairs (26 Berkeley) and Nightwood Studio (55 Mill). Through December 10, various times. $20, festival pass $45, some events free/pwyc. 416-368-3110, nightwoodtheatre.net.

for the past 26 years, nightwood Theatre’s Groundswell Festival has been developing plays by women. This year marks the start of something new. “The former model, in which scripts went from a playwrights unit to a music-stand reading, wasn’t working in terms of getting plays in place for a full production,” says Denyse Karn, Nightwood’s producer and general manager. The New Groundswell Fest offers three staged productions, two of them

workshops and the third a finished production from Halifax. As well, Groundswell includes a series of readings, panels, workshops, master classes and free opening and closing parties. “The revised Groundswell still promotes women’s work, but the staged productions allow the writers to see their scripts in a fuller dimension,” adds Karn. She’s the one who made the connection with Halifax’s Zuppa Theatre, a company that Toronto audiences have seen as part of the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival. Zuppa’s Groundswell production – director Ann-Marie Kerr and performer Susan Leblanc-Crawford’s The Debacle – looks at loss through a character who tries to freeze memories of her dying sister. The playwrights of the two workshop productions are Torontonians with a previous connection to Nightwood. Lisa Codrington worked on her

theatre listings How to find a listing

Theatre listings are comprehensive and appear alphabetically by title. Opening plays begin this week, Previewing shows preview this week, One-Nighters are one-offs, and Continuing shows have already opened. Reviews are by Glenn Sumi (GS) and Jon Kaplan (JK). The rating system is as follows: NNNNN Standing ovation NNNN Sustained applause NNN Recommended, memorable scenes NN Seriously flawed N Get out the hook

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

F = festive/seasonal event

ñ= Critics’ pick (highly recommended) How to place a listing

All listings are free. Send to: stage@nowtoronto.com, fax to 416-364-1166 or mail to Theatre, NOW Magazine, 189 Church, Toronto M5B 1Y7. Include title, author, producer, brief synopsis, times, range of ticket prices (include stu/srs discounts and PWYC days), venue name and address and box office/info phone number. Listings may be edited for space. Deadline is the Thursday before publication at 5 pm.

= Critics’ Pick

play Cast Iron in 2003 as a member of the company’s developmental unit, Write from the Hip; she went on to run the writers’ unit for four years. Jordi Mand, whose entire professional writing experience has been with Nightwood, was a unit member for two years beginning in 2009. Their new scripts are two-handers in which the emotional and dramatic stakes keep escalating. Mand’s Between The Sheets is a confrontation between a young elementary-school teacher and an older mother at a parent/teacher night. Directed by Kelly Thornton, it features Susan Coyne and Christine Horne. “I wanted to explore isolation and loneliness, which is an inspiring topic in a strange way,” says Mand, who also heads the S.L.I.P. program at SummerWorks. “I began with the image of two women locked in a room. It took a while for me to discover where they were and the na-

Opening

LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini (Against the Grain Theatre). The classic opera is reset in contemporary Toronto and performed in English. Dec 1-3, Thu-Sat 8 pm. $35-$50. Tranzac, 292 Brunswick. againstthegraintheatre.com. CHICAGO by Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse and John Kander (City Youth Players). A 1920s chorus girl is charged with murder in this musical. Dec 1-4, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, mats Thu 10 am, Sun 1 pm. $24. City Playhouse Theatre, 1000 New Westminster, Vaughan. 905-882-7469. CRUSH by Hume Baugh (Optic Heart Theatre). A man moves into a trailer park and gets the attention of a gay man and his female friend, leading to desire, denial and violence. Previews Dec 1. Opens Dec 2 and runs to Dec 11, TueSat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $20, stu/srs $15, Tue/

NNNNN = Standing ovation

NNNN = Sustained applause

ture of their relationship. “Both women, devoted to their jobs, find themselves in a growing argument about what’s important in their lives.” Codrington’s The Aftermath brings together a determined mother and a perky Girl Guide during and after a cataclysmic storm. The playwright and Ijeoma Emesowum perform under Audrey Dwyer’s direction. “I always start a script with characters,” says Codrington. “Jane, the intense mother, was someone I created a long time ago but didn’t know where she ‘lived.’ After Hurricane Katrina, I became interested in why people choose to stay in disaster zones. I’m from Winnipeg, so the 1997 flood there was also a spur for me to investigate those who won’t leave their homes. “Vagus, the Girl Guide, could become a version of Jane, but she also has the potential to help Jane redeem herself.” Both playwrights like the new Groundswell format. “I’ve never had the chance to develop a play in this manner before,” says Codrington. “In the past I’ve often felt my way through a script by being inside and performing it. This kind of development is an opportunity to test-drive the play in a real production before another actor takes on the role.” “The process allows writers to look closely at their work from an objective perspective,” adds Mand. “We’re making cuts, tweaks and edits right up to the first performance. It’s so different from having our words read by actors behind music stands; now they’ll be off book and backed up by production elements. “Working like this has spoiled me. I never want to write a play in a different way.” 3

THEATRE REVIEWS

Thin Red

RED by John Logan, directed by Kim Collier (Canadian Stage). At the Bluma Appel (27 Front East). To December 17. $22-$99. 416-368-3110. See Continuing, page 72. Rating: NNN

Like those other one-word-titled plays Doubt and Proof, John Logan’s Red is the sort of middlebrow entertainment that attracts veteran actors and wins awards. But beneath the surface it’s not very complex, a failing this Canadian Stage production can’t overcome. The Tony Award-winning twohander has a promising set-up. It’s the late 1950s, and abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (Jim Mezon) has received a huge commission to paint a series of murals for the new Four Seasons restaurant in New York City’s Seagram Building. He’s just hired an eager new assistant, an aspiring painter named Ken (David Coomber), and over two years the pair (but mostly Rothko) pontificate about Nietzsche, lighting and the differences between the Apollonian and Dionysian approach to work. We know the Rothko canvases eventually end up at London’s Tate Modern, so there’s some susJim Mezon (left) and David Coomber shine a bit of light on Red.

jonkap@nowtoronto.com

MORE ONLINE Interview clips at nowtoronto.com

Sun pwyc. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst, Studio. 416-504-9971, crushplay.wordpress.com. HAIRSPRAY by Mark O’Donnell, Marc Shaiman, Thomas Meehan and Scott Wittman (St Michael’s College, U of T). A quirky 60s teen becomes popular and looks to change the world in this musical. Dec 1-3, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $20, stu/srs $12. Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-8849, uofttix.ca. FHOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS (Studio 60 Theatre). This musical revue features songs, dance and sketches with a seasonal theme. Opens Dec 7 and runs to Dec 18, Fri-Sat 8 pm, mats Dec 7 and 18 at 2 pm. $20. 60 Six Point. studio60theatreboxoffice.com. IT’S MUNSCH TIME (George Brown Theatre School). This family-friendly show is based on popular Robert Munsch stories. Opens Dec 3 and runs to Dec 10, Sat 1 pm. $18, srs $12 stu

NNN = Recommended, memorable scenes

$7. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Mill. 416-866-8666. JESUS CHRYSLER by Tara Beagan (Praxis Theatre). Set in 30s Toronto, this play looks at the activities and relationship of activist Eugenia ‘Jim’ Watts and poet Dorothy Livesay. Opens Dec 1 and runs to Dec 11, Tue-Sun 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $25-$30, mat $15. Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson, Backspace. 416504-7529, praxistheatre.com. MEMPHIS by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan (Dancap Productions). A white DJ falls in love with a black rock-and-roll singer in the 50s in this musical. Previews Dec 6. Opens Dec 7 and runs to Dec 24, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mats Sat-Sun 2 pm (see website for more performances). $51-$180. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge. 416-644-3665, dancaptickets.com. OFF BROADWAY ON STAGE (Angelwalk The-

NN = Seriously ﬂawed

continued on page 71 œ

N = Get out the hook

Nigel Shawn Williams (left) and Kevin Hanchard ruff it up in superb Topdog/ Underdog.

pense about how and why the Four Seasons commission falls apart. And Logan plants clues to foreshadow the artist’s eventual tragic end. Thankfully, the script offers vivid imagery – and a few bons mots – suitable for one of the greats of the 20th-century art world. As Rothko, Mezon exudes narcissism and alpha male aggression, no more so than in a frightening scene where he chastises Ken about the varieties of the colour red. The younger man is less developed, and Coomber suggests little about his past. Too bad director Kim Collier’s production isn’t more gripping. David Boechler’s set replicates Rothko’s loft studio, designed so a corner of it juts out into the audience. During transitions, screens move to almost enclose the set, with images (by Brian Johnson) projected onto them. The projections don’t add much, and the screens slide so slowly and creakily that they distract from GLENN SUMI the play.

Lots of bite TOPDOG/UNDERDOG by Suzan-Lori

Parks, directed by Philip Akin (Obsidian/Shaw). At the Theatre Centre (1087 Queen West). To December 4. $20-$30. 416-538-0988. See Continuing, page 72. Rating: NNNNN

Brotherly love vies with sibling competition in Suzan-Lori Parks’s searing Topdog/Underdog, a tense yet sometimes comic piece in which two black brothers, bizarrely named Lincoln and Booth, try to sort out their common past and make a difference in their futures. Booth, who boosts anything he can get his hands on, is practising to be a three-card monte hustler; Lincoln is paid to dress as his namesake and be shot over and over by sideshow patrons. Worse, he wears whiteface, which eats away at his sense of worth as a black man. Director Philip Akin’s excellent production takes us deep into their world. Though there’s tenderness between

the brothers, there’s also an everpresent tension that comes from abandonment, a sense of being tossed aside by their parents and the world at large. Repressed anger’s always close to the surface in Nigel Shawn Williams’s Lincoln; he takes care of his younger brother, but there’s an element of condescension in his manner. He’s a nostalgic dreamer, a man formerly good at cards but now fearful of even touching them. Kevin Hanchard’s Booth looks to the future, including a life with his girlfriend and success as a hustler. An abusive show-off at times, he easily falls back into the role of little brother, wanting both to learn from Lincoln and to show that he’s as good as his older brother. When they begin a game of threecard monte, you know their relationship has turned a fateful corner. The game ramps up their dreams; acrimony and insults start flying. Only one top dog can grab the bone. Akin moves the action along at rata-tat speed but sometimes slows it down to make an emotional point. He understands the play’s despair, humour, rivalry and compassion, occasionally evoking them simultaneously with the help of his fine actors. Catch Topdog/Underdog soon; it has an all-too-short run at the Theatre JON KAPLAN Centre.

Hail Hallaj

Dec 8, 2011, 6pm TIFF Lightbox

The Red Zone is a hip, intimate arts series where arts, culture, enterprise and ideas connect. Anything can happen in the Red Zone With a special solo appearance by Grammy-winner Alex Cuba plus a dance excerpt by NewYork City-based Javier Dzul

TIFF Lightbox, Bell Blue Room

350 King Street West (King & John) $25

First come, first served

Mix & mingle at 6 pm, light refreshments, Showtime: 7 pm

RED SKY Internationally renowned for its artistry and innovation, Red Sky is Canada's leading company of world Indigenous performance in dance, theatre and music.

ALEX CUBA A Latin Grammy winner with a heart as big as

his retro ‘fro, and trademark sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and rock chords.

Series presented by

Sandra Laronde, Artistic Director www.redskyperformance.com

HALLAJ by Peter Farbridge and Soheil Parsa (Modern Times). At Buddies in Bad Times (12 Alexander). To December 4. Pwyc-$35. 416-975-8555. See Continuing, page 71. Rating: NNNNN

JAVIER DZUL New York City-based Javier Dzul fuses Indigenous pre-Hispanic ritual and mythology in dance with the undulant muscularity of a jaguar.

A timely story about peaceful protest told with superb theatricality makes

continued on page 70 œ

nowtoronto.com REVIEWS, LISTINGS, CONTESTS AND MOR E

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The Children’s Republic by Hannah Moscovitch | directed by Alisa Palmer

tarragontheatre.com | 416.531.1827

STARRING: Emma Burke-Kleinman, Katie Frances Cohen, Mark Correia, Kelli Fox, Peter Hutt, Elliott Larson, Amy Rutherford | SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Camellia Koo | LIGHTING DESIGN: Kimberly Purtell | SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC: John Gzowski | STAGE MANAGER: Diane Konkin A CO-PRODUCTION WITH

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Modern Times’ Hallaj a must-see show. Peter Farbridge and Soheil Parsa’s play examines the life of the eponymous ninth-century Sufi philosopher and poet (Farbridge), whose ideas provoked the Orthodox Islamic leaders of the time to sentence him to death. On the eve of his public execution, Hallaj recalls his life, from his apprenticeship and split from the Sufi master Junayd (Steven Bush) to his first meeting with his wife, Jamil (Beatriz Pizano) and his disagreement with his follower Sharif (Carlos González-Vio) over whether to resort to violent protest. In jail, he discovers a sympathetic prisoner in a neighbouring cell (Stewart Arnott) and is visited by a corrupt police chief (John Ng) who offers him his freedom if he recants. The scope and range of the show are epic, yet director Parsa stages each moment vividly, using David DeGrow’s

Beatriz Pizano, Carlos González-Vio, Stewart Arnott and Costa Tovarnisky hurl themselves into Hallaj.

precise shafts of light and Thomas Ryder Payne’s atmospheric sound design to create memorable moments on Trevor Schwellnus’s simple yet effective set. Having Arnott’s prisoner speak from a hole high up in a wall works brilliantly, as does the occasional use of projections of abstract scratches. The performances couldn’t be better. Pizano subtly reveals different sides of Jamil each time we see her, while Ng nails the cop’s pomposity and menace. Bahareh Yaraghi, as the Caliph’s daughter, delivers a monologue near the end that’s poignant in its clarity and passion. Farbridge, onstage for nearly the entire show, commands attention with his easy access to emotion and his quicksilver changes between time periods. Helped by movement coach Thomas Morgan Jones, he’s also asked to thrash about like a dervish, and he invests these scenes with mystery and GLENN SUMI 3 ecstasy.

THe WizarD of oz: THe WickeDly Wacky family muSical adapted by Lorna Wright and

Nicholas Hune-Brown (Ross Petty Productions). A snowstorm transports a city girl to a wacky new world in this farcical version of the classic story. Opens Dec 1 and runs to Jan 6, 2012, TueSat 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm (see website for other dates/exceptions). $27-$85. Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge. 416-872-5555, rosspetty.com.

Previewing Fa Very luPe xmaS by Melissa D’Agostino (Fault Line Theatre). A feisty ñ South American immigrant hosts a Christmas party in this solo comedy. Previews Dec 7. Opens Dec 8 and runs to Dec 17, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Dec 11 at 2 pm (pwyc). $20-$25, preview $15. Gallery 918, 918 Bathurst. totix.com.

One-Nighters

FcHarleS DickenS’ a cHriSTmaS carol (St.

Cuthbert’s Anglican Church). John D Huston plays Charles Dickens and the MadriGALS sing in this theatrical adaptation. Dec 7 at 7 pm. $20, child $15. 1399 Bayview. 416-485-0329. GalGenlieDer a 3 (GalloWS SonGS) by Sofia Gubaidulina (Queen of Puddings). This 15song cycle sung in German features the text of poet Christian Morgenstern. Dec 7 at 8 pm. $25, stu/srs $15. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Mill. 416-866-8666, queenofpuddingsmusictheatre.com. Henri faberGé’S HeliGolanD follieS (Stages). The monthly series about an 1820s community seeking utopia continues. Dec 1 at 10 pm. Pwyc. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle. harthouse.utoronto.ca/arts/stages/henri. Jazz for mara by Lilly Barnes (The Barnes Family). Author Lilly Barnes weaves dramatic readings from her novel Mara with live music. Dec 1 at 8 pm. $20. MNJCC Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina. 416-924-6211, jazzformara.com. launDer your money WiTH reD beTTy (Red Betty Theatre). Live music, a silent auction and more raise funds for the company’s upcoming show. Dec 3 at 7 pm. $10. Reposado, 136 Ossington. red-betty.blogspot.com.

FmiSS ellen Terry anD mr alex Sinclair PreSenT cHarleS DickenS’ a cHriSTmaS carol (Celeste Sansregret/Alex Sinclair). Sansregret portrays actor Terry in this musical telling of the classic holiday ghost story. Dec 3 at 8 pm. $20, stu/srs $10. Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1691 Bloor W. sansregret.ca. THe PeneloPiaD (On Stage Performing Arts Theatre Series). Nightwood Theatre’s Kelly Thornton talks about the stage adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s book. Dec 5 at 7 pm. Free. Reference Library, 789 Yonge. 416-393-7011. ToronTo monoloGue Slam (Trane Studio). Twelve actors perform for three minutes each in front of a panel of judges. Dec 4 at 8 pm. $10. 964 Bathurst. toslam.com.

Continuing

THe cHilDren’S rePublic by Hannah Moscovitch (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company). Moscovitch’s latest play deals with a doctor and champion of children’s rights, Janusz Korczak, who runs a Warsaw orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto. Though the first act contains more setup than drama, the second act, with the help of a strong cast, involves us emotionally in the lives of the doctor and his charges. Runs to Dec 18, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mats Sat-Sun 2:30 pm. $38-$47, srs $33-$45, stu $20-$24. Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827,

= Critics’ Pick

“Worth the price of admission”

red – The Globe and Mail

hgjewishtheatre.com. nnn (JK) DyinG ciTy by Christopher Shinn (surface/underground theatre). A therapist confronts her late husband’s identical twin when he comes to talk about his brother. (See story at nowtoronto.com/stage). Runs to Dec 10, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $20-$25, Sun pwyc. Toronto Free Gallery, 1277 Bloor W. dyingcity.com. HallaJ by Soheil Parsa and Peter Farbridge (Modern Times Stage Company). This drama is based on the life of the 10thcentury Sufi poet Mansur el-Hallaj (see review, page 69). Runs to Dec 4, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $18-$35, Sun pwyc. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander. 416-975-8555, moderntimesstage.com. nnnnn (GS)

ñ ñ

by john logan directed by kim collier

production sponsor

a canadian stage/vancouver playhouse/citadel theatre co-production

on stage now until Dec 17 bluma appel theatre

print media sponsor

Photo of Jim Mezon by Bruce Zinger

by Francis Poulenc (U of T Faculty of Music Opera Division). Two one-act operas by Poulenc are performed in this double bill. Dec 1-4, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $30, stu/srs $20. Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park, MacMillan Theatre. 416-408-0208.

Fina

”

(out of 5) – Toronto Sun

radio sponsors

THe life anD TimeS of mackenzie kinG: THe HiSTory of THe VillaGe of THe Small HuTS, 1918-1939 by Michael Hollings-

worth (VideoCabaret). This instalment of Video Cabaret’s long-running Canadian history series follows Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King from the Roaring Twenties through the Great Depression to the beginnings of World War II. Highly stylized sets and props, as well as attention to all levels of society makes this hilarious take on history both engaging and comprehensive. Runs to Dec 18, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $20-$40. Cameron House, 408 Queen W. 416-703-1725, videocab.com. nnnn (Jordan Bimm) lorD arTHur SaVile’S crime adapted by Constance Cox from a short story by Oscar Wilde (The Village Players). A palm reader’s prediction sets off a a comedic chain of events. Runs to Dec 3, Thu-Sat 8 pm. $20, stu/srs $16. Bloor West Village Playhouse, 2190 Bloor W. 416767-7702, villageplayers.net. mary PoPPinS by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman (Mirvish/Disney Theatrical Productions/Cameron Mackintosh). A breathtaking spectacle, this big-budget Disney musical brings to life all the songs and magic of the original film. Picture-perfect as the mysterious nanny, Rachel Wallace impresses by singing, dancing and, um, believably flying. Runs to Dec 24, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun and Wed 2 pm (no eve show Dec 24; see website for other dates). $38-$185. Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King W. 416-8721212, mirvish.com. nnnn (Jordan Bimm)



NNNN

“This blazing performance is not one you’ll want to miss.”

“Fresh and Electrifying” NOW Magazine

Toronto Star

supported by

RITA & JEFF RAYMAN

the sankofa trilogy

T R I LO G Y P R E M I E R E | E X T R A S PA C E

written and performed by d’bi.young anitafrika | featuring word!sound!powah! | in repertory with blood.claat and benu

until DECEMBER 4 @

tarragontheatre.com | 416.531.1827

continued on page 72 œ

nnnnn = Standing ovation

(out of 4)

photo by che kothari

la Voix Humaine/leS mamelleS De TireSiaS

“

Photo: David Hou Design: jakcreative.com

atre). Hits from various off-Broadway musicals are performed in this revue. Opens Dec 7 and runs to Dec 11, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$35. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge. 416-872-1111, angelwalk.ca. Proof by David Auburn (QED Theatre Co-op). The death of a mathematician reunites his estranged daughters and a former student. Opens Dec 1 and runs to Dec 18, Tue-Sun 8 pm. $15-$20. The Branding Factory, 136 Geary, unit 215. secureaseat.com. SeuSSical Jr. (Liberty Junction Theatre Company). Youth perform the musical inspired by the stories of Dr. Seuss to raise funds for an orphanage in Haiti. Dec 2-4, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, mats Sat-Sun 2 pm. $14-$18. Burnhamthorpe Library, 1350 Burnhamthorpe E, Mississauga. libertyjunctiontheatre.com.

eek W l3

Dancemakers

œcontinued from page 68

Sergio Di Zio and Lesley Faulkner bring lots of life to Dying City.

Artistic Director Michael Trent

theatre listings

December 8–18, 2011

Preview December 7 Tickets at dancemakers.org Dancemakers Centre for Creation In the Distillery - 55 Mill Street The Cannery Building 58, # 313

nnnn = Sustained applause

Stories of rebellion, reflection, death and dance.

JACOB&NOVA

nnn = Recommended, memorable scenes

An evening of new works for Dancemakers by Jacob Zimmer and Nova Bhattacharya

nn = Seriously flawed

n = Get out the hook

NOW december 1-7 2011

theatre listings œcontinued from page 71

Miss ToronTo AcTs BAck by the Ditchwitch

Brigade (Pandemic Theatre). This multimedia performance presents an alternative history of beauty pageants in Toronto. Runs to Dec 4, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 5 pm. $15. Unit 102 Studio, 376 Dufferin. pandemictheatre. blogspot.com.

My MoTher’s iTAliAn, My FATher’s Jewish & i’M in TherApy by Steve Solomon (Philip Roger Roy/Dana Matthow/Bud Martin). Solomon performs his solo show about growing up in a wacky, bi-ethnic family. Runs to Jan 29, 2012, Wed 7 pm, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 5:30 pm, mats Sat-Sun and Wed 2 pm. $51.50-$56. Bathurst Street Theatre, 736 Bathurst. italianjewish.ca.

The new Groundswell FesTivAl – A nATionAl FesTivAl oF conTeMporAry ñ woMen’s TheATre (Nightwood Theatre).

Workshop productions of plays by Lisa Codrington, Jordi Mand and Ann-Marie Kerr & Susan Leblanc Crawford will be staged, plus readings, workshops and more (see story, page 68). Runs to Dec 10, performances TueSun 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm (see website for other events). $20, pass $45, some events free/pwyc. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 416-368-3110, nightwoodtheatre.net. reAsons To Be preTTy by Neil LaBute (Rogue Theatre Co-op). A quartet of friends and lovers become increasingly frustrated with the state

of their dead-end lives and with each other. Runs to Dec 4, Tue-Sun 8 pm, mats Sat-Sun 2 pm. $20. N/A Artspace, 1585 Dundas W, down the alley. secureaseat.com. red by John Logan (Canadian Stage/Vancouver Playhouse/Citadel Theatre). Painter Mark Rothko struggles to create a masterpiece in the face of fame, fortune and commercialism (see review, page 68). Runs to Dec 17, Mon-Sat 8 pm, mats Wed 1:30 pm, Sat 2 pm. $22-$99. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front E. 416-3683110, canadianstage.com. nnn (GS) The rez sisTers by Tomson Highway (Factory Theatre). Director Ken Gass uses colour-blind casting for this remount of Highway’s 1986 script about seven women on a Manitoulin Island reserve who dream of coming to Toronto play in a big bingo tournament. The actors are okay but not everyone’s in the same league, and the production feels under-rehearsed, with technical elements – particularly sound and lighting design – often distracting from the script. Runs to Dec 11, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $20-$45, Sun pwyc. 125 Bathurst. 416504-9971, factorytheatre.ca. nn (GS) ride The cyclone by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell (Acting Up Stage Company/Atomic Vaudeville). This mordantly funny musical about the young victims of a tragic amusement park ride accident features catchy, clever songs, all performed with balls-to-the-wall commitment by a fresh and multitalented ensemble. Sometimes the book, expanded since SummerWorks 2010, mars the pacing, but that’s a

quibble with a work this purely entertaining. Runs to Dec 3, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $30-$35, mat pwyc. Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson. 416-504-7529, actingupstage.com. nnnn (GS) The sAnkoFA TriloGy by d’bi.young anitafrika (Tarragon Theatre). The third part of the trilogy, word! sound! powah!, uses the prism of the 2012 Jamaican election to look at the possibility of social change through art. The extraordinary d’bi. young anitrafrika, playing multiple characters, enthralls the audience by drawing us into the storytelling and the action. Runs to Dec 4, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm. $20-$45. 30 Bridgman, Extra Space. 416531-1827, tarragontheatre.com. nnnn (JK) seussicAl by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Young People’s Theatre). Based on several Dr. Seuss works, including Horton Hears A Who and Horton Hatches An Egg, this lively musical is great family entertainment, despite a dip in energy near the end. Director Alan MacInnis’s production features some first-rate performers, including George Masswohl as Horton and Damien Atkins as a charming Cat in the Hat. Runs to Dec 30, Sat-Sun 2 pm, see website for other dates and times. $15-$20. 165 Front E. 416-862-2222, youngpeoplestheatre.ca. nnnn (JK) TopdoG/underdoG by Suzan-Lori Parks (Obsidian Theatre/Shaw Festival). Two brothers learn to survive as hustlers while trying to overcome their past (see

review, page 69). Runs to Dec 4, Tue-Sat 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $20-$30. Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen W. 416-538-0988, obsidian-theatre.com. nnnnn (JK) 2 piAnos 4 hAnds by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt (Mirvish). Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt’s cozy, clever 2P4H still has the thing that endeared itself to audiences fifteen years ago: the charming writer/performers making it all look easy, even when it isn’t Runs to Jan 5, 2012, see website for schedule. $49-$69. Panasonic Theatre, 651 Yonge. mirvish.com. nnnn (Naomi Skwarna) fwhiTe chrisTMAs by Irving Berlin (Civic Light Opera Company). This holiday musical is based on the 1954 film. Runs to Dec 17, Wed 7 pm, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (and Dec 17) 2 pm. $28. Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall. civiclightoperacompany.com. willow QuArTeT by Joan Burrows (Greenwillow Productions). A married woman dealing with a tragedy returns to her family’s farm and becomes interested in a visiting musician. Runs to Dec 3, Tue-Sat 8 pm. $25. Papermill Theatre, 67 Pottery. secureaseat. com. would you sAy The nAMe oF This plAy? by Berend McKenzie (Young People’s Theatre). A gay black youth deals with taunts and marginalization in this play for ages 14 and up (see review online at nowtoronto.com/ stage). Runs to Dec 3, call/see website for schedule. $15-$20. 165 Front E. 416-8622222, youngpeoplestheatre.ca. nnn (JK) 3

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Comedy listings appear chronologically, and alphabetically by title or venue. f = festive/seasonal event

ñ= Critics’ pick (highly recommended) How to place a listing

All listings are free. Send to: stage@nowtoronto.com, fax 416-364-1166 or mail to Comedy,NOWMagazine,189Church, TorontoM5B1Y7. Include title, producer, comics, brief synopsis, days and times, range of ticket prices, venue name and address and box office/info phone number/website. Listings may be edited for space. Deadline is the Thursday before publication at 5 pm.

Thursday, December 1 ABsoluTe coMedy presents Joe Minnitte, Scott McMann and host Matt Bergman. To Dec 4, Thu 8:30 pm, Fri 9 pm, Sat 8 & 10:45 pm, Sun 8 pm. $tba. 2335 Yonge. 416-4867700, absolutecomedy.ca. cArlA collins The Flying Beaver Pubaret presents the actor/comic in a live show. 9 pm. $20-$25. 488 Parliament. 647347-6567, brownpapertickets.com. coMedy ThursdAys The Starving Artist presents a weekly showcase w/ host Natasha Henderson. 9 pm. Free. 584 Lansdowne. 647342-5058, starvingartistbar.com.

ñdreAMs reAlly do coMe True! (And

oTher lies) Second City presents its latest revue, a high-energy, tons-of-laughs show that gets a big jolt of energy from four new writer/performers, a bold set and an amplified sound system. The writing is solid, but the performers sharpen each scene with their physicality, especially newcomer Alastair Forbes, a tall, lanky clown who’s unafraid of looking silly. A couple of political sketches hit their targets, and some very long sequences pay off nicely. But the funniest scenes involve a tech-challenged mom bribing her son and a surreal baseball sketch that defies time and place. Wed-Fri 8 pm, Sat 8 & 10:30 pm, Sun 7 pm. $24-$29, stu $15. 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011, secondcity.com. nnnn (GS) GiGGles @ The Groove The Groove Bar presents open-mic comedy w/ host Gilson Lubin. 9:30 pm. Free. 1952 Danforth. 647-350-1917. The iMprov show Comedy Bar presents Lauren Ash, Jan Caruana, Kerry Griffin, Rob Baker, Kayla Lorette, Carmine Lucarelli, Jerry Schaefer and Leslie Seiler. 8:30 pm. $5. 945 Bloor W. comedybar.ca.

AT NOWTORONTO.COM RULES AVAILABLE ONLINE. 4 PRIZES AND 1 GRAND PRIZE AVAILABLE.

second ciTy’s dysFuncTionAl holidAy revue Second City presents a ñ holiday-themed show of scenes and songs. fThe

To Dec 30, Mon 8 pm, Wed-Fri 2 pm. $15-$22. 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011, secondcity.com. The soAps The National Theatre of the World presents a weekly improvised soap opera. 8 pm. Pwyc. Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor W. thenationaltheatreoftheworld.com. The TAsTy show presents weekly stand-up w/ host Jeffrey Danson. 10 pm. Free. La Revolucion, 2848 Dundas W. 416-766-0746. The win-JesTer BuckeT oF coMedy Winchester Kitchen & Bar presents a weekly open mic w/ host Michael McLean. 9 pm. Free. 51A Winchester. 416-323-0051. yuk yuk’s downTown presents Manolis Zontanos. To Dec 4, Thu-Sun 8 pm (and Fri-Sat 10:30 pm). $12-$20. 224 Richmond W. 416-967-6425, yukyuks.com. yuk yuk’s vAuGhAn presents Freddy Proia, Tim Rabnett and Paul Haywood. To Dec 3, Thu 8 pm, Fri 9 pm, Sat 7:30 & 9:45 pm. $12$20. 70 Interchange Way. yukyuks.com. yuk yuk’s wesT presents Eddie Della Siepe, Pat Thornton and Jay Brown. To Dec 3, Thu 8 pm, Fri-Sat 9 pm. $12-$20. 5165 Dixie, Mississauga. yukyuks.com.

ART BY AMY GUIP

ñ ñ

Friday, December 2 ABsoluTe coMedy See Thu 1. coMedy on The dAnForTh Timothy’s World

DECEMBER 13–31

ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE 260 KING STREET WEST

416-872-1212 MIRVISH.COM 72

december 1-7 2011 NOW

= Critics’ Pick

nnnnn = You’ll pee your pants

nnnn = Major snortage

nnn = Coupla guffaws

News Café presents improv with Athletic Robot. 9 pm. Pwyc. 320 Danforth. 416-4612668, comedyonthedanforth.com.

dreAMs reAlly do coMe True! (And oTher lies) See Thu 1. feGG zeppelin holidAy speciAl Black Swan presents long-form improv about two guys running a diner w/ Kris Siddiqi, Marcel St

nn = More tequila, please

n = Was that a pin dropping?

Pierre and music by the Dirty Dishes. 8 pm. Pwyc. 154 Danforth. eggzeppelin.com. LAUNCHPAD COMEDY White Swan presents a weekly open mic w/ host Earl the Sqrl. 8:30 pm. Free. 836 Danforth. 416-463-8089. MICK FOLEY’S HARDCORE COMEDY TOUR The Comedy Addict presents the actor/author/ former pro wrestler performing a stand-up show. 8 pm. $20-$25. Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina. ticketweb.ca. THE PANEL SHOW MegaShark Productions presents a comedy quiz show w/ Ron Sparks, Steven Shehori, Ian MacIntyre, Rhonda Riche, Ned Petrie and others. 8 pm. $5. Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor W. comedybar.ca.

THE SECOND CITY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL HOLIDAY REvUE See Thu 1. YUK YUK’S DOWNTOWN See Thu 1. YUK YUK’S vAUgHAN See Thu 1. YUK YUK’S WEST See Thu 1.

Saturday, December 3 AbSOLUTE COMEDY See Thu 1. bLACK SWAN COMEDY presents Improv DropIn workshop. 6 pm. $5. Danforth Confidential: An Improvised Soap, part one of a threepart series. 8 pm. Pwyc. The Ladder, competitive comedy. 10 pm. Pwyc. Black Swan, 154 Danforth, 2nd floor. blackswancomedy.com.

THE ‘DEAR SANTA CLAUS, gO F#CK YOURSELF’ TOUR The Union presents Trailer

Park Boys Ricky, Julian and Bubbles in a new live show w/ guests Randy and Mr. Lahey. Doors 7 pm. $39.50-$59.50. Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 190 Princes’ Blvd. 416-870-8000, ticketmaster.ca.

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE! (AND OTHER LIES) See Thu 1. FTHE MIRACLE ON MERCER STREET

Second City presents all-ages seasonal ñ comedy mixing live-action sketches with pup-

petry and songs. To Dec 17, Saturdays at noon. $12, 4-pack $40. 51 Mercer. secondcity.com.

FTHE SAL & SANDY SHOW: HIgH HOLIDAY EXTRAvAgANZA Underground Comedy Club pre-

sents Christopher Sawchyn, Robert Keller and others. 9 pm. $15. 670 Queen E. 416-732-7761. SMASH HIT Opening Night Theatre presents a weekly improvised musical. 8 pm. Pwyc. Augusta House, 152 Augusta. openingnighttheatre.com. THE SUPERSTARS OF COMEDY Comedy Bar presents Rob Bebenek, Pat MacDonald, Rhiannon Archer, Gerry Hall and Keith Pedro. 9:30 pm. $10. 945 Bloor W. comedybar.ca. THEATRESPORTS Bad Dog Theatre presents a new cycle of unscripted comedy battles leading up to the Dec 10 Ca$h $howdown. 8 pm (undercard from 7 pm). $12, stu $10. Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor W. baddogtheatre.com. YUK YUK’S DOWNTOWN See Thu 1. YUK YUK’S vAUgHAN See Thu 1. YUK YUK’S WEST See Thu 1.

sents stand-up w/ Mark Debonis, Sandra Battaglini, Nonna Maria and others. 7 pm. $20$25. Royal Cinema, 608 College. bocchefresche.com.

$10. 268 Augusta. 416-840-0501.

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE! (AND OTHER LIES) See Thu 1. LAUgH SAbbATH presents Talent Show! w/

monthly show w/ guests Punch in the Box, Kerry Griffin and others. 8 pm. $5. Hard Luck Bar, 772a Dundas W. hardluckbar.com. OPEN MIC COMEDY AT THE PORT Jon Hyatt presents a weekly open-mic comedy show with musical guests. 9 pm. Free. The Port, 1179 Dundas W. 416-516-1270.

Chris Locke, Matt O’Brien, Steph Tolev, Nick Flanagan, Darryl Orr, Tom Henry, host James Hartnett and others. Doors 8:30 pm. $5. Rivoli, 332 Queen W. laughsabbath.com. MAJOR CELEbS & gENERAL FUN Inessa Frantowski presents a comedy and music benefit for Third World Awareness w/ Colin Mochrie, Jan Caruana, Scott Thompson, Kurt Smeaton, Jet Fighter Pilots, Lauren Ash, Norm Sousa and others. 10 pm. $25. Second City, 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011, secondcity.com. THE RYAN AND AMY SHOW The Flying Beaver Pubaret presents musical sketch comedy duo Ryan Steele and Amy Goodmurphy. 7 pm. $10-$15. 488 Parliament. brownpapertickets. com. YUK YUK’S DOWNTOWN See Thu 1.

Monday, December 5 ALTDOT COMEDY LOUNgE Rivoli presents Eddie Della Siepe, Ian Gordon, Barry Taylor, Rachelle Elie, MC K Trevor Wilson and others. 9 pm. Pwyc. Coming Soon... w/ Jay Scott, Rob Jodoin, Max Mitchell and MC Chris Locke. 11 pm. Free. 332 Queen W. altdotcomedylounge.com. bLACK SWAN COMEDY presents Black Swan Variety Hour w/ Huckleberry Funn, Randy Johnson and the Black Swan Players. 8 pm. Bi-Weekly Improv Jam. 10 pm. Pwyc. Black Swan, 154 Danforth, 2nd floor. 416-9035388, blackswancomedy.com. CHEAP LAUgHS MONDAY PJ O’Briens Irish Pub presents a show w/ Russell Roy and guests. 9 pm. Free. 39 Colborne. 416-815-7562. HARD TIMES AT THE HARD LUCK Impulsive Entertainment presents a comedy mashup w/ Rulers of the Universe, Pondward Bound, Plum Thunder, Jesse James Owens, host Arthur Simeon and others. 9 pm. $5. Hard Luck Bar, 772a Dundas W. hardluckbar. com. LAUgHAbLE AT UNLOvAbLE presents Pat Thornton, Gilson Lubin, Hunter Collins, Tim Golden, Helder Brum, Nick Flanagan and host Steph Tolev. 9 pm. Pwyc. Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas W. 416-532-6669.

ñ ñ

THE SECOND CITY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL HOLIDAY REvUE See Thu 1.

Tuesday, December 6 bLACK SWAN COMEDY presents The

Nick Pryce Televised Quiz Program w/ Dave Cooper and Jamie O’Connor. 10 pm. Pwyc. Black Swan, 154 Danforth, 2nd floor. 416-903-5388, blackswancomedy.com.

A CAvALCADE OF CHEER ñ Supermarket F

Sunday, December 4 AbSOLUTE COMEDY and the Second

City present the Stand-Up 101 Graduation Show. 1 & 3 pm. $5. Evening show details, see Thu 1. 2335 Yonge. 416-486-7700.

bOCCHE FRESCHE (FRESH MOUTHS) Festival of New ñ Italian Canadian Comedy pre-

Yo! Mark DeBonis hits Bocche Fresche on Sunday.

presents a comedy and music benefit in support of DeafBlind Ontario Services w/ host Todd Van Allen and others. 8 pm.

dance listings F = festive/seasonal event

Opening

ARAbESqUE WINTER gALA Arabesque Dance Company presents Yasmina Ramzy and student and company belly dancers. Dec 3 at 8 pm. $15-$20. Estonian House, 958 Broadview. 416-920-5593, arabesquedance.ca. CObA’S SUMT’INg SALT Collective of Black Artists presents its annual fundraising brunch with performances by company members and Beyond Sound. Dec 4 from 12:30 to 5 pm. $30, stu/srs $15. Coconuts Restaurant & Lounge, 2180 Steeles W. sumtingsalt.eventbrite.com. FROST Cadence Dance Studio presents dance inspired by the winter season and the poetry of Robert Frost. Dec 4 at 8 pm. $15-$20. Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester. 416260-1829, cadencedancestudio.ca. IMPULSE 2011 The School of Toronto Dance Theatre presents students performing works by Julia Sasso, Heidi Strauss and others. Opens

Dec 1 and runs to Dec 10, Thu-Sat 8 pm. $19, stu/srs $15. Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester. 416-967-6887, schooloftdt.org. JACOb AND NOvA MIXED bILL Dancemakers presents two new works by Jacob Zimmer and Nova Bhattacharya, performed by Amanda Acorn, Robert Abubo, Simon Renaud, Kate Holden and guest artist PierreMarc Ouellette. Previews Dec 7. Opens Dec 8 and runs to Dec 18, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 4 pm. $20-$25. Dancemakers Centre for Creation, 55 Mill, bldg 58, studio 313. 416-367-1800, dancemakers.org. FTHE NUTCRACKER State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents Vassily Vainonen’s 1934 choreography of the classic holiday ballet. Dec 3-4, Sat 7 pm, Sun 2 pm. $50-$80, child from $35. Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts, Mississauga. 905-306-6000, livingartscentre.ca.

OLDER & RECKLESS #24: WEST END EDITION MOonhORsE Dance Theatre ñ presents dance by Jennifer Lynn Dick, Michelle

COMEDY AND KARAOKE – SHORT FORM RICHARDS Impulsive Entertainment preñ sents the Short Form Richards in their

THE SECOND CITY’S IMPROv ALL-STARS

Second City presents a fast-paced, completely improvised weekly show. To Dec 6, 8 pm. $20, stu $15. 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011, secondcity.com. SH’LONg Black Swan presents short- and long-form improv w/ Gord Oxley, Alicia Douglas, Robert Hawke, Tracey Hoyt, Kyle Betts, Ralph MacLeod and others. 8 pm. Pwyc. 154 Danforth. 416-469-0537, blackswancomedy.com. SKETCHCOMEDYLOUNgE Rivoli presents The Liar Liar Show, an interactive show featuring 3 comics, 2 truths and one lie. 9 pm. Pwyc. 332 Queen W. sketchcomedylounge.com. STANDINg ON THE DANFORTH Eton House presents Matthew Holmes, Max Magas, David Lipinski, Julie Kim, Ryan Horwood, Shelley Marshall, Christopher Davidson, Ryan Long, Scott McMann and host Jo-Anna Downey. 9 pm. Free. 710 Danforth. 416-466-6161.

Check out NOW’s comprehensive listings in our NEW YEARS EVE Planner this coming December 15.

Get your event listed for free in NOW! Email: music@nowtoronto.com, Fax : Attn: NYE Listings, 416-364-1166 Mail/drop off: 189 Church Toronto, M5B 1Y7 Deadline for listings is Thursday, December 8, 5 pm.

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T’WAS THE bITCH SALAD bEFORE Buddies in Bad Times TheñCHRISTMAS atre presents the holiday-themed show w/ F

Debra DiGiovanni, Julia Hladkowicz, Allyson Smith, Emma Hunter, Heidi Brander and host Andrew Johnston. 8:30 pm. $10. 12 Alexander. femaledogsalad@gmail.com.

Toronto’s One-Stop Ticket Shop

Wednesday, December 7

Buy your discount tickets to theatre, dance, opera, comedy … and more!

AbSOLUTE COMEDY presents Pro-Am

Night w/ Nile Seguin, Danny Polishchuk, ñ Dale Cotnam, David Andrew Brent, Dr. Ron,

Kenny Molotov and host David Pryde. 8:30 pm. $tba. 2335 Yonge. absolutecomedy.ca. FCHRISTMAS @ CORKTOWN Betty’s presents a holiday show w/ DJ Demers, Todd Van Allen, John Hastings, Rachelle Elie, host Brian Coughlin and others. 9 pm. Free (donations to Daily Bread Food Bank appreciated). 240 King E. 416-988-2675, corktowncomedy. com. CHUCKLE CO. PRESENTS Comedy Bar presents weekly stand-up. 9 pm. $5. 945 Bloor W. comedybar.ca. COMEDY AT THE OSSINgTON presents Ali Hassan, Ladystache, Nick Flanagan, Julia Hladkowicz, Marc Hallsworth, hosts Steph Kaliner, Sara Hennessey and others. 9 pm. Pwyc. The Ossington, 61 Ossington. 416850-0161.

T.O.TIX In-person at Yonge-Dundas Square Tues-Sat, 12 - 6:30pm Online anytime at totix.ca T.O.TIX is also a TicketKing & Ticketmaster outlet

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE! (AND OTHER LIES) See Thu 1. THE SECOND CITY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL HOLIDAY REvUE See Thu 1. SIREN’S COMEDY Celt’s Pub presents open-

Celebrating 10 years of this Glorious Holiday Tradition!

mic stand-up w/ Marc-Anthony Sinagoga and host Jaime O’Connor. 8:30 pm. Free. 2872 Dundas W. 416-767-3339. SPIRITS COMEDY NIgHT presents Boyd Banks, Mark Walker, Lincoln Trudeau, Al Val, Richard Steudle, Alex Nussbaum, Nick Flanagan, Will Norris, Ben Beauchemin, Cal Post and host Jo-Anna Downey. 9 pm. Free. Spirits Bar & Grill, 642 Church. 416-9670001. 3

Silagy, Esmeralda Enrique and others. Dec 2-3 at 8 pm. $22, stu/srs $18. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington. 416-504-6429, eventbrite.com/event/2455612804. FSOULFUL MESSIAH Harbourfront NextSteps and Ballet Creole present a holiday production danced to Quincy Jones’s R&B rendition of Handel’s Messiah. Dec 2-4, Fri-Sat 8 pm, Sun 3 pm. $25-$45. Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000, balletcreole.org. FTOYLAND Ismailova Dance Theatre presents a holiday-themed show about a magical journey. Dec 3 at 8 pm. $10-$12. Pia Bouman School, 6 Noble, Studio. 647-829-4839, ismtheatreofdance.blogspot.com. TUMbLINg INTO LIgHT Diasporic Genius and Andrea Nann Dreamwalker Dance present a multimedia, multidisciplinary performance about descending into darkness and then returning to light. Dec 1-4, Thu-Sun 8 pm. $39. Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W. 416973-4000, diasporicgenius.com. TWILIgHT MIRAgE Mirage Bellydance Company presents dance by Lisa Webb, Danielle Lottridge, Serpentina North and others. Dec Black 3 Horizontal logo at 8 pm. $20-$25. Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College. 416-978-7986, miragebellydance.ca. 3

BalletCreole

Soulful Messiah Celebrating

Dec. 2 - 3, 2011, 8 p.m. Dec. 4, 3 p.m. More info visit balletcreole.org

Years

Fleck Dance Theatre Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416.973.4000

Artistic Director: Patrick Parson Special Guest: David Cox Lighting Designer: Brad Trenaman

Balle

NOW december 1-7 2011

movies more online nowtoronto.com/movies

Audio clips from interview with MICHAEL FASSBENDER • Q&A with STEVE McQUEEN • Friday column on TILDA SWINTON DOCS • and more

Michael Fassbender makes his characters as human as possible, “with a lot of ugliness and beauty.”

REVIEW

ACTOR INTERVIEW

KATHRYN GAITENS

MICHAEL FASSBENDER

Fassbender in focus

Actor caps breakout year with two intense performances By NORMAN WILNER

SHAME written and directed by Steve McQueen, with Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan and Nicole Beharie. An Alliance Films release. 99 minutes. Opens Friday (December 2). For venues and times, see Movies, page 77.

michael fassbender would probably wince at the idea of being called a breakout star; he’s been doing sterling work in movies for years. But in 2011 – three years after his bravura turn as Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen’s Hunger – he’s come into his own on a global scale. His layered turn as the young Magneto in this summer’s X-Men: First Class took the charismatic character actor from “that guy from Inglourious Basterds” to genuine megaplex fame. The fact that he could also be seen in theatres as the dour Mr. Rochester opposite Mia Wasikowska in Jane Eyre proved his range and versatility. This fall, he’s carrying two highly anticipated pictures – the graphically sexual drama Shame, which reunites him with McQueen, and David Cronenberg’s more stately A Dangerous Method, in which he plays a conflicted Carl Jung opposite Viggo Mortensen’s Sigmund Freud.

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

If it’s stressful, you’d never know it. Fassbender is affable and relaxed in the interview suite at the Toronto Film Festival, having just finished breakfast and settling in for a very long press day. “The last couple of weeks have been pretty insane,” he says, hours after winning the best-actor prize for Shame in Venice. “I’m not making any sense.” He makes perfect sense, though, when he starts talking about finding his characters. “Usually the process is pretty much the same,” he says. “Ninety per cent of it would be the same. And then the tweaks come about. When you’re doing something like A Dangerous Method, there’s an etiquette you have to follow. A hundred years ago, people held themselves differently. The physicality of the character is always very important for me – what sort of animal that character is, how he moves, how he embodies himself.” Fassbender uses a stiff wardrobe and perfect manners to play a European intellectual in A Dangerous Method, but he’s getting much more attention for his graphic nude scenes and raw intensity in Shame. As sexual compulsive Brandon, he

SHAME (Steve McQueen) Rating: NNN It’s a pity writer/director Steve McQueen has already made a movie called Hunger; that’d be an equally suitable title for this study of a successful New York suit (Michael Fassbender) who’s a slave to his sexual compulsions. Fassbender lays himself bare in every way imaginable. His measured physicality, and McQueen’s framing of it, brings to mind Christian Bale’s eroticized self-regard in American Psycho. (McQueen uses that movie as a reference point, though the motivations here are considerably more realistic.) But the forceful visual sensibility that worked so well in the abstract Hunger isn’t suited to the more human-scale story McQueen’s telling here, and Shame’s set pieces feel like showy flourishes rather than grace notes that clarify and amplify the drama. Co-star Carey Mulligan is terribly miscast in a key role – she’s just not credible as her character or as Fassbender’s sister. And McQueen finds the perfect ending in the final reel but shoots right on past it, the better to pile on two or three more NW big emotional moments.

plays a character who is predatory chemistry with a fellow actor, whethbut not a predator – and to show us er they be male or female – somethat unfiltered desire, the actor chose thing’s there that just sort of organicto strip away his acting tricks along ally happens. with his wardrobe. “With Steve, we seem to be on the “I wanted to keep Brandon as close same wavelength. We seem to want to me as possible,” he says. “Put up the same things from our characters: very [few] masks, or none, in fact. we want to make them as human as That’s something that Steve really possible. And in that humanity sort of pushes you to do. It’s sort of there’s a lot of ugliness, there’s beauty like ice skating, where you’re going – there’s a rawness and an openness along the side of the rink, hanging and an honesty that Steve brings on onto the railings, and Steve is like set with him. You can see his style inthat six-year-old that just goes flying fecting the crew one by one; it’s quite past and you think, ‘God, let go of the something to see.” 3 normw@nowtoronto.com railings!’ Yes, you’re gonna fall over and hurt yourself a little bit, but more online you’re gonna have a lot more fun in Interview clips at nowtoronto.com the middle of the ice than anything you’ll do skirting along the edges.” Fassbender is quick to credit McQueen with the success of his performance in Shame, saying that anything revelatory he did is entirely due to McQueen’s encouragement. “There’s something there that’s kinda hard Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender to describe,” he play siblings with major issues in Shame. says. “It’s like

GENDER-BENDING DRAMA

Boi meets girl TOMBOY (Céline Sciamma). 84 minutes. Subtitled. Opens Friday (December 2). For venues and times, see Movies, page 77. Rating: NNNN

Céline Sciamma’s compelling Tomboy has the wrong title. Laure (Zoé Héran) is not a football-playing tomboy who wishes she could have the freedom of movement boys are entitled to. Hers is a trans story – and a powerful one. When Laure moves with her family to a suburb outside Paris, she introduces herself to girl on the block Lisa (Jeanne Disson) as Mikhael. The neighbourhood kids welcome the new boy, and soon Lisa develops a crush on Mikhael, who’s growing comfortable with his new identity. He’s even fashioned a penis out of Play-Doh to stuff into his swim trunks. But as the first day of school draws near – when Mikhael will surely be outed – the tension deepens. Sciamma sets almost all the action among the preteens, creating a vivid portrait of kid culture. When not kicking ass at soccer, Laure is at home with her family. Her parents, though loving, are ill-equipped to deal with their daughter’s gender issues. But she has a beautifully drawn relationship with her younger sister, Jeanne (Malonn Lévana), who totally gets it. The actors are sensational. Lévana’s performance would be considered remarkably complex even if she weren’t under the age of seven. And Héran is fearless as the gender-variant Laure. A scene in which she examines her body in the mirror is gorgeous in the way it evokes her aching desire to be a boy. This film is not – despite what you read elsewhere – a lesbian coming-ofage story. Laure doesn’t want to be Mikhael because she’s a budding dyke hot for girls. She calls herself Mikhael because she relates to being a boy. Forget the sketchy title. Tomboy is SUSAN G. COLE terrific.

Zoé Héran (left) and Jeanne Disson explore gender in Tomboy.

= Critic’s Pick NNNNN = Top ten of the year NNNN = Honourable mention NNN = Entertaining NN = Mediocre N = Bomb

Documentary

Glasnost kids

Weak sequel

MY PERESTROIKA (Robin Hessman).

GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR

(Pamela Yates). 103 minutes. Some subtitles. Screens Wednesday (December 7) at the TIFF Bell Lightbox as part of Doc Soup. See Indie & Rep Film, page 83. Rating: NN

88 minutes. Subtitled. Opens Friday (December 2). For venues and times, see Movies, page 77. Rating: NNNN

If you’re a knee-jerk hater of the former Soviet Union, don’t assume that My Perestroika, which tracks five members of the last generation to grow up behind the Iron Curtain, will fuel your stereotypes. That’s the genius of Robin Hessman’s documentary, a hit at Sundance 2010. Andrei, a successful capitalist, operates a high-end shirt-and-tie shop, part of a French chain. Single mother Olga services pool tables. Former punk rocker Ruslan busks for small change. And Lyuba and Borya teach at one of the country’s oldest schools. Mixing archival footage of the mass spectacles of the subjects’ childhood under Leonid Brezhnev, home movies (Borya’s parents shot constantly) and intimate interviews – Hessman lived in Russia for five years in the 90s – My Perestroika paints a portrait of a generation struggling with mammoth social upheaval. But it doesn’t simply depict the former Soviet Union as repressive. Borya and Lyuba describe the pleasures of reading – the USSR was surprisingly open, intellectually speaking – and how they were taught the value of peace. Olga celebrates the beauty of equality – just about everyone owned a cottage – and misses the social safety net. The political freedoms fuelled by Mikhail Gorbachev’s glasnost have transformed the political landscape, but the economic “reforms” have been deeply problematic. Ruslan is disgusted by the commercialization of the music he loved. And though Andrei insists that he and others doing business are still anti-establishment, the billboards promoting Western brands – arrayed in a brilliant tracking shot – suggest that conformity in the new Russia has new clothes. SUSAN G. COLE Brilliant.

for evidence she may have caught on film, in the final cut and outtakes. That gives the director the opportunity to dust off her old 16mm reels for a new film about the investigation into the genocide and the role her old doc gets to play. Granito verges on being a meta-cinema case study: a documentary about the practical purposes a documentary can serve. Unfortunately, it rarely stays that complex, instead becoming a vanity project in which the filmmaker makes herself a subject. Some compelling characters remain on the periphery, like the victims who become human rights activists and the anthropologists who dig up the 20-yearold remains of the disappeared. Granito is so scattershot and unfocused that it fails to do justice to these important people.

Granito looks at victims of Guatemalan militia genocide like the Caba family.

Ofﬁcial Presentation

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Toronto International Film Festival

Ofﬁcial Presentation

Vancouver International Film Festival

Opening Film

Festival du nouveau cinéma Focus Section

“A BRAINY, VISUALLY ARRESTING BUT OH SO DISTURBING LOOK AT OUR UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY TO ENDANGER THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS.” BRENDAN KELLY, THE GAZETTE

“AN ADMIRABLE FILM THAT’S BOUND TO SPARK NECESSARY AND

You don’t often come across sequels to documentaries, but Pamela Yates has made Granito: How To Nail A Dictator as a follow-up to her 1982 doc When The Mountains Tremble. The original guerrilla doc covered the bloody conflict between Mayan peasants and the Guatemalan militia that resulted in genocide. More than two decades later, prosecuting attorney Almudena Bernabeu, who’s mounting a case against the Guatemalan dictator responsible for 200,000 deaths, approaches Yates

“Draws comparisons to Bertolucci’s Marlon Brando classic ‘Last Tango in Paris.’” - New York Post

★★★★

“Mesmerising. Dynamite performances.“

“A brave, tortured performance.“

- The Guardian

- The Times

“Provocative and powerful. Fassbender dazzles.“

“A stunningly original piece of film-making.“

- Total Film

- British Vogue

PASSIONATE DISCUSSIONS.”

MICHAEL

ANDREW PARKER, NOW MAGAZINE

RADHEYAN SIMONPILLAI

FASSBENDER

CAREY

MULLIGAN

SHAME A

S T E V E M CQ U E E N

INSPIRED BY THE RONALD WRIGHT BESTSELLER A SHORT HISTORY OF PROGRESS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MARTIN SCORSESE MARK ACHBAR BETSY CARSON ONF EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SILVA BASMAJIAN ONF PRODUCER GERRY FLAHIVE

NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, COARSE LANGUAGE

PRODUCED BY DANIEL LOUIS DENISE ROBERT NOT RECOMMENDED FOR YOUNG CHILDREN FACEBOOK.COM/ALLIANCEFILMS

In My Perestroika, Russians recall childhood events like participating as Young Pioneers in May Day celebrations.

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Progress report Director discusses what leads to societal collapse By Andrew PArker

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OCCUPY IDEAS

Where will the Occupy Toronto group go now that they’re out of St. James Park? Watch two speeches from the Design Exchange, including one from a National Post columnist.

Surviving Progress examines the cost of human advances.

“Charming, delicate and wholly captivating!” - Film Journal International

WATCH THE THRONE See two rap titans Kanye West

and Jay-Z cycle through a couple hits at their show at the ACC. Even if you didn’t like the album or any of the music, the videos are worth watching if only because of West’s Givenchy leather skirt.

“Tomboy has more depth and heart than perhaps any film in the last several years.” – Examiner.com

There’s a new kid in town. SMELLS LIKE THE 80’S

Local sketch troupe Smells Like The 80’s kicks off a night of improv sketches at The Comedy Bar as part of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. Watch as the boys do some dirty riffs on the names of Major League Baseball teams. Washington Nationals = Washing Men’s Rash Holes. 6:45 JIM CUDDY The Blue Rodeo frontman plays his hit Everyone Watched The Wedding at the Drake Hotel for a recent NOW Talks. 3:03

Surviving ProgreSS written and directed by Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks. An Alliance Films release. 86 minutes. Opens Friday (December 2). For venues and times, see Movies, page 77.

director mathieu roy understands timing. A few weeks after his film’s debut at the Toronto Film Festival and just prior to the explosion of the worldwide Occupy movement, the Surviving Progress co-director phones nearly breathless from Montreal after biking home from a meeting with his producers. His desire to release his third documentary in a timely fashion is understandable, since after five years of intense preproduction and research, the orientation of the film changed on the first day of shooting. “The financial crisis started in 2008 on the day we were starting to shoot,” says Roy, a former journalist. “The collapse of complex societies is often the result of ecological deterioration that happens because of fundamentalist behaviour.” Based on historian Ronald Wright’s A Short History Of Progress Massey Lectures, the film looks at “progress traps” – how humanity’s obsession with preventing short-term losses of convenience has stunted progress and evolution. Roy was brought on board by producer Denys Arcand after the famed

review surviving progress (Mathieu roy, Harold Crooks) rating: nnn Directors Mathieu roy and Harold Crooks adapt the work of historian ronald Wright to look at the ill-defined notion that all forms of human advancement are inherently positive. Wright and company (including Margaret Atwood and David suzuki) examine the difference between good and bad progress, and just how fuzzy the line between the two becomes when dealing with environmental, evolutionary and economic matters. The many topics the 86-minute film tries to cover would be better served by a miniseries or longer film. But this is an admirable and timely film that’s bound to spark necessary and passionate discusAP sions. director found the film’s source material needed a different perspective. “I’m 33, and my generation will be stuck with the problems and the progress traps we find ourselves in now,” says Roy. “There’s a thirst for truth that I see more and more, and telling things the way they are with no bullshit is something that’s really lacking in mainstream media.” The film doesn’t dwell on specifics, aside from several brief vignettes involving workers adversely affected by the push for short-term economic gains. Instead, it strives to spark a dialogue about problems without clear solutions. “We wanted to be more timeless, so we couldn’t rest on specific events,” says Roy. “But we tried to connect it to the Roman Empire’s collapse and how 2006 to 2008 was very similar to what happened in Rome. There’s definitely room in the film for debate, because it’s not as if we know how to fix this progress trap. This is something that’s bigger than me and all of us.” Roy hopes the film will continue to evolve as the face of progress changes. “We have many more stories and interviews that I’d like to release via our website (survivingprogress.com). We touched on so many issues that I wouldn’t be satisfied if we closed the books now.” 3 movies@nowtoronto.com

SKETCH WARS Watch three sketches in this improv battle royale!

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Co-director Mathieu Roy started filming Surviving Progress the day the financial crisis began.

nnnnn = Top ten of the year nnnn = Honourable mention nnn = Entertaining nn = Mediocre n = Bomb

movie reviews Playing this week How to ﬁnd a listing

Movie listings are comprehensive and organized alphabetically. Listings include name of ﬁlm, director’s name in brackets, a review, running time and a rating. Reviews are by Norman Wilner (NW), Susan G. Cole (SGC), Glenn Sumi (GS), Andrew Dowler (AD) and Radheyan Simonpillai (RS) unless otherwise speciﬁed. The rating system is as follows: NNNNN Top 10 of the year NNNN Honourable mention NNN Entertaining NN Mediocre N Bomb

Ñ= Critics’ pick (highly recommended) Movie theatres are listed at the end and can be cross-referenced to our ﬁlm times on page 80. ANONYMOUS (Roland Emmerich) is a Da

Vinci Code wannabe that questions the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays to unspool a ridiculous plot about burned manuscripts, incest and royal bed-hopping. Disaster pic specialist Emmerich makes the most of his CGI-created Elizabethan setting and mob scenes, but the tone is wildly uneven and the performances stiff. 130 min. N (GS) Carlton Cinema, Interchange 30, Kingsway Theatre, Yonge & Dundas 24

ñARTHUR CHRISTMAS

(Sarah Smith) is the best all-ages Christmas movie since Elf. It’s a giddy, computer-generated romp through the hierarchy of the North Pole, with Santa’s awkward younger son (voiced by James McAvoy) racing with his geriatric granddad (Bill Nighy) on an outmoded sleigh to bring an undelivered present to a child on Christmas morning. As they’ve done since the early days of Wallace & Gromit, Aardman’s animators lure us in with clever jokes and ingenious visuals, and then sucker-punch us by revealing unexpected emotional depths. And then there’s Bryony the wrapping elf, who deserves her own sequel. 97 min. NNNN (NW) 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Carlton Cinema, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Grande - Steeles, Grande - Yonge, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Yonge & Dundas 24

ñBUCK

(Cindy Meehl) is a documentary about the rugged, plain-spoken horse trainer Buck Brannaman, who came by his remarkable empathy the hard way: as a boy in Montana, he and his brother were removed from the care of their violent, alcoholic father and rehabilitated by compassionate foster parents. It’s enough to break your heart, even as it heals his own. 88 min. NNNN (NW) Regent Theatre

CAFÉ DE FLORE (Jean-Marc Vallée)

finds writer/director Vallée returning to the fluid, intuitive filmmaking that made him a sensation with C.R.A.Z.Y. Café De Flore plays out a complex, time-jumping narrative involving a present-day Montreal father (Kevin Parent) in the throes of a midlife crisis and the mother (Vanessa Paradis) of a Down syndrome child in 1969 Paris. Parent’s character is a DJ, and that’s the role Vallée assumes as a filmmaker, tracking powerful emotional beats against themes sampled from Krzysztof Kieslowski, Nicolas Roeg and early Denis Villeneuve. Some people are going to hate it; I found it bracing, daring and entirely invigorating. A word of advice: when the credits start roll-

ing, remain seated. Subtitled. 120 min. NNNNN (NW) Cumberland 4

CONTAGION (Steven Soderbergh) is a

disease procedural about the Center for Disease Control’s response to the outbreak of an unknown virus with the potential to kill millions. Soderbergh keeps the action zipping along like a thriller with short, sharp scenes, purely visual storytelling and liberal use of pounding music. 105 min. NNN (AD) Yonge & Dundas 24

THE DEBT (John Madden) has plot holes all over the place – no one notices spies smuggling a body into an apartment, for example – but it’s an effective nail-biter. Three Mossad agents return to Israel as heroes after they’ve tracked down and killed a Nazi war criminal. Or have they? The Debt features a fascinating moral dilemma, but that doesn’t surface till way late, so the film isn’t nearly as weighty as it wants to be. It’s really just a thriller with superb performances, especially by Helen Mirren as the agent whose daughter has written a book about the case, and Tom Wilkinson as the spymaster who fears for his reputation. Watch for the scene where one of the spies gets a gynecological exam. Totally terrifying. 112 min. NNN (SGC) Mt Pleasant

ñTHE DESCENDANTS

(Alexander Payne) stars George Clooney as a Hawaiian lawyer trying to cope with his wife’s impending death from a brain injury, figure out how to relate to his two young daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) and digest the revelation that she was cheating on him before her accident. Payne’s first feature since Sideways treads the same prickly, seriocomic ground, focusing on a man who’s not quite as equipped to deal with himself as he believes himself to be. The subject matter plays more seriously, but Clooney’s textured performance pulls uneasy laughs out of the misery, and the kids are terrific at the complicated emotional turns. And as good as they all are, it’s Judy Greer who ends up stealing the picture with just three stunning scenes as a sympathetic spectator to the family drama. 115 min. NNNN (NW) Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Grande - Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Mississauga, Varsity

DOLPHIN TALE (Charles Martin Smith) is a clichéd and overlong inspirational film about a young boy (Nathan Gamble) who helps to rehabilitate an injured dolphin. Sloppily paced and illogically plotted, the film does boast some good performances and cute animal antics, but adults will find it a long sit. 113 min. NN (Andrew Parker) Kingsway Theatre

ñDRIVE

(Nicolas Winding Refn) is a solid riff on stylish 80s brooders like Michael Mann’s Thief and William Friedkin’s To Live And Die In L.A. As a stunt driver who moonlights as a wheelman for hire, Ryan Gosling finds the middle ground between Steve McQueen and a Terminator, but Albert Brooks walks off with the picture as a gimlet-eyed heavy with a fondness for edged weapons. 100 min. NNNN (NW) Carlton Cinema, Interchange 30, Kingsway Theatre

ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN (José Padilha) is a kinetic, blood-soaked action movie that plays like a jacked version of The Wire. Wagner Moura (with Mark Ruffalolike intensity) stars as Nascimento, the former head of an aggresive special ops unit (their nickname is the Skulls) who gets promoted to the political side of the war on drugs. From behind a desk, he proves especially effective in tooling up the Skulls with

massive firepower and getting rid of the cartels, but that leaves a crime vacuum in the slums that corrupt cops are more than willing to fill. The plot’s riddled with as many contrivances as bullets, and the film’s moralizing, finger-wagging conclusion seems like a fairy tale, but the gritty aesthetic, intense violence, pulsating pace and gallery of rogue characters serve as enjoyable distractions from those flaws. Elite Squad is gruesome and entertaining but earnestly tries to be more. Subtitled. 116 min. NNN (RS) Cumberland 4

Flick Finder

NOW picks your kind of movie DRAMA

FAMILY

CANADIAN SEASONAL

THE DESCENDANTS

THE MUPPETS

CAFE DE FLORE

EVERYTHING & EVERYONE (Tracy D. Smith) 100 min. See review, page 83. NN (NW) Opens Dec 2 at the Projection Booth (see Indie & Rep Film, page 83).

ñ50/50

(Jonathan Levine) is a shaggy and entertaining buddy movie that just happens to have life-or-death stakes, based as it is on screenwriter Will Reiser’s own diagnosis with a rare spinal tumour. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is terrific, Anna Kendrick is great as his novice therapist and Seth Rogen – essentially playing himself – is rock-solid. 99 min. NNNN (NW) Canada Square, Carlton Cinema, Grande Yonge, Kingsway Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre

George Clooney plays a Hawaiian lawyer who tries to track down his comatose wife’s lover in this dark comedy by Alexander Payne (Sideways). Terriﬁc performances.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and all the other felt puppets come to life in this nostalgic crowdpleaser about a big comeback, also starring humanoids Jason Segel and Amy Adams.

C.R.A.Z.Y. director Jean-Marc Vallée’s poetic and challenging drama tells two stories: one about a middle-aged DJ in contemporary Montreal, the other about a single mom in 1969 Paris.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

This pic about Santa’s awkward son (voiced by James McAvoy) could become a holiday classic. No wonder – it’s by Aardman Animation, creators of Wallace & Gromit.

FOOTLOOSE (Craig Brewer) is a slavish re-

make of a movie that wasn’t all that good to begin with. Kenny Wormald steps into Kevin Bacon’s dancing shoes as Ren, a twinkle-toed teen from Boston who moves to a Southern city where partying’s outlawed. Wormald (a charmless actor but a very capable dancer) sticks to Bacon’s old moves, which aren’t exactly a thrill in the age of Step Up and How She Move. 113 min. N (RS) Interchange 30

ñTHE GUARD

(John Michael McDonagh) is showy, smart and hysterically funny, which is no mean feat for a movie about a small-town Garda sergeant (Brendan Gleeson) and an FBI agent (Don Cheadle) on the trail of a drug-smuggling ring in rural Ireland. Damned if it isn’t one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. 96 min. NNNNN (NW) Canada Square, Carlton Cinema

ñHAPPY FEET TWO

(George Miller) continues the CGI saga of Mumble the tap-dancing penguin – voiced again by Elijah Wood – by giving him a son who doesn’t want to dance. But that becomes a secondary issue once a glacial catastrophe separates them from the rest of their Antarctic colony. Director and co-writer Miller brings back most of your favourite characters (as well as the ones voiced by Robin Williams) and introduces a few intriguing new ones: a puffin named Sven (Hank Azaria, basically recycling Bartok the bat from Anastasia) who promises salvation through flight and a particularly ambitious krill (voiced with considerable good humour by Brad Pitt) whose existential crisis sends him on a quest for purpose under the ice shelf. It sounds crazy, and yet it all builds to a spectacular and even moving payoff. It’s incredible that a movie this objectively nuts can reach for that sort of profundity and achieve it. 100 min. NNNN (NW) 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Carlton Cinema, Coliseum Mississauga, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande Steeles, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Yonge & Dundas 24

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THE HELP (Tate Taylor) is a successful

adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s megaselling novel thanks to another powerful performance by Viola Davis (Doubt) as a maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who agrees to share her story with an upstart journalist. Too bad the junior league matrons exploiting the help play their parts to stereotypically shrieking heights. 137 min. NNN (SGC) Canada Square, Interchange 30

HUGO (Martin Scorsese) is the first Scor-

sese picture that doesn’t feel like a Scorsese picture. It’s set in and around a Paris train station somewhere in the late 1920s, where the eponymous urchin (Asa Butterfield)

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brinksmanship, but it’s performed by a cast spends his days hidden within the station working at peak efficiency. 100 min. NNNN walls, maintaining the building’s huge clocks. When Hugo pilfers toy parts from a (NW) crotchety shop owner (Ben Kingsley), it Canada Square, Eglinton Town Centre, triggers a series of discoveries which lead Grande - Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20, to... well, a heartfelt appeal for film preserQueensway, Varsity, Yonge & Dundas 24 vation and a love song to pioneering film IMMORTALS (Tarsem Singh) is the latest director Georges Méliès. That’s because Greek mythology movie to follow 300’s Hugo isn’t really the story of an urchin in a lead by wallowing in carnage. Future Man train station; that’s just its starting point. of Steel Henry Cavill lets his pecs do the You can feel Scorsese growing less and less talking as Theseus, a interested in the emopeasant warrior who tional beats, because must protect the heavhe’s itching to get to the EXPANDED REVIEWS ens and earth from Mickset pieces, where he can nowtoronto.com ey Rourke’s would be resurrect the images conqueror. With characand techniques of the ters as colourless and stiff early silents he so clearly loves. I don’t beas Greek statues, Immortals has a whole lot grudge Scorsese for making this bauble; of torture and death, but not enough life. after decades of tireless advocacy for cin111 min. NN (RS) ema history, it’s probably the best way to 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Carlton get his message out. I just don’t know Cinema, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum whether it works as a movie. 126 min. NNN Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, (NW) Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, ColiEmpress Walk, Grande - Steeles, Queensway, seum Scarborough, Courtney Park 16, EglinRainbow Woodbine, Scotiabank Theatre, ton Town Centre, Grande - Yonge, InterSilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Yonge, Silverchange 30, Queensway, Rainbow Market City Yorkdale Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow

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Woodbine, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Varsity

ñTHE IDES OF MARCH

(George Clooney) is a nimble adaptation of Beau Willimon’s stage play Farragut North, about the ideological deflowering of a campaign strategist (Ryan Gosling) as he ushers a hopey-changey Democratic governor (Clooney) through the Ohio presidential primary. The plot’s a Mamety mixture of betrayal, disillusionment and high-stakes

IN TIME (Andrew Niccol) posits a future where time is literally money: people stop aging when they turn 25, and they get one year of time to spend as they see fit. (When you go broke, you drop dead.) When a working-class guy (Justin Timberlake) lands in possession of an extra century, he goes on the run with a wealthy young woman (Amanda Seyfried) to beat the system. The first hour is vibrant allegorical SF; the second devolves into a lot of running and jumping, and the capitalism metaphor hits a conceptual dead end. 109 min. NN (NW)

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J. EDGAR (Clint Eastwood) is the latest in Eastwood’s late-period series of stately patrician duds. Dustin Lance Black seems to be writing a Douglas Sirk melodrama playing out in the corridors of American power, but Eastwood dances around the sexually risky material without ever fully committing to it. It’s just one big missed opportunity. 135 min. NN (NW) Canada Square, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Grande - Steeles, Grande - Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Mississauga, Varsity

His atmospheric, operatic, end-of-theworld allegory feels a bit like two separate movies that never fully connect the way the planets do in its conclusion. The first chapter is a delightfully sinister comedy about a wedding, its resentful guests and a bride (Kirsten Dunst) who suffers from depression on her big day. In the second chapter, a waiting game for mysterious planet Melancholia’s collision with Earth, von Trier patiently ratchets up the anxiety only subtly felt in the earlier segment. It’s an insightful metaphor for people who, like the planets, are better left in their own space. 135 min. NNNN (RS) TIFF Bell Lightbox, Varsity

JACK AND JILL (Dennis Dugan) is Adam

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA is

Sandler’s latest overextended sketch. He plays both a commercial director trying to land Al Pacino for an ad and his annoying twin sister, who inexplicably attracts the actor’s eye. The irritating one-note comedy is worth watching only to see Pacino deliberately ham his way into self-parody for once. 91 min. N (Phil Brown) 401 & Morningside, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande - Steeles, Queensway, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Yonge & Dundas 24

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN (Oliver Parker)

returns Rowan Atkinson to his inexplicably popular slapstick spy spoof to stop an assassination plot and uncover the identity of a secretly evil colleague. Atkinson trots out stale one-liners and boring physical business (more often than not involving his groin) that never elicits more than a smile. With a supporting cast full of straight men, there isn’t even anyone to pick up the comedy slack. Sadly, the film is yet another depressingly mediocre effort from the once brilliant creator of Black Adder and Mr. Bean. 101 min. NN (Phil Brown) Yonge & Dundas 24

LE HAVRE (Aki Kaurismäki) strains credulity,

but that’s the point. Good-hearted French bohemian Marcel (André Wilms) works shining shoes in the port city of Le Havre, and times are very tough. But he’s well loved by his friends, neighbours and especially his wife (Kati Outinen), who, unbeknownst to him, is gravely ill. When he decides to help an illegal refugee (Blondin Miguel), he must figure out a way to elude a very dogged police inspector (Jean-Pierre Darroussin). This is an unabashed fairy tale that doesn’t ooze irony like Finnish director Kaurismäki’s other movies. But it expertly evokes its titular location and has many quiet pleasures, chief among them its deft performances. Wilms especially is a delight, the kind of sly fox you want to root for. Subtitled. 93 min. NNN (SGC) Mt Pleasant, TIFF Bell Lightbox

ñLIKE CRAZY

(Drake Doremus) tracks American Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and Brit Anna (Felicity Jones), who fall madly in love in college and then are separated. The spare, improvised script and deeply felt performances by the appealing leads make this a real heartbreaker, the most affecting romance since John Carney’s Once. 84 min. NNNN (GS) Grande - Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20, Varsity

THE LION KING 3D (Roger Allers, Rob

Minkoff) is a re-release in 3-D of the iconic animated film about a death, love and courage on the African veldt. 87 min. Interchange 30

MARGIN CALL (J.C. Chandor) frames the first 48 hours of the 2008 financial meltdown like a moral horror story, as the traders at an over-leveraged Wall Street firm debate whether they should save themselves at the expense of the global economy. Kevin Spacey is flat-out brilliant as a company lifer who sees what’s coming but is powerless to stop it. 106 min. NNNN (NW) Kennedy Commons 20, Yonge & Dundas 24

ñMELANCHOLIA

(Lars von Trier) gets under your skin, and a moody aftertaste sticks with you long after it’s over. Given its contemplative vision, the director is obviously invested in what’s onscreen.

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

a live broadcast in high-def of the Handel opera, starring Renée Fleming in the title role and conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket. 255 min. Dec 3, 12:30 pm, at Beach Cinemas, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Eglinton Town Centre, Grande Yonge, Queensway, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Woody Allen) casts Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams as an engaged couple vacationing in Paris, where at midnight, a vintage cab picks up a wandering Wilson and takes him back in time to meet the great artists of the 20s. It’s a pleasurable narrative hook, but the message that life is best lived in the present tense is too banal to make us care. 94 min. NN (SGC) Carlton Cinema, Regent Theatre THE MILL AND THE CROSS (Lech

Majewski) uses almost no dialogue in a meditation on what inspires a work of art, specifically Pieter Bruegel’s 16th century The Procession To Cavalry, painted during Spain’s occupation of Flanders and relentless repression of the Reformation. In the painting, Spanish cavalry lead Jesus to his execution through a crowd of nearly 500 Dutch villagers while a godlike miller looks down from a gigantic rock. Majewski doesn’t just probe the creative process, he gets inside the painting itself, imagining the daily lives of the villagers and the brutality of the occupiers. By ingenious means – meticulous art direction, the use of blue screen and more – the action seems to take place in the painted landscape, which appears as the background in almost every shot. You’ll either call this a pretentious piece of ponderous pageantry or go crazy for it. Put me in the second category. Amazing. 95 min. NNNN (SGC) Carlton Cinema, TIFF Bell Lightbox

MONEYBALL (Bennett Miller) makes an entertaining if undistinguished sports movie out of Michael Lewis’s book about GM Billy Beane’s revolutionary statistics-based redesign of the 2002 Oakland As. It’s charming enough, though the midsection sags and the ending goes on about three beats longer than it should. 126 min. NNN (NW) Canada Square, Carlton Cinema, Eglinton Town Centre, Grande - Yonge, Interchange 30, Kennedy Commons 20, Kingsway Theatre, Yonge & Dundas 24

seum Mississauga, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande - Steeles, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Yonge & Dundas 24

ñMY PERESTROIKA

(Robin Hessman) 87 min. See review, page 75. NNNN

(SGC) Opens Dec 2 at the Royal (see Indie & Rep Film, page 83).

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (Simon Curtis) is

as star-struck by its subject as its narrator is. The film is based on the memoirs of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), who served as third assistant director to Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) on the disastrous production of The Prince And The Showgirl. A gofer on set, Colin must keep tabs on the high-maintenance Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams, excellent), a task that leaves him vulnerable to her charms. There’s a coming-of-age tale buried somewhere here, in which Colin learns to be a man at the feet of the sassiest of women. Unfortunately, he barely registers as a character in a film that’s as easily distracted as Monroe. The film fails to come into focus on

Shame

ñTHE MUPPETS

(James Bobin) shouldn’t work. The story is clichéd, the music isn’t great, and the focus shifts awkwardly between small-town brothers Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (a Muppet voiced by Peter Linz) and the classic characters we know and love. But somehow, once our new heroes have convinced Kermit and company to save their theatre from an evil oilman, none of that matters. Co-written and co-produced with deep, abiding love by star Segel, The Muppets recaptures the unpredictable energy and genuine magic of Jim Henson’s beloved felt creations and releases that energy back into the wild. It reminds us how much we love Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy, Animal, the Swedish Chef and all the rest, and it lets a lot of famous people – among them Feist, Emily Blunt and Neil Patrick Harris – pop up to express their own affection. No, the new songs by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie don’t have the scale or impact of The Rainbow Connection; what could? But when Camilla the chicken covers Cee Lo, all is right with the world. 98 min. NNNN (NW) 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Coli-

Watch it Online Trailers for all films at

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= Critics’ Pick NNNNN = Top ten of the year NNNN = Honourable mention NNN = Entertaining NN = Mediocre N = Bomb

improbable comic caper that’s actually entertaining – up to a point. 104 min. NNN (RS) 401 & Morningside, Canada Square, Carlton Cinema, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande - Steeles, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Woodbine, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Yorkdale

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the twilight saga: breakiNg DawN Part 1 (Bill Condon) picks up on the heels

Asa Butterfield plays the title character in Martin Scorsese’s un-Scorsese-like Hugo. her, acknowledging the void between Monroe’s public persona and private life while doing very little to fill it. 101 min. NN (RS) Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Grande - Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, SilverCity Mississauga, Varsity, Yonge & Dundas 24

NatioNal theatre live: Collaborators is a broadcast in high-def of John

Hodge’s play about an imaginary encounter between Joseph Stalin and writer Mikhail Bulgakov, live from London’s National Theatre. Dec 1, 7 pm, at Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Grande - Yonge, Queensway, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Yonge

ParaNormal aCtivity 3 (Henry Joost,

Ariel Schulman) finds the found-footage franchise jumping back to 1988 for a prequel that documents the first encounter between young Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) and the supernatural force that would return to torment them as adults. Directors Joost and Schulman abandon the series’ locked-down, slow-burning aesthetic for editorial jumps and a really annoying number of false scares. 84 min. NN (NW) Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Yonge & Dundas 24

Puss iN boots (Chris Miller) is an enter-

taining prequel for kids and adults focusing on the feline outlaw (voiced by Antonio Banderas), who teams up with his former best friend, Humpy Dumpty (a great Zach Galifianakis), to steal the goose that lays the golden eggs. Top-notch animation and voice performances compensate for some pretty sizable plot holes. 90 min. NNN (Andrew Parker) 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Carlton Cinema, Coliseum Mississauga, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande Steeles, Humber Cinema, Kennedy Commons 20, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Mississauga, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale

real steel (Shawn Levy) has surprising

heart and intelligence for a movie about a father and son who bond over outsized games of Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots. That’s largely due to Hugh Jackman’s performance as a boxer-turned-robot-promoter who grudgingly takes charge of the son he barely knows (Dakota Goyo). It’s utterly predictable, but Levy hits his marks with warmth and energy, letting Jackman sell us on the emotions and the effects. And the kid’s pretty good, too. 127 min. NNN (NW) Interchange 30

the rum Diary (Bruce Robinson) brings Hunter S. Thompson’s early novel about a rookie journalist (Johnny Depp) plunged into the political corruption and general debauchery of 1960 Puerto Rico to the screen with its semi-autobiographical nature front and centre. It doesn’t totally gel, but Aaron Eckhart and Amber Heard do some really interesting work in the margins. 119 min. NNN (NW) Kingsway Theatre, Yonge & Dundas 24 shame (Steve McQueen) 99 min. See interview and review, page 74. NNN (NW) Opens Dec 2 at Varsity.

the skiN i live iN (Pedro Almodóvar) features all of Almodóvar’s trademark kitsch, melodrama and recurring questions about sexual identity and voyeurism. Antonio Banderas plays a mad scientist who experiments with engineered skin on a fetching lab rat he keeps locked in his home. The jaw-dropping revelations and startling twists from tragedy to dark comedy would normally be impossible to swallow, but with Almodóvar it’s a weird and delectable dish. Subtitled. 117 min. NNN (RS) Canada Square, Cumberland 4, Yonge & Dundas 24 surviviNg Progress (Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks) 86 min. See interview and review, page 76. NNN (Andrew Parker) Opens Dec 2 at Cumberland 4. take shelter (Jeff Nichols) reunites

Shotgun Stories director Nichols with star Michael Shannon for a piercing character study of a husband and father who starts having apocalyptic dreams every night. Shannon’s wrenching performance is the film; he conveys the uncertain terror of a man who’d almost prefer to be losing his mind if it means the rest of the world keeps going. 121 min. NNNN (NW) Carlton Cinema

tomboy (Céline Sciamma) 84 min.

See review, page 74. NNNN (SGC) Opens Dec 2 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

tower heist (Brett Ratner) stars Ben

Stiller as Josh, the GM at a chic Manhattan residence where the mad wealthy get along winningly with the building’s staff – so long as everyone knows their place. When top resident Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is arrested for securities fraud, and the staff are among his victims, Josh plans a payback scheme to relieve Shaw of a $20 million stash, enlisting a small-time criminal (Eddie Murphy) as a consultant. Murphy initially delights but wears out his welcome as soon as the heist begins. That’s when the laughs peter out, and the incoherent robbery goes down without a lick of sense to it. It’s an

of last year’s Eclipse, finding Bella and Edward embarking on their grand voyage into matrimony and finally consummating their love. Because author Stephenie Meyer is so terrified of sex that she wrote a four-book cycle about it, Bella gets knocked up with a parasitic monster fetus that puts her own life in danger, whereupon the movie embraces a pro-life allegory that’s doubly repugnant because it goes straight to the worstcase scenario: told she’ll die before she can carry her monster fetus to term, she refuses to hear any talk of aborting it. Kristen Stewart is content to play Bella as the same sullen mope she’s always been, and Taylor Lautner is wooden as usual as her wolfen pal Jacob; once again, Robert Pattinson is the only thing worth watching in this lopsided love triangle, delivering Edward’s halting dialogue with absolute professionalism. It doesn’t help him in the batshitcrazy climax, but by that point the movie’s so fully divorced from understandable emotional arcs or conventional plotting that it hardly matters. And there’s one more on the way. 117 min. NN (NW) 401 & Morningside, Beach Cinemas, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Grande - Steeles, Humber Cinema, Queensway, Rainbow Market Square, Rainbow Promenade, Rainbow Woodbine, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Fairview, SilverCity Yonge, SilverCity Yorkdale, Varsity

very harolD & kumar 3D ñaChristmas

(Todd Strauss-Schulson) picks up six years after the last movie, putting our heroes, now facing maturity and in desperate need of a new adventure, on an epic search for the perfect Christmas tree. As in the previous films, absurdity and raunch are plentiful, with the looser Kumar (Kal Penn) roping the nervous Harold (John Cho) into one insane situation after another, but there’s an underlying sweetness that balances the crassness. This is, after all, the series that paints Neil Patrick Harris as a drug-gobbling sociopathic sex fiend and still makes him seem adorable. Not exactly a new holiday classic, but at least it uses 3-D well. 90 min. NNNN (NW) 401 & Morningside, Coliseum Mississauga, Coliseum Scarborough, Colossus, Courtney Park 16, Eglinton Town Centre, Empire Theatres at Empress Walk, Queensway, Scotiabank Theatre, SilverCity Yorkdale

the way (Emilio Estevez) follows California

ophthalmologist (Martin Sheen) as he flies to Europe to claim the body of his dead son and ends up impulsively completing a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. Sheen gives a finely modulated performance, and if writer-director Estevez’s spiritual points don’t quite crystallize into drama, his film does reach a gentle catharsis. 115 min. NNN (NW) Canada Square, Cumberland 4, Grande Yonge, Kennedy Commons 20

the womeN oN the 6th Floor (Philippe

Le Guay) is smart about class and but really dumb about sex. A stockbroker, husband and father (Fabrice Luchini) lives in a luxury first-floor apartment in 60s Paris. His maid shares cramped lodgings on the sixth floor with five other domestic servants. When she quits, the new maid (Natalia Verbeke) introduces her boss to her floor-mates, triggering his life transformation. Unfortunately, we’re supposed to cheer him on when he starts falling for her. I can handle the man of the house being hot for the maid, especially since she’s turning his value system upside down. But why make her half his age, especially when the other five women on the sixth floor are more his vintage, including the very sexy Carmen Maura? Subtitled. 104 min. NN (SGC) Carlton Cinema 3

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december 1-7 2011

YONGE & DUNDAS 24 (AMC)

SILVERCITY YONGE (CE)

ANONYMOUS (PG) 7:30, 10:20 Thu 4:35 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) 3:15, 5:45, 8:15, 10:45 Sat-Sun 12:45 mat ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) 2:00, 4:00, 4:45, 6:45, 7:45, 9:15, 10:15 Sat-Sun 10:30, 11:30, 1:30 mat CONTAGION (PG) Thu 3:20, 6:10 Fri-Tue 7:05, 9:35 DESI BOYZ 4:25, 7:20, 10:20 Sat-Sun 10:40, 1:35 mat HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Sat-Sun 11:00, 1:30 mat HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 Thu 2:30 mat, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 Sat-Sun 11:30 mat HAPPY FEET TWO: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG) Thu 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30 Fri, Mon-Wed 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 Sat-Sun 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 I AM SINGH 3:10, 6:30, 9:50 Sat-Sun 11:50 mat THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) Thu 4:20, 6:50, 9:30 Fri, MonWed 2:00, 4:20, 6:50, 9:30 Sat-Sun 11:20, 2:00, 4:20, 6:50, 9:30 IN TIME (PG) Thu 3:45 6:30 9:10 Fri-Wed 3:45, 6:25, 9:10 Sat-Sun 10:40, 1:10 mat JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 2:30, 3:15, 4:45, 5:30, 7:00, 7:45, 9:15, 10:00 Fri, Mon-Tue 2:30, 3:15, 4:45, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Sat-Sun 10:45, 12:15, 1:00, 2:30, 3:15, 4:45, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Wed 2:30, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN (PG) Thu 3:25, 6:05 Fri, MonWed 2:25, 4:55 Sat-Sun 11:55, 2:25, 4:55 MARGIN CALL Thu 4:55 7:25 8:45 10:15 Fri-Wed 2:15, 4:55, 7:25, 10:15 Sat-Sun 11:10 mat MONEYBALL (PG) 3:40, 6:40, 9:55 Sat-Sun 12:45 mat THE MUPPETS (G) 2:30, 3:45, 4:30, 5:15, 6:30, 7:15, 8:00, 9:15, 10:00, 10:45 Fri 8:45 Sat-Sun 10:30, 11:00, 11:45, 1:00, 1:45 mat, 8:45 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00, 8:15, 9:00, 9:30, 10:45 Fri, Mon 2:05, 3:15, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00, 8:15, 9:30, 10:45 Sat-Sun 11:45, 12:45, 2:05, 3:15, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00, 8:15, 9:30, 10:45 Tue 2:05, 3:15, 5:45, 8:15, 10:45 Wed 2:05, 3:15, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 NATIONAL LAMPOON’S DIRTY MOVIE 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30 Sat-Sun 12:30 mat PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (14A) Thu 3:45, 6:00, 8:15, 10:30 Fri 2:35, 4:35, 6:35 Sat-Sun 10:35, 12:35, 2:35, 4:35, 6:35 Wed 2:35 THE RUM DIARY (14A) Thu 4:25 7:30 10:30 Fri-Wed 4:25, 7:20, 10:30 Sat-Sun 10:35, 1:30 mat THE SKIN I LIVE IN (18A) 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:15 Sat-Sun 11:15 mat

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Thu, Mon-Tue 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:30 Fri 12:50, 3:50, 7:00, 9:50 Sat 12:00, 2:40, 5:10, 7:45, 10:30 Sun 12:00, 2:40, 5:10, 7:45, 10:10 Wed 4:35, 7:00, 9:30 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:30, 4:10, 6:40, 9:10 Fri 1:10, 4:10, 6:40, 9:20 Sat-Sun 11:50, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40 Fri 12:40, 3:40, 6:45, 9:40 Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 1:50, 4:45, 7:30, 10:10 Fri 1:50, 4:40, 7:40, 10:20 Sat 7:00, 10:20 Sun 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:55 Mon-Wed 1:50, 4:45, 7:20, 10:00 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 2:00, 4:25, 10:15 Fri 2:00, 4:50, 7:20, 10:10 Sat 6:50, 9:20 Sun 2:00, 4:30, 6:50, 9:20 MonWed 2:00, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu, Mon-Tue 1:20, 3:55, 7:10, 9:45 Fri 1:00, 4:00, 7:10, 10:00 Sat-Sun 11:45, 2:20, 4:55, 7:40, 10:15 Wed 3:55, 7:10, 9:45 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:40, 4:20, 6:45, 9:00 Fri 1:40, 4:20, 6:50, 9:10 Sat 12:10, 2:25, 4:40, 7:20, 9:50 Sun 12:10, 2:25, 4:40, 7:20, 9:45 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:00, 1:45, 3:45, 4:30, 6:30, 7:15, 9:15, 10:00 Fri 12:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10:30 Sat 12:40, 1:10, 3:30, 4:10, 6:30, 7:10, 9:30, 10:05 Sun 12:30, 1:10, 3:30, 4:10, 6:30, 7:10, 9:30, 10:05 Mon-Tue 1:00, 1:45, 3:45, 4:30, 6:35, 7:15, 9:15, 10:00 Wed 1:05, 1:45, 3:45, 4:30, 6:35, 7:15, 9:15, 10:00

LE HAVRE (PG) Thu-Fri, Sun, Tue-Wed 12:45, 3:15, 7:00, 9:30 Sat, Mon 7:00, 9:30 MELANCHOLIA (PG) Thu-Sun, Tue-Wed 12:30, 3:30, 6:45, 9:45 Mon 6:45, 9:45 THE MILL AND THE CROSS (14A) Thu 1:45, 4:00, 6:15, 8:45 TOMBOY (PG) Fri-Sun, Tue-Wed 1:30, 4:00, 6:15, 8:30 Mon 6:15, 8:30

Midtown

KINGSWAY THEATRE (I)

VARSITY (CE)

50/50 (14A) 4:45, 7:30 Fri 9:55 Sat-Sun 2:15 mat, 9:55 THE GUARD (14A) Thu, Mon-Wed 4:30, 6:50 Fri 4:20, 7:00, 9:20 Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:20 THE HELP (PG) Thu 4:00, 7:10 THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) Thu, Mon-Wed 4:15, 6:40 Fri 4:10, 6:40, 9:30 Sat-Sun 1:45, 4:10, 6:40, 9:30 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 4:20, 7:15 Fri 4:00, 6:55, 9:50 Sat-Sun 1:05, 4:00, 6:55, 9:50 Mon-Wed 4:00, 6:55 MONEYBALL (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 4:05, 7:00 Fri 3:55, 6:50, 9:45 Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:55, 6:50, 9:45 THE SKIN I LIVE IN (18A) Fri 4:05, 6:45, 9:25 Sat-Sun 1:10, 4:05, 6:45, 9:25 Mon-Wed 4:10, 7:10 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 4:50, 7:20 Fri 4:50, 7:15, 9:40 Sat-Sun 1:50, 4:50, 7:15, 9:40 THE WAY Thu 4:40, 7:25 Fri 4:40, 7:20, 10:00 Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:00 Mon-Wed 4:25, 7:05

Online expanded Film Times

Aurora Cinemas • Cine Starz • Elgin Mills 10 • First Markham Place SilverCity Newmarket • SilverCity Richmond Hill • Interchange 30 5 Drive-In Oakville • SilverCity Oakville • Winston Churchill 24

nowtoronto.com/movies

(CE)..............Cineplex Entertainment (ET).......................Empire Theatres (AA)......................Alliance Atlantis (AMC)..................... AMC Theatres (I)..............................Independent lndividual theatres may change showtimes after NOW’s press time. For updates, go online at www.nowtoronto.com or phone theatres. Available for selected ﬁlms: RWC (Rear Window Captioning) and DVS (Descriptive Video Service)

Downtown CARLTON CINEMA (I) 20 CARLTON, 416-494-9371

ANONYMOUS (PG) Thu 4:00, 9:25 Fri-Wed 1:25, 7:00 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Thu 1:35, 3:50, 6:50, 9:00 FriSun, Tue-Wed 1:35, 3:50, 6:45, 9:00 Mon 1:35, 3:50 DRIVE (18A) Thu 4:20, 9:35 Fri-Tue 1:55, 4:20, 7:25, 9:35 Wed 4:20, 7:25, 9:35 50/50 (14A) 1:50, 4:25, 7:15, 9:40 THE GUARD (14A) Fri-Wed 2:00, 4:30, 6:55, 9:05 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 2:00, 4:30, 7:05, 9:30 IMMORTALS (18A) Thu-Fri, Sun-Wed 1:30, 4:05, 6:50, 9:45 Sat 1:30, 4:05, 9:45 MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (PG) Thu 1:55, 7:25 Fri-Wed 1:20, 3:55, 7:10 THE MILL AND THE CROSS (14A) Fri-Wed 4:00, 9:25 MONEYBALL (PG) 9:20 Thu 3:55 mat PUSS IN BOOTS (G) 1:40, 4:35 Thu 6:40, 9:15 TAKE SHELTER Thu 1:25, 7:00 Fri-Wed 6:40, 9:15 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 1:45, 4:15, 6:55, 9:05 Fri-Wed 4:15, 9:30 THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR (PG) Thu 1:20, 7:10 FriWed 1:45, 7:05

CUMBERLAND 4 (AA) 159 CUMBERLAND AVE, 416-646-0444

CAFÉ DE FLORE (14A) Thu 1:15, 4:00, 7:00, 9:40 Fri-Wed 1:30, 4:15, 7:10, 9:50 ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN Thu 1:00 3:45 6:45 9:30 Fri-Wed 1:15, 4:00, 6:50, 9:30 THE SKIN I LIVE IN (18A) Thu 1:50, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 SURVIVING PROGRESS (R) Fri-Wed 1:45, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00 THE WAY Thu 1:10 3:50 6:50 9:50 Fri-Wed 1:00, 3:50, 6:40, 9:40

RAINBOW MARKET SQUARE (I) MARKET SQUARE, 80 FRONT ST E, 416-494-9371

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) 1:05, 3:05, 5:05, 7:15, 9:25 Fri-Sat 11:30 late HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:25, 9:30 Fri-Sat 11:35 late HUGO (PG) Fri-Wed 1:25, 4:10, 7:00, 9:45 J. EDGAR (PG) 1:00, 3:45, 6:50, 9:35 THE MUPPETS (G) 1:30, 4:00, 6:55, 9:15 Fri-Sat 11:25 late PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 1:25, 3:30, 5:20, 7:20 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 9:20 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 3:55, 7:05, 9:40 Fri-Wed 1:15, 3:55, 7:05, 9:40

SCOTIABANK THEATRE (CE) 259 RICHMOND ST W, 416-368-5600

THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 1:00 4:00 6:50 9:40 FriWed 1:00, 3:35, 6:20, 9:05 50/50 (14A) Thu 1:40, 4:15, 7:15, 10:05 Fri, Sun-Wed 1:40, 4:10, 7:15, 9:45 Sat 7:15, 9:45 HUGO (PG) Thu 12:30, 3:20, 6:20, 9:15 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:10, 6:15, 9:15 Sat 12:30, 1:20, 3:10, 4:20, 6:20, 9:15 Sun 12:30, 3:10, 6:15, 9:15 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:20 Fri, Sun-Wed 1:20, 4:20, 7:10, 10:00 Sat 7:10, 10:00 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 9:40, 10:10 Fri-Tue 1:50, 4:40, 6:10, 7:20, 8:50, 10:05 Wed 1:50, 4:40, 6:10, 7:30, 8:50, 10:05 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:50 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:45, 6:45, 9:50 Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:50 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 1:10, 3:45 Fri, Sun-Wed 1:15, 3:25 Sat 1:15, 3:30 PUSS IN BOOTS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (G) Thu 2:10 4:30 7:10 9:20 Fri-Wed 2:15, 4:30, 7:00, 9:20 Sat-Sun 12:00 mat TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 12:45 3:50 6:30 9:30 Fri-Wed 1:35, 4:05, 6:40, 9:30 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 12:50, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:50, 5:20, 7:00, 7:40, 9:00, 10:00, 10:30 Fri, Mon-Tue 1:10, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, 4:50, 5:20, 6:00, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40, 10:15 Sat 12:10, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 4:45, 5:20, 6:00, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:45, 10:15 Sun 12:10, 1:10, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, 4:50, 5:20, 6:00, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40, 10:15 Wed 1:10, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, 4:50, 5:20, 6:00, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:45, 10:15 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 1:30 4:10 7:50 10:15 Fri-Wed 1:30, 5:00, 7:45, 10:10 WHITE CHRISTMAS (PG) Wed 7:00

TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX (I) 350 KING ST W, 416-599-8433

55 BLOOR ST W, 416-961-6304 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 12:50 3:50 6:50 9:40 FriWed 12:50, 3:50, 6:40, 9:40 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 Fri-Wed 12:25, 3:30, 6:35, 9:35 THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) Thu, Mon 1:00, 3:45, 9:10 FriSun, Tue 1:00, 3:45, 6:30, 9:10 Wed 1:00, 3:45 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 12:40 3:40 6:40 10:10 Fri-Wed 12:40, 4:00, 7:00, 10:15 LIKE CRAZY (14A) Thu 2:00, 4:30, 10:00 MELANCHOLIA (PG) Thu 12:20, 3:20, 6:20, 9:30 Fri-Tue 12:30, 3:40, 6:50, 9:50 Wed 12:30, 9:50 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:30 10:00 Fri-Wed 12:20, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:10 SHAME (R) Fri-Wed 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 10:00 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:10, 4:00, 7:10, 10:15 Fri-Wed 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:05

VIP SCREENINGS

THE DESCENDANTS (14A) 12:25, 2:45, 5:05, 7:45, 10:15 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 12:45, 3:35, 6:25, 9:35 LIKE CRAZY (14A) Fri-Wed 12:55, 3:05, 5:25, 7:25, 9:45 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 12:15 2:25 4:35 6:55 9:15 Fri-Wed 12:15, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05, 9:25 SHAME (R) Fri-Wed 12:35, 2:55, 5:15, 7:35, 10:05 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 12:35, 2:55, 5:15, 7:35, 10:05

10 DUNDAS ST E, 416-335-5323

CANADA SQUARE (CE) 2200 YONGE ST, 416-646-0444

MT PLEASANT (I)

675 MT PLEASANT RD, 416-489-8484 THE DEBT (14A) Fri-Sat 9:10 LE HAVRE (PG) 7:00 Sat-Sun 4:30

REGENT THEATRE (I) 551 MT PLEASANT RD, 416-480-9884

BUCK (PG) Sat, Tue-Wed 7:00 Sun 4:30 MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (PG) Thu, Sun 7:00 Sat 8:50

2300 YONGE ST, 416-544-1236

Metro

West End HUMBER CINEMA (I) 2442 BLOOR ST. WEST, 416-232-1939

PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Fri-Wed 1:00, 5:15 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:45 Fri-Wed 3:00, 7:00, 9:30

3030 BLOOR ST W, 416-232-1939

ANONYMOUS (PG) 1:00 DOLPHIN TALE (G) Sat-Sun 11:00 DRIVE (18A) 9:35 50/50 (14A) 3:15 MONEYBALL (PG) 7:15 THE RUM DIARY (14A) 5:00

QUEENSWAY (CE)

1025 THE QUEENSWAY, QEW & ISLINGTON, 416-503-0424 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu 2:55, 5:25, 7:45, 10:15 Fri-Sun 12:25, 2:55, 5:25, 7:45, 10:15 Mon-Wed 1:55, 4:20, 6:50, 9:15 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 1:50, 4:30, 7:35, 10:25 FriSun 12:00, 2:40, 5:20, 8:05, 10:45 Mon-Tue 1:45, 4:35, 7:35, 10:15 Wed 4:35, 7:35, 10:15 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 1:10, 3:50 Fri-Sun 1:30, 4:30 Mon-Wed 2:10, 4:45 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:05, 4:40, 7:25, 10:00 Fri-Sun 11:55, 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:25 HUGO (PG) Thu-Tue 1:15, 4:00 Wed 4:00 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 1:00, 3:55, 6:50, 9:40 Fri-Sun 1:05, 4:10, 7:05, 10:05 Mon-Wed 1:40, 4:25, 7:10, 10:00 THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) 7:20, 9:50 IMMORTALS (18A) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:35, 4:20, 7:05, 10:05 Fri-Sun 12:05, 2:40, 5:20, 8:00, 10:45 IN TIME (PG) Thu 10:20 Fri-Wed 6:50, 9:40 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 12:55, 4:00, 7:00, 10:10 Fri, Sun 12:50, 3:55, 7:00, 10:10 Sat 7:00, 10:10 Mon-Wed 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:10 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 1:05, 3:30, 5:50, 8:10, 10:35 Fri-Sun 1:20, 3:40, 6:00, 8:20, 10:40 Mon-Wed 1:50, 4:30, 7:40, 10:05

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 1:30, 2:10, 4:10, 4:45, 6:45, 9:20 Fri-Sun 12:00, 1:10, 2:35, 3:50, 5:15, 6:40, 7:55, 10:30 MonWed 1:10, 1:20, 3:50, 4:05, 6:40, 6:45, 9:20 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 1:40, 4:05, 6:55, 9:20 Fri-Sun 12:40, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 10:35 Mon-Wed 1:40, 4:10, 6:55, 9:20 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) 2:25, 5:00, 7:15, 9:35 Fri-Sun 12:10 mat TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 2:30, 5:20, 8:00, 10:30 Fri-Sun 12:30, 3:00, 5:35, 8:05, 10:35 Mon-Wed 1:05, 3:40, 6:35, 9:25 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:25, 1:45, 2:00, 4:15, 4:25, 4:55, 6:40, 7:10, 7:15, 7:40, 9:30, 9:55, 10:20, 10:30 Fri, Sun 12:10, 1:25, 2:00, 3:45, 4:15, 4:55, 6:30, 7:10, 7:40, 9:15, 9:30, 9:55, 10:25 Sat 1:25, 2:00, 4:15, 4:55, 6:30, 7:10, 7:40, 9:15, 9:30, 9:55, 10:25 Mon-Tue 1:25, 2:00, 3:00, 4:15, 4:50, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:10, 9:30, 9:40, 10:10 Wed 1:25, 2:00, 3:00, 4:15, 4:50, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 9:40, 9:55, 10:10 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu, MonWed 2:45, 5:05, 7:30, 9:45 Fri, Sun 12:20, 2:45, 5:05, 7:30, 9:45 Sat 5:10, 7:30, 9:45 WHITE CHRISTMAS (PG) Wed 7:00

RAINBOW WOODBINE (I)

WOODBINE CENTRE, 500 REXDALE BLVD, 416-213-1998 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Thu, Wed 12:50, 3:00, 5:05, 7:15, 9:25 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 1:00, 3:40, 6:50, 9:20 HUGO (PG) Fri-Wed 1:10, 4:10, 7:00, 9:35 IMMORTALS (18A) Thu 1:10, 4:10, 7:00, 9:35 Fri-Wed 7:20, 9:25 JACK AND JILL (PG) 1:15, 4:00, 6:45, 9:30 THE MUPPETS (G) 1:20, 3:50, 6:50, 9:15 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) 1:25, 3:55 Thu 7:20, 9:25 TOWER HEIST (PG) 1:05, 4:05, 7:10, 9:45 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) 1:30, 4:15, 6:55, 9:40

East End BEACH CINEMAS (AA) 1651 QUEEN ST E, 416-699-5971

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) 6:50, 9:30 Fri 4:20 Sat-Sun 1:40 mat, 4:20 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 7:30, 10:00 Fri 4:45 Sat-Sun 1:50 mat, 4:45 HUGO 3D (PG) 7:10, 10:00 Fri 4:10 Sat-Sun 1:20 mat, 4:10 IMMORTALS (18A) Thu 7:10, 9:50 Fri-Wed 6:40, 9:20 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) 7:00, 9:40 Fri 3:50 mat Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:50 mat PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Fri 4:00 Sat 1:00 Sun 1:00, 4:00 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 7:40, 10:10 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 7:20, 10:20 Fri-Sat 4:30, 7:20, 10:10 Sun 1:30, 4:30, 7:20, 10:10 Mon-Wed 7:20, 10:10

North York EMPIRE THEATRES AT EMPRESS WALK (ET) 5095 YONGE ST, 416-223-9550

HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 3:50, 6:20, 9:00 Fri, Mon-Wed 4:00, 6:30, 8:55 Sat-Sun 1:25, 4:00, 6:30, 8:55 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 4:50, 7:30, 10:15 Fri, MonWed 4:40, 7:10, 9:40 Sat-Sun 2:10, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 4:00, 6:30, 9:20 Fri, Mon-Wed 4:10, 6:40, 9:15 Sat-Sun 1:35, 4:10, 6:40, 9:15 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 4:20, 6:45, 9:10 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 Fri, Mon-Wed 4:15, 6:50, 9:30 Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:15, 6:50, 9:30 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 4:40, 7:20, 9:30 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:45 Sat-Sun 1:15, 3:45 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 3:40, 6:10, 8:50 Fri, Mon-Wed 4:50, 7:30, 10:20 Sat-Sun 2:20, 4:50, 7:30, 10:20 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 4:10, 5:00, 7:00, 7:50, 9:50, 10:30 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:40, 4:30, 6:20, 7:20, 9:00, 10:10 Sat-Sun 1:10, 2:00, 3:40, 4:30, 6:20, 7:20, 9:00, 10:10 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 3:30, 6:00, 8:40 Fri-Wed 6:10, 8:40

GRANDE - YONGE (CE) 4861 YONGE ST, 416-590-9974

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 Sat-Sun 1:30 mat THE DESCENDANTS (14A) 4:00, 7:10, 10:00 Sat-Sun 1:10 mat 50/50 (14A) Thu 4:10 HUGO (PG) Thu 3:35, 6:10, 9:10 Fri, Tue-Wed 3:40, 6:25, 9:25 Sat-Sun 12:30, 3:40, 6:25, 9:25 Mon 3:40, 9:35 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 3:50, 6:50, 9:45 Fri 3:55, 6:50, 9:45 Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:55, 6:50, 9:45

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) Thu 4:20, 9:55 Fri 6:40 Sat-Sun 12:50, 6:40 Mon-Wed 6:55 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 5:30, 8:40 Fri 3:50, 6:55, 9:55 Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:50, 6:55, 9:55 LIKE CRAZY (14A) Thu 5:20, 7:30, 10:00 Fri 5:20, 7:40, 10:15 Sat 7:40, 9:55 Sun 2:40, 5:20, 7:40, 9:55 Mon 7:30, 9:55 Tue-Wed 5:20, 7:30, 9:55 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 MONEYBALL (PG) Fri-Wed 3:35, 9:20 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu-Fri, Mon-Wed 5:00, 7:20, 9:50 Sat 2:30, 5:10, 7:20, 9:50 Sun 2:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:50 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PUNCH Fri 4:20, 7:30, 10:10 Sat-Sun 1:50, 4:20, 7:30, 10:00 Mon-Wed 4:20, 7:30, 10:00 THE WAY Thu-Fri, Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:30, 9:40 Sat 6:30, 9:40 Sun 12:40, 3:30, 6:30, 9:40

SILVERCITY FAIRVIEW (CE)

FAIRVIEW MALL, 1800 SHEPPARD AVE E, 416-644-7746 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:35 Fri 2:40, 5:20, 7:50, 10:20 Sat 12:10, 2:40, 5:35, 7:50, 10:20 Sun 12:10, 2:40, 5:20, 7:50, 10:20 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu, Mon-Tue 2:40 Sat-Sun 12:20 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 5:20, 7:45, 10:05 Fri-Sun 2:50, 5:15, 7:40, 10:10 Mon-Wed 5:05, 7:30, 9:50 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:50, 4:30, 7:15, 9:55 FriSun 1:40, 4:30, 7:30, 10:15 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:00, 4:40, 7:10, 9:40 Fri 2:45, 5:25, 8:10, 10:45 Sat 5:20, 8:10, 10:45 Sun 12:00, 2:45, 5:25, 8:10, 10:45 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu, Mon-Tue 2:30, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45 Fri 3:00, 5:40, 8:05, 10:30 Sat 12:25, 3:00, 5:40, 8:05, 10:30 Sun 12:30, 3:00, 5:40, 8:05, 10:30 Wed 1:30, 8:00, 10:00 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:10, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50 Fri 2:20, 5:00, 7:45, 10:25 Sat-Sun 11:45, 2:20, 5:00, 7:45, 10:25 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:50, 5:30, 7:50 Fri 3:10, 5:30, 8:15 Sat-Sun 12:40, 3:10, 5:30, 8:15 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 10:00 Fri-Sun 10:35 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:30, 2:20, 4:10, 5:00, 6:50, 7:40, 9:30, 10:10 Fri 1:30, 2:30, 4:20, 5:10, 7:20, 8:00, 10:00, 10:40 Sat-Sun 11:50, 1:30, 2:30, 4:20, 5:10, 7:20, 8:00, 10:00, 10:40 Mon-Tue 1:30, 2:05, 4:10, 4:45, 6:50, 7:25, 9:30, 9:55 Wed 2:05, 4:10, 4:45, 7:25, 9:40, 9:55 WHITE CHRISTMAS (PG) Wed 7:00

SILVERCITY YORKDALE (CE) 3401 DUFFERIN ST, 416-787-4432

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:50, 4:30, 7:15, 9:35 Fri 2:45, 5:15, 7:40, 10:00 Sat-Sun 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:40, 10:00 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:10, 5:00, 7:30, 9:55 Fri 2:30, 5:05, 7:45, 10:15 Sat-Sun 12:00, 2:30, 5:05, 7:45, 10:10 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 1:30, 4:20, 7:00, 9:45 Fri 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:15 Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:20, 7:15, 10:05 Mon-Wed 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:45 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:00, 4:10, 7:10, 9:40 Fri 2:10, 4:40, 7:40, 10:05 Sat-Sun 12:05, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:10 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 2:40, 5:20, 7:35, 9:50 Fri 1:05, 3:20, 5:40, 8:00, 10:15 Sat-Sun 2:20, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu, Mon-Wed 1:40, 4:50, 7:25, 9:55 Fri 2:35, 5:05, 7:40, 10:15 Sat-Sun 12:00, 2:35, 5:05, 7:50, 10:15 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:00 Fri 2:50, 5:00, 7:35 Sat-Sun 12:30, 2:50, 5:00, 7:35 Mon-Wed 2:30, 5:10, 7:50 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 1:10, 3:50, 7:00 Fri 2:15, 4:45, 7:25, 10:10 Sat-Sun 12:10, 2:30, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05 Mon-Wed 1:10, 3:50, 7:00, 9:30 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:20, 2:00, 4:00, 4:40, 6:40, 7:20, 9:20, 10:00 Fri 1:00, 2:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:50, 7:40, 9:40, 10:15 Sat-Sun 1:00, 1:50, 4:00, 4:40, 6:50, 7:30, 9:30, 10:15 Mon-Wed 1:00, 2:00, 3:40, 4:40, 6:20, 7:20, 9:00, 10:00 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 9:30 Fri-Sun 10:10 Mon-Wed 10:00

Scarborough 401 & MORNINGSIDE (CE) 785 MILNER AVE, SCARBOROUGH, 416-281-2226

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu 3:45, 6:30, 9:15 Fri-Sun 1:05, 3:30, 6:30, 9:00 Mon-Wed 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Fri-Sun 1:15 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 4:00, 6:45, 9:25 Fri-Sun 4:00, 6:50, 9:15 Mon-Wed 4:10, 6:50, 9:15 HUGO 3D (PG) 3:50, 6:40, 9:25 Fri-Sun 12:55 mat IMMORTALS (18A) Fri-Sat 1:00, 3:40, 7:35, 10:05 Sun 1:00, 3:40, 7:35, 10:00 Mon-Wed 4:55, 7:35, 10:00 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 4:55, 7:35, 10:00 JACK AND JILL (PG) 4:45, 7:25, 9:35 Fri-Sun 2:00 mat THE MUPPETS (G) 4:30, 7:15, 9:50 Fri-Sun 1:30 mat PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 3:50, 6:20, 8:50 Fri-Sun 12:50, 3:00, 6:20, 8:40 Mon-Wed 3:45, 6:20, 8:40 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 5:00, 7:40, 10:00 Fri-Sat 2:30, 5:00, 7:40, 10:05 Sun 2:30, 5:00, 7:40, 10:00 Mon-Wed 5:05, 7:40, 10:00 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 3:40, 4:15, 5:20, 6:15, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 9:40 Fri-Sun 12:45, 1:45, 3:15, 4:15, 6:10, 7:00, 8:50, 9:40 Mon-Wed 3:40, 4:20, 6:15, 7:00, 8:50, 9:40 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 5:10, 7:50, 9:55 Fri-Sun 2:15, 5:15, 7:50, 10:00 Mon-Wed 5:15, 7:50, 9:55

Sat, Tue 12:20, 2:55, 5:30, 8:05, 10:40 Sun 1:05, 3:35, 6:35, 9:35 Mon, Wed 1:10, 3:55, 6:35, 9:35 HUGO (PG) Thu 1:05, 4:05, 7:05, 10:05 Fri, Tue 12:15, 3:20, 6:40, 10:05 Sat 12:15, 4:05, 6:40, 10:05 Sun-Mon, Wed 1:20, 4:15, 7:10, 10:10 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 1:25, 4:25, 7:25, 10:25 Fri-Sat, Tue 12:45, 3:50, 7:10, 10:35 Sun-Mon, Wed 1:00, 3:55, 6:50, 9:50 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 1:10, 3:55, 6:50, 9:45 Fri-Sat, Tue 12:05, 2:45, 5:25, 8:10, 10:55 Sun 1:10, 4:20, 7:15, 10:15 Mon, Wed 1:05, 3:50, 6:30, 9:30 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 1:50, 4:30, 7:30, 10:10 Fri-Sat, Tue 12:10, 2:30, 5:15, 7:45, 10:20 Sun 1:35, 4:10, 7:05, 9:55 Mon 1:30, 4:00, 6:55, 9:55 Wed 1:25, 4:00, 6:55, 9:55 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (14A) Thu 1:30, 4:10, 10:15 FriSun, Tue 1:25, 4:25, 7:25, 10:25 Mon, Wed 1:25, 4:25, 7:00, 10:00 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 1:10, 3:50, 6:45, 9:30 Fri-Sat 12:25, 3:10, 6:45, 9:35 Sun 1:05, 3:40, 6:45, 9:45 Mon, Wed 1:05, 3:40, 6:40, 9:25 Tue 12:25, 3:10, 6:45, 9:25 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 1:00, 1:20, 3:00, 4:00, 4:20, 6:00, 7:00, 7:20, 9:00, 10:00, 10:20 Fri, Tue 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 2:40, 3:30, 4:00, 5:25, 6:30, 7:00, 8:10, 9:30, 10:00, 11:00 Sat 12:00, 12:30, 2:40, 3:30, 5:25, 6:30, 7:00, 8:10, 9:30, 10:00, 11:00 Sun 1:00, 1:15, 1:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:30, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 Mon, Wed 1:00, 1:15, 3:00, 3:45, 4:15, 6:15, 6:45, 7:15, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 1:30, 3:45, 6:55, 9:50 Fri-Sat, Tue 1:10, 3:35, 6:05, 8:30, 10:45 Sun 1:45, 4:35, 7:10, 10:05 Mon, Wed 1:15, 4:05, 7:05, 10:05

MAYAKKAM ENNA 3:30, 7:00, 10:30 Fri-Sun 11:40 mat MONEYBALL (PG) 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:25 Fri-Sun 10:30 mat THE MUPPETS (G) 2:10, 3:15, 4:50, 5:50, 7:15, 8:20, 9:50 Fri-Sun 11:40, 12:20 mat MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) 1:35, 4:05, 6:35, 9:25 Fri-Sun 10:45 mat NATIONAL LAMPOON’S DIRTY MOVIE 3:15, 6:45, 10:00 Fri-Sun 12:00 mat PUSS IN BOOTS (G) 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 Fri-Sun 10:30, 12:50 mat ROCKSTAR (PG) Thu 3:10, 6:25, 9:55 THE WAY 2:15, 5:00, 7:45, 10:20 Fri-Sun 11:10 mat

EGLINTON TOWN CENTRE (CE)

SQUARE ONE, 309 RATHBURN RD W, 905-275-3456

1901 EGLINTON AVE E, 416-752-4494

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu 5:00, 7:35, 9:55 Fri 2:25, 4:55, 7:25, 9:55 Sat-Sun 12:05, 2:25, 4:55, 7:25, 9:55 MonWed 4:55, 7:25, 9:55 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 4:00, 6:45, 9:40 Fri, Sun 1:20, 4:25, 7:20, 10:10 Sat 12:35, 3:30, 7:20, 10:10 MonWed 4:25, 7:20, 10:10 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 3:50, 6:50 Fri-Sun 12:50, 3:50, 6:30 Mon-Wed 3:50, 6:25 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 7:55, 10:25 Fri-Sun 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:45 Mon-Wed 4:40, 7:15, 9:45 HERO HITLER IN LOVE (14A) Thu 9:30 HUGO (PG) Thu 4:45 Fri-Sun 1:30, 4:20 Mon-Wed 4:20 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 3:55, 6:55, 9:50 Fri-Sat 12:45, 3:45, 7:00, 10:00 Sun 12:45, 3:35, 7:00, 10:00 Mon-Wed 3:45, 7:00, 10:00 THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) 6:45 Fri-Sun 1:05 mat IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 4:35, 7:25, 10:15 Fri-Sun 1:50, 4:35, 7:35, 10:15 Mon-Wed 4:35, 7:35, 10:15 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 4:15, 7:20, 10:20 Fri, Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:40, 9:35 Sat 6:40, 9:35 Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:40, 9:35 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 3:45, 6:40, 9:10 Fri-Sun 2:15, 5:00, 7:50, 10:25 Mon-Wed 4:15, 6:55, 9:25 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 MONEYBALL (PG) Fri-Wed 3:40, 9:20 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 3:40, 4:05, 6:35, 7:05, 9:15, 9:45 Fri 12:55, 2:30, 3:55, 5:10, 6:50, 7:45, 9:40, 10:20 Sat-Sun 12:00, 12:55, 2:30, 3:55, 5:10, 6:50, 7:45, 9:40, 10:20 MonWed 3:55, 4:00, 6:50, 7:10, 9:40, 9:50 PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 4:40, 7:00, 9:25 Fri-Sun 2:00, 4:30, 7:05, 9:30 Mon-Wed 4:30, 7:05, 9:30 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 4:30, 7:30, 10:05 Fri-Sun 1:25, 4:05, 6:35, 9:15 Mon-Wed 4:05, 6:35, 9:15 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 3:30, 4:10, 4:50, 6:30, 7:10, 7:45, 9:20, 10:00, 10:30 FriSun 1:00, 1:45, 4:00, 4:45, 6:55, 7:40, 9:00, 9:50, 10:30 Mon-Tue 3:35, 4:10, 6:30, 7:00, 9:10, 9:45, 10:15 Wed 3:35, 4:10, 6:30, 9:10, 9:45, 10:15 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 7:40, 10:10 Fri-Wed 7:30, 10:05 WHITE CHRISTMAS (PG) Wed 7:00

KENNEDY COMMONS 20 (AMC) KENNEDY RD & 401, 416-335-5323

7AUM ARIVU (14A) Thu 2:50, 3:30, 6:30, 7:00, 10:00, 10:30 Fri-Sun 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30 Mon-Wed 3:30, 7:00, 10:30 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) 2:15, 3:35, 5:05, 6:30, 7:50, 9:30, 10:30 Fri-Sun 11:15, 12:45 mat DESI BOYZ 4:00, 7:05, 10:15 Fri-Sun 1:00 mat HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) 1:40, 4:15, 6:45, 9:30 Fri-Sun 10:45 mat HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 2:05, 3:00, 4:45, 5:45, 7:20, 8:15, 10:00 Fri-Sun 11:30, 12:30 mat I AM SINGH 2:30, 6:30, 10:00 Fri-Sun 11:00 mat THE IDES OF MARCH (14A) 2:45, 5:15, 7:50, 10:10 Fri-Sun 12:20 mat J. EDGAR (PG) 2:10, 7:15, 10:25 Fri-Sun 11:00 mat LIKE CRAZY (14A) 2:30, 4:45, 7:25, 9:40 Fri-Sun 12:15 mat MARGIN CALL 3:20, 6:15, 9:10 Fri-Sun 12:25 mat

WOODSIDE CINEMAS (I) 1571 SANDHURST CIRCLE, 416-299-3456

DESI BOYZ Thu 4:30, 5:45, 7:00, 9:30 Fri-Sun 4:45, 7:15, 9:45 Mon-Wed 6:30, 9:00 MAYAKKAM ENNA 7:00, 10:00 Fri-Sun 4:00 mat PORAALI 7:00, 10:00 Fri-Sun 4:00 mat ROCKSTAR (PG) Thu 9:15

GTA Regions Mississauga

COLISEUM MISSISSAUGA (CE) HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 1:00, 3:30 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:20 Sat-Sun 12:40, 3:20 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 6:10 8:50 Fri-Wed 6:10, 8:40 HAPPY FEET TWO: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG) Thu 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:30 Fri-Wed 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 1:20 4:20 7:10 9:50 Fri-Wed 1:40, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 1:15, 3:50, 6:50, 9:10 Fri-Wed 1:20, 4:20, 6:40, 8:50 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 1:50, 3:10, 4:40, 6:30, 7:20, 9:20, 10:00 Fri, Mon-Tue 1:50, 3:10, 4:40, 6:30, 7:20, 9:10, 10:00 Sat-Sun 12:30, 1:50, 3:10, 4:40, 6:30, 7:20, 9:10, 10:00 Wed 1:50, 3:10, 4:40, 6:25, 7:20, 9:10, 10:00 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: COLLABORATORS Thu 7:00 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 1:10, 3:20, 6:00, 8:20 Fri-Wed 1:15, 3:40, 6:15, 8:30 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 1:40, 4:00, 6:40, 9:15 Fri-Wed 1:10, 3:50, 6:45, 9:20 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 12:50, 1:30, 2:20, 3:00, 3:30, 4:10, 5:10, 5:45, 6:20, 6:50, 7:50, 8:30, 9:00, 9:40 Fri, Mon-Tue 12:50, 1:30, 2:10, 3:00, 3:30, 4:10, 4:50, 5:40, 6:20, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40 Sat 12:20, 12:50, 1:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:10, 5:40, 6:20, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40 Sun 12:20, 12:50, 1:30, 2:10, 3:00, 3:30, 4:10, 4:50, 5:40, 6:20, 6:50, 7:30, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40 Wed 12:50, 1:30, 2:10, 3:00, 3:30, 4:10, 5:40, 6:20, 6:50, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 2:10, 4:25, 10:10 Fri-Wed 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:10 WHITE CHRISTMAS (PG) Wed 7:00

COURTNEY PARK 16 (AMC)

110 COURTNEY PARK E AT HURONTARIO, 888-262-4386 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) 2:15, 7:30 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) 4:45, 10:00 Fri-Sun 11:30 mat THE DESCENDANTS (14A) 2:00, 5:20, 8:00, 10:35 Fri-Sun 11:05 mat HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 2:00, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 1:30, 4:15 Fri-Sun 11:00 mat HAPPY FEET TWO: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG) 3:30, 6:00, 8:20 Fri-Sun 10:30, 1:00 mat HUGO (PG) Thu 10:30 Fri, Sun 1:20, 4:15, 7:15, 10:00 Sat 1:40, 4:20, 7:15, 10:00 Mon-Wed 4:15, 7:15, 10:00 HUGO 3D (PG) 2:15, 5:10, 8:10 Fri-Sun 11:15 mat I AM SINGH 2:00, 5:30, 9:00 Fri-Sun 10:40 mat IMMORTALS 3D (18A) 2:05, 4:50, 7:35, 10:05 IN TIME (PG) 2:20, 5:05, 7:55, 10:25 Fri-Sun 11:40 mat J. EDGAR (PG) 1:45, 4:45, 7:45, 10:45 Fri-Sun 10:30 mat JACK AND JILL (PG) 2:10, 4:35, 7:20, 9:50 Fri-Sun 11:50 mat THE MUPPETS (G) 2:30, 5:30, 8:15, 10:45 Fri, Sun 11:45 mat Sat 10:00 mat MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) 3:30, 5:45, 8:15, 10:30 Fri-Sun 10:45, 1:15 mat PUSS IN BOOTS (G) Thu 2:05, 4:40, 7:05 TOWER HEIST (PG) 3:05, 5:40, 8:10, 10:40 Fri-Sun 12:25 mat THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 2:00, 2:45, 4:00, 5:00, 5:30, 7:00, 8:00, 8:30, 9:45, 10:45

Fri 11:00, 11:45, 2:00, 2:45, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 10:45, 11:15 Sat 11:00, 2:00, 2:45, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 10:45, 11:15 Sun 11:00, 11:45, 2:00, 2:45, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 10:45 Mon-Wed 2:00, 2:45, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 10:45 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (18A) 7:00, 9:25

SILVERCITY MISSISSAUGA (CE) HWY 5, EAST OF HWY 403, 905-569-3373

THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 4:00, 6:45, 9:30 Fri-Sun 12:35, 4:10, 7:00, 9:55 Mon-Wed 4:10, 7:00, 9:55 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 3:35, 6:30, 9:10 Fri-Sun 12:55, 3:40, 6:30, 9:15 Mon-Wed 3:45, 6:20, 9:00 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 4:30, 7:10, 9:40 Fri 2:05, 5:00, 7:30, 10:10 Sat-Sun 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:10 Mon-Wed 4:30, 7:05, 9:35 HUGO 3D (PG) Thu 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 Fri-Sun 12:45, 3:50, 6:45, 9:35 Mon-Wed 3:35, 6:35, 9:30 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 3:25, 6:35, 9:55 Fri 12:30, 3:30, 6:40, 9:45 Sat 6:40, 9:45 Sun 12:25, 3:30, 6:40, 9:45 Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:40, 9:45 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 3:45, 6:20, 9:05 Fri, Sun 1:35, 4:35, 7:35, 10:05 Sat 1:35, 4:35, 7:20, 10:05 Mon-Wed 3:55, 6:55, 9:20 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 3:55, 4:40, 6:50, 7:25, 9:25, 10:00 Fri 1:20, 2:20, 4:00, 5:10, 6:50, 7:45, 9:25, 10:15 Sat-Sun 12:00, 1:20, 2:35, 4:00, 5:10, 6:50, 7:45, 9:25, 10:15 MonWed 4:00, 4:40, 6:30, 7:25, 9:10, 10:00 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 4:20, 6:55, 9:20 FriSun 1:00, 4:20, 7:20, 9:50 Mon-Wed 4:20, 7:15, 9:50 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 4:50, 7:15, 9:35 Fri 1:55, 4:50, 7:10, 9:30 Sat-Sun 12:15, 2:40, 4:50, 7:10, 9:30 Mon-Wed 4:25, 6:50, 9:15

North COLOSSUS (CE) HWY 400 & 7, 905-851-1001

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Thu 3:45 Fri-Sun 12:45, 3:45, 6:30 Mon-Wed 3:40, 6:30 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu 5:15, 7:50, 10:20 Fri-Sun 12:05, 2:40, 5:15, 7:50, 10:20 Mon-Wed 4:10, 6:45, 9:10 THE DESCENDANTS (14A) Thu 4:10, 7:10, 10:10 Fri-Sun 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 10:10 Mon-Wed 4:15, 7:15, 10:00 HAPPY FEET TWO (PG) Thu 3:35, 6:10 Fri-Sun 12:35, 3:15, 6:10 Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:00 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 4:15, 7:05, 9:45 Fri-Sun 1:20, 4:15, 7:05, 9:45 Mon-Wed 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 HAPPY FEET TWO: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG) Thu, Mon-Wed 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 Fri-Sun 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:55 IMMORTALS 3D (18A) Thu 4:05, 7:25, 10:05 Fri-Sun 2:00, 4:50, 7:50, 10:30 Mon-Wed 5:00, 7:40, 10:15 IN TIME (PG) Thu 4:35, 7:35, 10:15 Fri-Sun 12:15, 4:05, 6:45, 9:25 Mon-Wed 3:50, 6:35, 9:25 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 4:20, 7:20, 10:25 Fri-Sun 12:25, 3:35, 6:50, 10:05 Mon-Wed 4:05, 7:05, 10:05 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 4:25, 6:55, 9:35 Fri-Sun 1:50, 4:25, 6:55, 9:35 Mon-Wed 4:55, 7:25, 9:40 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: RODELINDA Sat 12:30 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 3:55, 4:40, 6:40, 7:15, 9:20, 10:00 Fri-Sun 12:40, 1:25, 3:55, 4:40, 6:40, 7:15, 9:20, 10:00 Mon-Wed 3:55, 4:35, 6:40, 7:10, 9:20, 9:50 MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (14A) Thu 4:00, 7:00, 9:50 Fri-Sun 1:40, 4:20, 7:20, 9:50 Mon-Wed 4:20, 7:20, 9:55 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (14A) Thu-Sun 9:40 Mon-Wed 8:50 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 3:40, 6:20, 9:00 Fri-Sun 12:20, 3:40, 6:20, 9:00 Mon-Wed 3:45, 6:15, 8:55 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 4:45, 7:45, 10:30 Fri, Sun 1:45, 4:45, 7:40, 10:15 Sat 12:10, 3:00, 7:40, 10:15 Mon-Wed 4:25, 6:55, 9:35 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 3:30, 3:50, 4:30, 6:30, 7:10, 7:40, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 Fri, Sun 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 Sat 1:00, 1:30, 4:00, 4:30, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 Mon-Wed 3:30, 4:15, 4:45, 6:20, 6:50, 7:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15 A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (18A) Thu 4:50, 7:55, 10:10 Fri-Sun 2:15, 5:30, 8:00, 10:25 Mon-Wed 5:20, 7:50, 10:10

11:45, 2:30 mat THE HELP (PG) 6:35, 9:40 Fri 3:30 mat Sat-Sun 12:20, 3:30 mat HUGO (PG) 4:00, 6:45, 9:30 Sat-Sun 1:15 mat HUGO 3D (PG) 4:30, 7:15, 9:00, 10:00 Sat-Sun 11:00, 1:45 mat THE LION KING 3D 4:35, 6:45 Fri 2:30 mat Sat-Sun 12:20, 2:30 mat MAYAKKAM ENNA 6:00, 9:15 Fri 2:45 mat Sat-Sun 11:30, 2:45 mat MONEYBALL (PG) 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 Sat-Sun 1:00 mat REAL STEEL (PG) 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 Sat-Sun 11:00, 1:45 mat THE THREE MUSKETEERS (PG) 5:00, 7:30, 9:55 Fri 2:25 mat Sat-Sun 11:50, 2:25 mat

RAINBOW PROMENADE (I)

PROMENADE MALL, HWY 7 & BATHURST, 905-764-3247 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) 1:05, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:20 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) 1:00, 3:50, 6:50, 9:00 HUGO (PG) Fri-Wed 1:20, 4:10, 6:55, 9:35 JACK AND JILL (PG) 1:15, 3:15, 5:10, 7:10, 9:15 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu-Sun, Tue-Wed 1:25, 4:00, 7:00, 9:25 Mon 4:00, 7:00, 9:25 PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 1:20, 4:10, 7:15, 9:10 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) 1:10, 4:15, 7:05, 9:30

West GRANDE - STEELES (CE) HWY 410 & STEELES, 905-455-1590

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Thu 4:10, 6:40, 9:15 Fri, MonWed 3:30, 6:20, 9:00 Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:30, 6:20, 9:00 HAPPY FEET TWO 3D (PG) Thu 4:30, 7:10, 9:45 Fri, MonWed 4:00, 6:50, 9:30 Sat-Sun 1:15, 4:00, 6:50, 9:30 IMMORTALS (18A) Thu 4:00, 7:00, 9:35 Fri 4:30, 7:20, 9:50 Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 9:50 Mon-Wed 4:30, 7:20, 9:45 J. EDGAR (PG) Thu 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Fri 3:40, 6:40, 9:45 Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:40, 6:40, 9:45 Mon-Wed 3:40, 6:40, 9:35 JACK AND JILL (PG) Thu 4:40, 7:20, 9:50 Fri 4:50, 7:40, 10:15 Sat-Sun 1:50, 4:50, 7:40, 10:15 Mon-Wed 4:50, 7:40, 10:00 THE MUPPETS (G) Thu 3:45 6:45 9:40 Fri-Wed 4:10, 7:00, 9:40 Sat-Sun 1:20 mat PUSS IN BOOTS 3D (G) Thu 4:15, 6:50, 9:10 Fri, Mon-Wed 3:50, 6:10, 8:45 Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:50, 6:10, 8:45 TOWER HEIST (PG) Thu 3:50, 6:20, 9:00 Fri 4:40, 7:30, 10:00 Sat-Sun 1:45, 4:40, 7:30, 10:00 Mon-Wed 4:40, 7:30, 9:50 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG) Thu 3:40, 4:20, 6:25, 7:05, 9:20, 10:00 Fri 3:45, 4:20, 6:30, 7:10, 9:20, 10:10 Sat-Sun 12:50, 1:30, 3:45, 4:20, 6:30, 7:10, 9:20, 10:10 Mon-Wed 3:45, 4:20, 6:30, 7:10, 9:20, 9:55 3

My Perestroika

INTERCHANGE 30 (AMC)

Watch it Online

30 INTERCHANGE WAY, HWY 400 & HWY 7, 416-335-5323 7AUM ARIVU (14A) 6:15, 9:30 Fri 3:00 mat Sat-Sun 11:40, 3:00 mat ANONYMOUS (PG) 4:15, 7:05, 9:50 Sat-Sun 1:30 mat DESI BOYZ 6:00, 9:15 Fri 2:45 mat Sat-Sun 11:30, 2:45 mat DRIVE (18A) 5:05, 7:25, 9:50 Fri 2:30 mat Sat-Sun 12:05, 2:30 mat FOOTLOOSE (PG) 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 Fri 2:30 mat Sat-Sun

Trailers for all films at

nowtoronto.com/movies

COLISEUM SCARBOROUGH (CE) SCARBOROUGH TOWN CENTRE, 416-290-5217

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3D (G) Thu 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 10:15 Fri-

NOW

DECEMBER 1-7 2011

blu-ray/dvd Chillerama

(eOne, 2011) D: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, w/ Joel David Moore, Kristina Klebe. Rating: NNNN; DVD package: NNNNN If you revel in cheese, sleaze, taboobusting bad taste and drive-ins, Chillerama is the flick for you. On his last night in business, drive-in owner Cecil Kaufman throws up the

DVD & BLU-RAY Over 20,000 titles in stock for sale Tens of thousands available for rent

weirdest, most obscure movies he can find. Wadzilla features a Godzilla-sized sperm cell attacking New York. I Was A Teenage Werebear is a gay beach-party musical with sex and violence. High weirdness kicks in with The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein, which I won’t ruin by describing. Meanwhile, back at the drive-in, popcorn butter tainted with demon semen turns the audience into an army of the horny dead. The pace never lags, and veteran low-budget directors Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan get the best out of cardboard sets and two-dollar effects. They explain their methods with much hilarity on their shared commentary. Along with more laughs, there’s a touching statement of gay pride in the Teenage Werebear making-of doc. EXTRAS Directors’ commentary, two making-of docs, directors’ interview, deleted scenes, more. English audio. English SDH, Spanish subtitles.

1172 BAY STREET

One Day (Alliance, 2011) D: Lone Scherfig, w/ Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess. Rating: NNN; DVD package: NNN

416.964.9088 baystreetvideo.com

The playful affection and witty banter between

Just South of Bloor

The countdown is on for the Annual NOW Magazine

New Year's Eve Guide coming on Dec 15.

By ANDREW DOWLER

disc of the week

12 Angry Men, starring Henry Fonda, gets the Criterion treatment.

ñ12 Angry Men

(Criterion/ eOne, 1957) D: Sidney Lumet, w/ Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb. Rating: NNNNN; DVD package: NNNNN

Twelve men walk into a jury room to decide the fate of a Hispanic teen accused of stabbing his father. A guilty verdict means a mandatory death sentence. Eleven vote guilty. One isn’t so sure. Everything here works together to build compelling drama from character, social issues, raw emotion, amateur sleuthing and group dynamics. Apart from Henry Fonda, who blends effortlessly into the ensemble, the cast is composed of first-rate New York character actors well versed in stage and TV work. Some of them went on to fame, like Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman and Ed Begley. Sidney Lumet’s direction serves the story, keeping things visually lively with complex blocking, lens and Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess make One Day a pleasant evening’s entertainment and almost carry us past the movie’s big unanswered question: what does she see in him? Dexter is spoiled, self-centred, shallow, thoughtlessly promiscuous and perpetually coked up. The night they graduate from university, he goes to bed with sharp-witted, insecure Emma, but they don’t do anything, deciding to be friends instead. Over the next 20 years, on the anniversary of that night, the film charts the course of their friendship and awaits the inevitable. The once-a-year device keeps the pace brisk and the scenes pointed. Along with Hathaway’s and Sturgess’s work, there are the pleasures of Rafe Spall as the wrong man in Emma’s life and Patricia Clarkson and Ken Stott as Dexter’s disappointed parents, and much lovely cinematography.

lighting changes and lots of telling close-ups. The extras include good interviews with and about Lumet, and pay as much attention to Reginald Rose, who scripted the movie from his original one-hour television drama. TV historian Ron Simon outlines Rose’s career and makes a case for his being one of the great TV writers, up there with

Rod Serling and Paddy Chayefsky. You can check out another of Rose’s Lumet-directed stories, Tragedy In A Temporary Town, on disc two. It’s well worth a look. EXTRAS 1955 TV version, TV play Tragedy In A Temporary Town, archival Lumet interviews, writer Walter Bernstein interview, Simon interviews, production history, print essay, more. Widescreen, b&w.

The making-of docs are little more than promo spots offering one or two factoids and lasting a few minutes each, but Lone Scherfig’s commentary is worth a listen if you’re interested in creative decision-making. EXTRAS Commentary, three makingof docs. English, French, Spanish audio and subtitles.

wants to make an entertaining actioner. His two aims never gel. The story of a freelance TV reporter (Rupert Friend), his cameraman (Richard Coyle) and a Georgian woman (Emmanuelle Chriqui) caught at the front when war erupts, the film paints a believable and horrific picture of what it’s like to be on the receiving end when jets start bombing civilians, tanks roll over villages and mercenaries begin a systematic campaign of atrocities. Our heroes capture mass murder on tape, which launches the actionadventure plot: capture, improbable rescue, a thrilling chase and the old villain-with-the-heroine-at-gunpoint climax. It’s all well handled, but it doesn’t cohere. EXTRAS Commentary, deleted scenes. English, Spanish audio and subtitles. 3

ñ5 Days Of War

(Anchor Bay, 2011) D: Renny Harlin, w/ Rupert Friend, Richard Coyle. Rating: NNN; Bluray package: NNNN Producer/director Renny Harlin discusses the two impulses that shape 5 Days Of War in his thoughtful, informative commentary. First, he wants to educate audiences about the Russo-Georgian war that lasted for five days in August 2008. Second, he

movies@nowtoronto.com

ON DEMAND THIS WEEK

Pick up this years issue for the

ULTIMATE LIST

of what to do & where to do it! Fiercly Independent Since 1981 To advertise your event, call 416.364.1300 x.381 82

december 1-7 2011 NOW

ON ROGERS

ON BELL

ON iTUNES

ON NETFLIX

The Presence (2010) Mira Sorvino and Shane West star in a chiller about a woman stalked by an unseen entity at an isolated cabin.

Our Idiot Brother (2011) Paul Rudd plays an idealist whose naive attempts to do good wreak havoc on the lives of his sisters.

The Devil’s Double (2011) In 1987 Baghdad, an Iraqi army lieutenant is summoned to work as a double for Saddam Hussein’s sadistic, sex-crazed son.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Classic stars Marilyn Monroe (subject of recent My Week With Marilyn) and Jane Russell as showgirls on the make aboard a luxury liner.

= Critics’ Pick nnnnn = Must have nnnn = Keeper nnn = Renter nn = Coaster n = Skeet

indie&rep film complete festivals, independent and How to find a listing

Repertory cinema listings are comprehensive and appear alphabetically by venue, then by date. Other films are listed by date. = Critics’ pick (highly recommended) ñ f = festive/seasonal event

How to place a listing

All listings are free. Send to: movies@nowtoronto.com, fax to 416-364-1166 or mail to Rep Cinemas, NOW Magazine, 189 Church, Toronto M5B 1Y7. Include film title, year of release, names of director(s), language and subtitle info, venue, address, time, cost and advance ticket sales if any, phone number for reservations/info or website address. Deadline is the Thursday before publication at 5 pm.

festivals pomegranate film festival

armenian youth centre, hamazkayin theatre, 50 hallcrown place (ayc); regent theatre, 551 mt pleasant (rt). pomegranatefilmfestival.com

Thu 1-suN 4 – Festival of Armenian films. $10,

gala $50; 6-pack pass $50, full pass $125. Thu 1 – Armenia Now: films commemorating 20 years of independence including Le Piano D: Levon Minassian, Revival D: Gagik Stepanyan and others. 7 pm. The Jubilee Visitor D: Ara Yernjakyan, and short film Bolis. 9 pm. All screenings at AYC. fri 2 – Red Carpet soiree: The Snows Of Kilimanjaro D: Robert Guediguian. 7:10 pm. Here D: Braden King. 9:20 pm. Q&A w/ director to follow. Both screenings at RT. saT 3 – Hyastan: The Land Of Make Believe D: Franck Lorrain, Don’t Get Lost Children D: Gulengul Altintas, and shorts Mature Whiteheads, Mephisto, Move and Spare Change. 10 am. Spotlight On Armenian Women: My Grandman’s Tattoo D: Suzanne Khardalian, and Finding Zabel Yesayan D: Talin Suciyan and Lara Aharonian. Noon. Tales From The Diaspora: Roots D: Vahagn Karapetyan, and The Last Armenian In Turkey D: Stefanie de Brouwer. 2:10 pm. You Don’t Know Jack D: Barry Levinson, and short film Trade. 4 pm. Gala: Sunrise Over Lake Van D: Vahan Stepanyan. 7 pm. All screenings at AYC. suN 4 – Anduni D: Samira Radsi, and short Galata. 10 am. Symphony Of Film: Hayrenner D: David Sakayants, The Spaceship D: Emil Mkrttchian, Lemonary D: Arsen Arutyunyan, and shorts Le Petit Bijou and Apples. Noon. Voyage To Amasia D: Eric Hachikian, and short film Komitas. 2 pm. Michael G, King Of The World D: Stephane Kazandjian, and short film Experience. 4 pm. The Son Of The Olive Merchant D: Mathieu Zeitindijoglou, and short film No Darkness Shall Make Us Forget. 6:10 pm. My Uncle Rafael D: Marc Fusco. 8:20 pm.

cinemas Bloor cinema

506 Bloor w. 416-516-2330. Bloorcinema.com

Thu 1-Wed 7 – Closed for renovations.

camera Bar 1028 Queen w. 416-530-0011. cameraBar.ca

saT 3 – No screening.

cinematheQue tiff Bell lightBox

reitman sQuare, 350 king w. 416-599-tiff (8433). tiff.net

Thu 1 – Alfred Hitchcock X 2: Vertigo

(1958) 6:30 pm. Family Plot (1976). 9:15 pm. fri 2 – The Canadian Folk Music Awards presents A Walk In My Dream D: Jonathan Torrens, about legendary harmonica player Mike Stevens. 8 pm. $20. Summer School (1987) D: Carl Reiner. 9 pm.

repertory schedules

Good intentions can’t save pic EVERYTHING & EVERYONE (Tracy D. Smith) Rating: NN I feel bad about knocking Everything & Everyone. Its heart is in the right place, its aspirations are modest, and all the actors are committed to their roles. But it just isn’t very good. A multi-character drama about the emotional ups and downs of a group of people living in the Vancouver area, it revolves around 35-year-old Noah (Ryan Robbins), a struggling actor who’s just moved back home with his parents to take in the young son (Sean Michael Kyer) he didn’t know he had. This living arrangement is further complicated by the fact that Noah’s mother, Rose (an excellent Gabrielle Rose), is secretly struggling with the onset of dementia. That’d be enough for one movie, surely, but producer Ian Tang’s script piles on further drama: Noah’s old friend Amanda (Chelah Horsdal) secretly pines for him, while their mutual friend Eric (Lane Edwards) falls for a closeted prick (Chad Willett) who won’t even kiss saT 3 – Gremlins (1984) D: Joe Dante. 2 pm.

North By Northwest (1959) D: Alfred Hitchcock. 6 pm. Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) D: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. 11 pm. suN 4 – On Dangerous Ground (1951) D: Nicholas Ray. 1 pm. Alfred Hitchcock X2: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). 4 pm. Marnie (1964). 6:45 pm. Tue 6 – On Dangerous Ground. 6:30 pm. The Birds (1963) D: Alfred Hitchcock. 9 pm. Wed 7 – Hot Docs Doc Soup presents Granito: How To Nail A Dictator (2010) D: Pamela Yates. 6:30 & 9:15 pm. $14. hotdocs.ca.

fox theatre

2236 Queen e. 416-691-7330. foxtheatre.ca

Thu 1 – The Help (2011) D: Tate Taylor. 6:45

pm. Take Shelter (2011) D: Jeff Nichols. 9:30 pm. fri 2 – The Help. 6:45 pm. 50/50 (2011) D: Jonathan Levine. 9:30 pm. saT 3 – Dolphin Tale 3D (2011) D: Charles Martin Smith. 11 am & 2:30 pm. 50/50. 4:45 & 9:30 pm. The Help. 6:45 pm. suN 4 – Dolphin Tale 3D. 1:30 pm. The Help. 4 & 6:45 pm. 50/50. 9:30 pm. MoN 5-Tue 6 – The Help. 6:45 pm. 50/50. 9:30 pm. Wed 7 – Anonymous. 1:30 & 9:30 pm. The Help. 6:45 pm.

graham spry theatre

cBc museum, cBc Broadcast centre, 250 front w, 416-205-5574. cBc.ca

Thu 1-Wed 7 – Continuous screenings Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Free.

Thu 1-fri 2 – The Nano Revolution Part 2. MoN 5-Wed 7 – The Nano Revolution Part 3.

national film Board 150 John. 416-973-3012. nfB.ca/mediatheQue

Thu 1-Wed 7 – More than 5,000 NFB films available at digital viewing stations. Tue-

Jerry Wasserman (left), Ryan Robbins and Gabrielle Rose will please no one.

the royal

608 college. 416-534-5252. theroyal.to

Thu 1 – The Keyhole Sessions and YWCA Canada present Miss Representation (2011) D: Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary about how women are portrayed in the media. 6:45 pm. $10. Tickets and info at missrepresentationtoronto.eventbrite.com. fri 2 – My Perestroika (2010) D: Robin Hessman. 7 pm. The Hammer (2010) D: Oren Kaplan, based on the life of deaf UFC fighter Matt Hamill. 9:15 pm. $15. Proceeds to ASL-Phabet Animated Dictionary for Kids. saT 3 – Toronto Serbian Film Festival: If The Seed Doesn’t Die (2010) D: Sinisa Dragin. 5 pm. Cinema Komunisto (2010) D: Mila Turajlic. 7:15 pm. The Box D: Andrijana Stojkovic. 9:15 pm. $20 per screening. 647-831-1657, dijaspora.ca/festival20011. suN 4 – My Perestroika. 9:30 pm. MoN 5-Tue 6 – My Perestroika. 7 pm. Wed 7 – Check website for schedule.

toronto underground cinema

186 spadina ave, Basement. 647-992-4335, torontoundergroundcinema.com

Thu 1-Wed 7 – Check website for schedule.

other films him in public. And Noah’s son is being bullied by a bigger kid who keeps stealing his shoes. In its early scenes, with characters batting quippy remarks back and forth, Everything & Everyone plays as light comedy with a melodramatic undercurrent. The material grows more serious, but director Tracy D.

Smith doesn’t manage the shift. It’s no fun at all to watch her movie – already undermined by uneven performances and an irritatingly chipper musical score – collapse under the weight of its own modest ambition. Opens Friday (December 2) at the NorMaN WilNer Projection Booth.

Wed noon-7 pm, Thu-Sat noon-10 pm, Sun noon-5 pm. Free. Thu 1 – Ciné-Jeudi presents The Lumberfros (2010) D: Stéphanie Lanthier. 7:30 pm. $6, stu/srs $4. Wed 7 – Free Favourites At Four presents Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) D: Claude Jutra. 4 pm. Free. Green Screens presents The Chocolate Farmer (2010) D: Rohan Fernando. 7 pm. Free.

and The Invisible Frame. 5 pm. Everything & Everyone. 7 pm. Fright Night: Bucket Of Blood (1959) D: Roger Corman. 9 pm. suN 4 – Everything & Everyone. 1:30 pm. Nahom Records Presents. 4 pm. Cycling The Frame and The Invisible Frame. 7 pm. Klitschko. 9 pm. MoN 5 – Everything & Everyone. 5 pm. Cycling The Frame and The Invisible Frame. 7 pm. Klitschko. 9 pm. Tue 6-Wed 7 – Cycling The Frame and The Invisible Frame. 5 pm. Klitschko. 7 pm. Everything & Everyone. 9 pm.

ontario place cinesphere 955 lake shore w. 416-314-9900. ontarioplace.com

Thu 1 – Hubble 3D & Mysteries Of Egypt. 10:10 am.

f saT 3 – The Polar Express 3D (2004) D:

Robert Zemeckis. 2 pm. Tue 6 – Bugs! 3D & Mysteries Of Egypt. 10 am.

ontario science centre

770 don mills. 416-696-3127. ontariosciencecentre.ca

Thu 1-fri 2 – Rocky Mountain Express. 11

am & 2 pm. Under The Sea. Noon. Tornado Alley. 1 pm. saT 3 – Rocky Mountain Express. 11 am, 1, 3 & 8 pm. Tornado Alley. Noon, 4 & 7 pm. Under The Sea. 2 pm. suN 4 – Rocky Mountain Express. 11 am, 1 & 3 pm. Tornado Alley. Noon & 4 pm. Under The Sea. 2 pm. MoN 5-Wed 7 – Rocky Mountain Express. 11 am & 2 pm. Under The Sea. Noon. Tornado Alley. 1 pm.

the proJection Booth

1035 gerrard e. 416-466-3636, proJectionBooth.ca.

Thu 1 – Klitschko (2011) D: Sebastian Dehn-

hardt. 7 pm. The Last Man On Earth (1964) D: Ubaldo Ragona. 9 pm. House On Haunted Hill (1959) D: William Castle. 10:45 pm. fri 2 – Klitschko. 5 pm. Cynthia Beatt X 2: Cycling The Frame (1988), and The Invisible Frame (2009). 7 pm. Everything & Everyone (2011) D: Tracy D Smith. 9 pm. saT 3 – Klitschko. 2:45 pm. Cycling The Frame

= Critics’ Pick nnnnn = Top ten of the year nnnn = Honourable mention nnn = Entertaining nn = Mediocre n = Bomb

reg hartt’s cineforum 463 Bathurst. 416-603-6643.

Thu 1 – Total Eclipse (1995) D: Agneieszka Holland. 7 pm. What I Learned From LSD (2010) D: Reg Hartt. 9 pm. saT 3-Tue 6 – Kid Dracula: Nosferatu, A Symphony Of Fear (1922) D: FW Murnau, set to music from Radiohead’s Kid A and OK Computer. 7 pm. What I Learned From LSD (2010) D: Reg Hartt. 9 pm. suN 4 – Occupy Toronto: The Last Day In 3D (2011) D: Reg Hartt. 2 pm. Jane Jacobs: Urban Wisdom (2003) D: Don Alexander. 2 pm.

revue cinema

400 roncesvalles. 416-531-9959. revuecinema.ca

Thu 1 – Commemorating World Aids Day: We Were Here (2011) D: David ñ Weissman and Bill Weber. 7 pm. Take Shelter

(2011) D: Jeff Nichols. 9 pm. fri 2 – The Help (2011) D: Tate Taylor. 6:45 pm. Moneyball (2011) D: Bennett Miller. 9:30 pm. saT 3-suN 4 – The Princess Bride (1987) D: Rob Reiner. 2 pm. The Help. 4 & 6:45 pm. Moneyball. 9:30 pm. MoN 5 – The Help. 6:45 pm. Moneyball. 9:30 pm. Tue 6 – Moneyball. 6:45 pm. The Help. 9:30 pm. Wed 7 – Anonymous (2011) D: Roland Emmerich. 1 & 9:30 pm. The Help. 6:45 pm.

Thu 1-Wed 7 – The CN Tower presents The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D. Continuous screenings daily 10 am to 8 pm. 301 Front W. 416868-6937, cntower.ca. Thu 1-Wed 7 – Casa Loma presents The Pellatt Newsreel (2006) D: Barbra Cooper, a film and permanent exhibit on the history of Casa Loma and Henry Pellatt. Daily screenings 10 am to 4:30 pm. Included w/ admission. 1 Austin Terrace. 416-923-1171, casaloma.org. Thu 1 – The Bata Shoe Museum presents Roaring Twenties Movie For A Toonie: Funny Girl (1968) D: William Wyler. 6 pm. $2 and pwyc museum admission. 327 Bloor W. batashoemuseum.ca. fri 2 – The Loop Collective presents The Lighthouse Series: Visual Alchemy by Carl Brown including Memory Fade (2009), and Re:Entry (1990). 8 pm. Free. CineCycle, 129 Spadina (down the lane). loopcollective.com. Reel Activism presents Bhopali (2011) D: Max Carlson. Screening followed by discussion with Ellen Shifrin of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. 7 pm. Donations welcome. Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor W. 416-966-2815. suN 4 – Citizens Climate Lobby present Climate Refugees (2010) D: Michael P Nash, as part of the Global Action Day For Climate Change, followed by discussion. 1 pm. Free. Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford, Lower Social Room. 416-444-7148, lizrice.ca.events. Toronto Jewish Film Society presents The Wedding Song (2008) D: Karin Albou, and short film KhasenJah: The Jamaican Jewish Wedding (2003) D: David Stein. 4 & 7:30 pm. $15, $10 for ages 18-35 (7:30 pm only). Miles Nadal JCC, Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina. 416-924-6211 ext 606, mnjcc.org. MoN 5 – Short & Sweet Weekly presents short films, animation and music videos by David Lewandowski, Vicky Tooms and others. 8-10 pm. Free. No One Writes to the Colonel, 460 College. shortandsweet.tv. Early Monthly Segments presents Hart Of London (1970) D: Jack Chambers. 7:30 pm. $5 suggested donation. Gladstone Hotel, Art Bar, 1214 Queeen W. gladstonehotel.com. Toronto Film Society presents Love Affair (1939) D: Leo McCarey, and Mr Lucky (1943) D: HC Potter. 7:30 pm. $15. Carlton Cinema, 20 Carlton. torontofilmsociety.com. The Cameron House Music Movie Mondays presents The Last Waltz (1978) D: Martin Scorsese. 8 pm. $5. 408 Queen W. musicmoviemondays.wordpress. com. Tue 6 – Jerry Levitan and Eggplant present My Hometown (2011) D: Jerry Levitan and Terry Tompkins, a collaboration with Yoko Ono. 8 pm. Tattoo Rock Parlour, 567 Queen W. 416-703-5488, gat.ca. 3

NOW december 1-7 2011

ClassiďŹ eds 416 364 3444 CONTACTS > classiďŹ eds@nowtoronto.com 416 364 3444 fax 416 364 1433 189 Church, Toronto, ON M5B 1Y7 DEADLINES > Tuesday at 6pm Adult ClassiďŹ eds ~ Monday at 6pm

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accommodations Singles $30 Couples $60

Coxwell & Danforth Bright 1bdrm+. Walk to TGEH. 2nd fl, sep. entr., hdwd flrs, new appls, deck, A/C, prkng, util incl. $1,300 immed. 416-579-0980

Dupont/Lansdowne One Bedroom - $950. 10'-14' ceilings. Fitness and recreation facilities, underground parking, air, 416-5161166 Rental Office Hours: MonThurs 8-7, Fri 8-5, Sat/Sun 12-4 www.standardlofts.com

2011 Dundas West. Call John 416-536-8824

KING W BATHURST for rent - general College / Spadina Daily, weekly, monthly (from $600) Pkg lndry SRs disc 416-921-2141

*2 +BDRM IN OLDER BROWNSTONE * Main Flr. Yrd*UPDATED* *HRDWD FLS *SEP ENTR* $1395 + AVAIL DEC 1*

studio for rent Dupont/Lansdowne Studios and Workrooms $900. 10'-14' ceilings. Fitness and recreation facilities, underground parking, air, 416-516-1166 Rental Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-7, Fri 8-5, Sat/Sun 12-4 standardlofts.com

Queen Street West

commercial space Retail Studio Space

Dupont/Symington Comm. studio loft prof. space/Envir. from 800 to 4000 sq ft, high ceilings, 2 pc bathroom, bright, hrdwd flrs, combine units, office, photo, computer, internet design from $900 a month. 416-654-2915 or 416-630-2116

2nd flr. for lease, street entr. Mt. pleasant/davisville, approx. 900 sq. ft. $900/month plus TMI. avail. Jan.1st Call peter 647-223-1499

movers !

! J.J. FLASH Hourly/flat rate *Local/long distance* short notice* (416)599-2728

416-588-8652 416 588 8652

for rent - bach Dupont/Lansdowne Bachelors $835. 10'-14' ceilings. Fitness and recreation facilities, underground parking, air, 416-516-1166 Rental Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-7, Fri 8-5, Sat/Sun 12-4 www.standardlofts.com

for rent - 1 bdrm ADMIRAL/ANNEX 1 bdrm. apt. 3rd. flr. of quiet house of retired prof. Wooden beams, skylights, a/c, about 600 sq.ft. Common entrance, 10 mins on foot from U of T., 1 person only, no pets. $1200/mo. incl. util.,cable, i-net., furn./unfurn. avail. immed. on 1 year lease.,416-924-8976-leave message.

Prof. Packing & decluttering Avail.

CARGOTAXI-SAME DAY DELIVERY Experienced and reliable 7days/wk.

Two Bedroom - $1,275. 10'-14' ceilings. Fitness and recreation facilities, undgrd, prkg, air. 416-516 -1166 Rental Office Hours: MonThurs 8-7, Fri 8-5, Sat/Sun 12-4 www.standardlofts.com

Leslie/Sheppard

SPECIAL NO TRUCK FEES! Ă&#x2018;LIC'D. & INSUREDĂ&#x2019; LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE WWW.HUSKYMOVERS.CA 416-508-4424

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sublet Studio Loft Sublet Dundas west and Bloor, Jan-June $850/month with cat 416-516-1826

offices Jane/Langstaff Office for rent. call 416-459-0007

Real Estate Directory â&#x2013;ź

Bayview / Eglinton 435 Sutherland Dr., 2 - 4 p.m. Sundays. $629,900.Call Carol Wrigley at 416-443-0300. Royal LePage Brokerage. cwrigley@trebnet.com

loft sweet loft

Sales Reps/Brokers Submit your FREE Open House Gallery listings by Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Add a MLS photo for an extra $35 gst included. Fax:416-364-1433 or email beve@nowtoronto.com

Yonge/Lawrence 158 Fairlawn Ave., Sat. Dec. 3rd & Sun. Dec. 4th, 2-4pm, $699,000 Parry Lowndes, Sales Rep, Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited, Brokerage 416-925-9191 plowndes@trebnet.com

ST CLAIR WEST $599,000

â&#x2013;ź

Wild West Moving AlextheMover.ca

open house gallery

Home 416.925.9948 Improvement

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for rent - 3 bdrm+ 3 bdrm. for rent 2 min. to TTC and Go. 2 prkg. close to all amen., No pets/smoke $1400+ 416-897-7846

STARTING FROM $20+ !!

Jeta Moving 416-410-5382

Dupont/Lansdowne

Bloor/Christie

416-451-1556

!A LAST MINUTE

Dupont/Lansdowne

Modern bsmt, sep/entr, hi ceil, huge bay wndw, N/S, N/pets, A/C $800 incl. Avail Jan 1/12 416-949-6162

ANY SIZE! FAST! SAME DAY DELIVERY! TORONTO ONLY - $29HR & UP

Move? Small to medium size moves.

for rent - 2 bdrm

Two Bedroom - $1,275. 10'-14' ceilings. Fitness and recreation facilities, undgrd, prkg, air. 416-516 -1166 Rental Office Hours: MonThurs 8-7, Fri 8-5, Sat/Sun 12-4 www.standardlofts.com

Dan The Moving Man

Prime professional office space for lease 1 block west of university ave. 4th floor with 11 offices avail. aranging from $750- $850 per office with elevator access call: 647-891-4224

Ë&#x2DC;

for rent - house

416-364-3444

Business & Residential

3FBE JUv

Painting Services

16' Cube Truck 2 men, 1 man or Uload. 24hr Call Alex (416)707-6615

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do it right the first time.â&#x20AC;?

commercial space 7000.00 SQ FOOT $1.20 SQ FT This would work for a Day Nursery, Carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shop, Sheet Metal, Welderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shop, Service, Rental or Repair Shop,Fur goods factory Garment factory ,Manufacturing plant, Packaging Plant ,Pharmaceutical factory -secondary ,Plastic products factory -Secondary, Printing Plant . Brew on premises establishment, duplicating shop, Custom workshop, Artist live /Work Studio,Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio (1997-0422), Industrial Comp. Service, Lab, Class A, Performing Arts Studio, Publisher, Software, design and development establishment Fatima 416-656-1592 or dina 416-723-6381.

All work guaranteed.

Oversized 3 bdrm/2 bath brick det. w/double garage & potential 1 bdrm bsmt. in-law suite. Great condition!

Call Gisele Cline, Brkr. 416.487.5131 RE/MAX ULTIMATE, BROKERAGE www.stclairavenuehomes.com

FREE ESTIMATES

Cont a ct Dean

416-821-6848 www.protectpainting.com or protect@sympatico.ca

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:I<8K@M< LI98E CF=K C@M@E>

LEASE BREAK

Move in today and if you are not satisďŹ ed move out after 90 days with no penalty.

a 1)(, +" $ a "%"' , a "' "/" . %%2 ('-+(%% "+ (' "-"('"' a "-' ,, + "%"-" , a .' + +(.' ) +$"' a %(, -( ) +$, + - & '"-" ,

Bachelors $835 Studios & Workrooms $900 One Bedroom $950 Two Bedroom $1,275

DUPONT & LANSDOWNE Rental ofďŹ ce is 1401 Dupont St. HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 8am-7pm, Fri. 8am-5pm, Sat. & Sun.12-4pm

SAME DAY APPROVAL

FREE $60. WHEN YOU APPLY ONLINE www.standardlofts.com

416.516.1166

NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

Health & Personal Growth

one of a kind artisan’s directory

416-364-3444 Friendly Dependable Pet Care

clubs/groups

On until december 4

in your home since 1991 Pet Pros Pet Sitters Mention this ad for 20% off www.petprostoronto.com 647-351-8966

SALSA PRACTICE + LESSON

direct energy centre exhibition place

Every Saturday 5-7pm Salsa, merengue, bachata at 310 Danforth Ave.$5, all levels, No partner req. Ask for our 2 for 1 Tues. night special 416-732-5852

LOVEBIRDS, M & F

www.salsaforsingles.com

One green, one yellow. With cage. Adorable, but roommates don't agree. $150 or B.O. Info and pix at: aidantp@gmail.com

BOOTH S-24 counselling Learn to live as you choose!

THE THE BUBBLE BUBBLE DRESS DRESS

Ø µFKK=6 2AA62CD H66<=J @? 7:CDE ¨=2DD:7:65 A286#

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to 354,000

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pets

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Male and female, ckc reg'd., shots, Ready now, Call 519-925-3571

your ad. health

round with changing

readers! Call

to place

workshops

OVERWEIGHT?

Feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or confused? Are you looking for professional assistance in sorting out life's challenges and finding more constructive ways to deal with them? INSIGHT Counselling Services can help you starting to make the changes in your life you want to make. Call 905-466-4261

with changing necklines. necklines.

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A unique design A unique that can bedesign worn as A unique design that that canorbe worn acan dress by asas a beskirt worn a dress or skirt by using adjustable dress or skirt by using using to adjustable snaps make the adjustable snaps to hemline or the snaps tolong make make the hemline long short. wrinkle hemlineNon long or fabric makes itNon per- wrinkle short. Non wrinkle or short. fect formakes travel and fabric it per- it perfect fabric makes can worn year fect be for travelalland for travel and can be round changing can bewith worn all year worn all year round necklines.

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YORKIE CROSSED LHASA APSO PUPS

Sex-positive counselling for individuals, couples and poly-families. Extended insurance accepted. www.irinapetrova.ca 416-843-4963

Addicted to Food? Is your life OK but your eating out of control? OHIP-covered workshop for women. No drugs, no fad diets. “Deal with the feelings and the pounds will melt away.” BEGINS JANUARY 8, 2012 RUNS FOR 20 WEEKS Marcia Sirota MD FRCP(C)

Chihuahua puppies

Classifieds

TOY RED POODLE

Book your ad early! 416.364.3444

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healing

416-782-5452

pets SPACE PROVIDED BY

YOUR HEALTH

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) PMS refers to the worsening of any number of symptoms in the one to two weeks before menstruation. Typical symptoms include: decreased energy level, irritability, depression, food cravings, headache, breast pain, backache, abdominal bloating, joint pain and swelling of the fingers and ankles. The naturopathic approach to treating PMS is holistic, looking at the many aspects of wellbeing that affect the menstrual cycle. Foods that worsen PMS: 1. Sugar and refined carbohydrates 2. Salt and foods high in sodium 3. Caffeine 4. Alcohol Dietary Changes for PMS: 1. Reduce your caffeine intake (coffee, cola, black tea, chocolate) 2. Reduce your intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice, muffins, cookies, etc) 3. Increase intake of complex carbohydrates that are high in fibre (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils and beans) 4. Replace some of the meat you eat with more fish, legumes and healthy soy products (organic tofu or tempeh) 5. Reduce alcohol intake 6. Increase intake of healthy fats (fish oil, olive oil, ground flaxseeds) 7. Avoid salty or highly processed foods (prepackaged or ready-made foods)

How can Exercise Help? Frequent aerobic exercise is essential in regulating hormones, mood and treating PMS. Exercise increases dopamine and endorphins, which help us feel happy and positive. You need a minimum of 2½ hours of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. Frequency is more important than intensity; therefore you don’t need to train for a marathon, you just have to move your body on a regular basis. Exercising on a daily basis is most helpful for women with severe PMS symptoms. What role does stress play? Research shows that women who feel stressed and dissatisfied with life have more severe PMS symptoms. High stress levels disrupt the female hormones that control the menstrual cycle and also predispose women to feelings of anxiety and depression. Relaxation vastly improves PMS symptoms. Make a concerted effort to prioritize things that you find relaxing, such as: yoga, walking, massage, meditation, prayer, being creative (such as art, music, etc) or just simple quite time.

SOURCE: DR. AMANDA GUTHRIE, BSc, ND, Naturopathic Doctor 28 Park Road (Yonge & Bloor), Toronto, ON M4W 1M1 416.944.9186 WholeHealthToronto.com

DECEMBER 1-7 2011 NOW

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+(-%*0)%)).*

Attract the best employees NOW Classifieds’ Careers section attracts Toronto’s brightest and most qualified job candidates.

Classifieds EVERYTHING GOES. 416.364.3444

General

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pro services

If_h_j e\ =_l_d] $)2%#4/29

TOO MUCH DEBT?

:Xcc +(-$*-+$*+++ \ok% */) kf Yffb pfli X[ ]fi ;\Z\dY\i /k_

When the only thing left in your piggy bank is the oink.

Cyril Sapiro C.A. Trustee in Bankruptcy Yonge/Eglinton 416-486-9660 for info and a booklet

SONNY’S

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

FOR 17 YEARS,

Professional & recreational training Adults of all ages & children 9 and up Reasonable rates 5 min. from College Subway Station Improve range, breathing ability, strength, control, tone, musical ear, confidence, expression and performance! I can help you prepare for shows, auditions, open mic nights or just for your own pleasure & fulfillment. 416 722 4131 annebonsignore.com

OUT OF THE COLD

Curtain Call Players is holding auditions for their spring Production on

Sun. Dec. 4th & Mon. Dec. 5th

2010: $25,000+ Donated

DUFFERIN

Auditions must be booked in advance. Contact Keith: 905-216-8351 or 416-500-8488 or by email kpdo@hotmail.com or visit www.curtaincallplayers.com for more info.

WESTMOUNT

at Glen Rhodes United Church, 1470 Gerrard St. E (@ Coxwell). N ST.CLARE CHURCH

$MBTTJGJFET

TOO MANY PEAS IN YOUR POD?

See it…

DQ DANFORT

DANFORTH AVE.

H RD.

CEDARBRAE MALL

& Backline Now 2 locations @ Cherry Beach & Islington. Free Wi-Fi 416-693-1816

music lessons

PRACTICE WHERE THE PROS DO!

Learn to Sing Like a Star!

Singing Lessons PAULA SHEAR. Train w/Pro Singer for Power/Range/Control. info@paulashear.com 416-835-6760

LAWRENCE AVE. E.

416-366-1525 www.rehearsalfactory.com

40 450 hourly monthly rooms! rooms! 7 Locations Pro gear & Great rates!

NOW BOOKING FOR NEW MISSISSAUGA LOCATION!!

r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r Front & Sherbourne Richmond & Bathurst Dupont & Dufferin Lakeshore & Islington Mississauga Oshawa

recording studios RECORDING STUDIO

B. MUSIQUE Productions/Studio

WARDEN AVE

JACKMAN

NE W !

Great Rates, Great Results… Cool Vibe, Cool Gear! Hip-Hop / Reggae / Folk / Jazz / Dance / Rock… In House Engineer / Producer / Multi-Instrumentalist. Call or Email for rates. Plus… Free Parking! Please call or email Bryant for an appointment. 416-824-2649 (824-BMIX) bmusique@primus.ca www.bmusique.ca

NOW readers rock!

CALL 416-875-9491

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Live w/drums, great for karaoke voiceover, pro quality, $20/hr. Phone after 6pm 416-258-8610/284-7661

SILVERBIRCH PRODUCTIONS CD Mastering, Recording/Mixing, CD & DVD Manufacturing 416-260-6688 www.silverbirchprod.com The ONE-STOP-SHOP for all of your music needs! Best quality short-run CD duplication! Ask about our on-line music store, posters, graphic design & our $295. website special!

Fraser, Concolor, Balsam, White Pine, Scot’s Pine, Blue Spruce & Douglas Trees/Wreaths Available

announcements

MASTERING MIX/RECORD CD/DVDS DESIGN

tAUCTION NOTICEs

DOLT VLRO JRPF@ DOLT VLRO JRPF@

Spaces Self Storage will be hosting a public auction on site at 356 Eastern Avenue, Toronto on December 9, 2011 @ 10:00am SHARP. The following units will be sold in whole:

DOLT VLRO JRPF@

2166 – Tina Alleyne 5004 – Lindsay Anderson 5146 – John Barr 5177 – Ormila Bhoopaul 2088 – Harmony Cluett 5047 – Hamal Docter

2160 – Janie Hodgson 3145, 3154 – Jonathan Mitchell 3230 – Michael Mullen 2175 – Lekhena Peou 2049 – Ian Sparkes 1083 – Leslie Webster

DOLT VLRO JRPF@

the ONE-STOP-SHOP for ALL of your MUSIC NEEDS! WWW.SILVERBIRCHPROD.COM

416.260.6688

each containing personal and household items. If anyone has an interest in these units contact the office Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm, or Saturdays 9am to 5pm. Phone enquiries can be made to (416) 465-9900.

EVERYTHING GOES.

Find it all in our real estate directory.

Web Directory WWW.SANDALMAN.COM

EVERYTHING GOES. 416.364.3444 x308

To date over $175,000 donated since 1994

FULL SIZE & SELECTION!

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Time to find a BIGGER home.

Classifieds

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BLOOR ST.

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BATHURST ST.

BROADVIEW MARKHAM ST.

DANFORTH AVE.

PMB Fall 2011, Toronto 18+.

ST.CLARE SCHOOL

ST. CLAIR WEST

44% The demographics you need… only in NOW Classifieds.

rehearsal space *PRB*Pro Rehearsal

CHRISTMAS TREES PROCEEDS TO

AUDITIONS - MISS SAIGON

Hard Rock Drummer 70's/80's style all original hard rock band with pro CD needs long haired drummer for shows. 416-575-5477

auditions

NOW readers are 44% more likely to be employed in the broad white collar sector than the average Torontonian.

musicians wanted

announcements

MARKHAM RD.

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music

416-364-3444

FREE YOGA MAT with the purchase of our very cool hand-made yoga mat bags while supplies last! Also 50% all Yoga mat bags! 50% OFF ALL IN-STOCK LEATHER SANDALS JACKET REPAIR SALE - 20% OFF ALL RELINING & RECONDITIONING TREATMENTS We also do alterations, replace zippers & buckles. We reupholster leather furniture and restore vintage items. Serving Toronto since 1982! Mentioned in NOW's Best of Toronto. First-Aid for Leather – Bring us your Sick Leather 416-533-6-335

▼ www.gentlevasectomy.com Clinics located in Scarborough and Peterborough.

www.hemptimes.com Articles & features on industrial hemp, hemp issues, clothing, etc...

Reach

www.rabble.ca

354,000

Canada's irreverent news website, covering independent news since 2001.

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www.canadianseedexchange.com 150 Cannabis Seeds, Salvia Extracts, Mushrooms & other sacred herbs. 66 Wellesley St E 3rd Fl Toronto ON M4Y 1G2, 416-850-3795, Downtown

www.animalalliance.ca

www.veg.ca

Committed to the protection of all animals.

Toronto Vegetarian Assoc. All the info you need to go vegetarian!

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Everything goes. nowtoronto.com/classifieds NOW DECEMBER 1-7 2011

Subways! Subways! Subways! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, Rob. NOW Magazine is available free in subways every Thursday at over 65 Gateway Newstands locations. Your commute just got a lot less boring.

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Savage Love By Dan Savage

I’m a 21-year-old woman from Can-

ada who sleeps with other women. Two questions for you: 1. My LGBT friends and I disagree about what we girls who sleep with girls exclusively should call ourselves. Everyone else prefers “lesbian” and bitches at me for hating that word. Can’t I call myself gay? 2. I am a really kinky person. I’ve been very sexually active and into BDSM since I was 16. I have a large toy collection and many of the toys are dildos and anal plugs. I like anal a lot, but vaginal just doesn’t interest me, so I’ve never gone there. I’ve read about how breaking the hymen can hurt and – despite the fact that I enjoy being flogged and scratched – that scares me a little. Should I get over it and go to town or stick with everything else that works for me? Good Gay Girl 1. You can call yourself whatever you like, GGG, and your friends can call themselves whatever they like. They’re entitled to their opinions, however, along with their preferred labels. Friends should be able to discuss their differing opinions and preferences without bitching and/or being so thinskinned that a calm discussion about a sensitive subject is mistaken for bitching. 2. “Tearing the hymen doesn’t always hurt and rarely hurts with any severity,” says Debby Herbenick, sex researcher, vulva puppeteer and co-author (with

fAre Well Please join us as we bid farewell to

The ScandelleS and the end of a decade of decadent mischief Sun. Dec. 4

Oasis Aqualounge 231 Mutual Street 5pm. cover $20. everyone welcome. Spot performances of classic Scandelles numbers! BBQ at 6:30! All money raised goes towards our new company Operation Snatch. Oasisaqualounge.com 110

Vanessa Schick) of Read My Lips: A Complete Guide To The Vagina And Vulva. “Going slow with a smallish, well-lubricated dildo is a good place to start, or two or three well-lubricated fingers. Doing this while highly aroused sets you up for a better experience.” But before you explore vaginal penetration, GGG, Herbenick recommends a trip to your nearest female-friendly sextoy shop. “If most of your toys have been used in the anus/rectum,” says Herbenick, “it would be wise to get a new vagina toy.” And if you’re broke? “Then put a condom over a clean anal toy or clean a nonporous (glass, medical-grade silicone) anal toy before using it in the sensitive vagina,” says Herbenick. While most women enjoy vaginal penetration, GGG, not all women do. (And most women who enjoy vaginal penetration require additional, focused and intense stimulation of the clit in order to get off.) If you decide vaginal penetration isn’t for you, that’s also a preference to which you’re entitled.

Let’s revisit my original definition of GGG: “GGG stands for good, giving and game, which is what we should all strive to be for our sex partners. Think good in bed, giving equal time and equal pleasure, and game for anything – within reason.” Some kinksters skip past the “within reason” part of the definition when they’re discussing kinks with vanilla partners. They shouldn’t. Extreme bondage or SM, shit and puke, emotionally tricky humiliation play, demanding that your partner have sex with other people because it turns you on (asking your partner to assume all of the physical risks that go along with that, to say nothing of the emotional risks for a partner who isn’t interested in having sex with other people), etc – all of that falls under the FTF exclusion, or a “fetish too far,” which you’ll find in the fine print on the back of your GGG card, PUKE.

Your boyfriend doesn’t realize how good he’s got it. He isn’t lacking for sex; what he lacks is perspective. He clearly doesn’t understand or appreciate what it’s like to be on the receiving end of all that dick. Saying something like this might help him understand: “You know I love you, honey, and you know I love having sex with you. But if your hole got fucked every time we had ‘sex,’ you wouldn’t want to have ‘sex’ more than four times a week, either.” (I’m putting “sex” in quotes here because your boyfriend defines sex as “vaginal intercourse.” I do not. Oral, hand jobs and visuals-with-a-partner – all of that counts as sex.) If that doesn’t do the trick, MBIIH, buy your boyfriend a dildo that’s roughly the same size as his dick. Then tell him he can fuck your hole whenever he wants, for as long as he wants – so long as he fucks his own hole first, while you watch, for at least 20 minutes or so. Then he can fuck yours. That might help him appreciate how good he’s got it.

I’m a 20-year-old female College

never heard of you untIl a year ago.

is this so out-of-the-norm that I can refuse without losing my GGG card? Pleasing Upchucking = Kinky Extremism?

student living with my 23-year-old boyfriend. We’ve been dating for two years, and our sex life has always been awesome. My boyfriend has a high libido, so high that I can’t always get him off when he wants it. He says I don’t want to have sex with him, but we have sex probably four times a week, and I’m totally happy to give him head, jerk him off or take off my clothes for him any other time he asks. Whenever we sit down together, he’s immediately horny, and he gets cranky when I have to say no. Is this a ridiculously high libido? I try to be GGG, and he does the same for me, but I hate feeling guilty about not having sex with him constantly. I’ve started just telling him to masturbate to porn, which he does willingly but usually whines a little first about how I “never” want to have sex. Totally false! My body just can’t take it every day. What do I do? My Boyfriend Is Incredibly Horny

I was ChattIng wIth a guy, and he

mentioned that one time a girl accidentally vomited all over him during oral sex. He confessed that this turned him on. I consider myself GGG, but that is not something I’m game for. The thought of puking in a sexual scenario is completely unappealing. Does my refusal to do this revoke my GGG card? Or

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At two years, your boyfriend is getting vaginal intercourse four times a week, MBIIH, along with hand jobs, blow jobs and you standing there naked whenever he likes? Plus a cheerful okay to watch porn and jerk it whenever he feels the need? You’re not trying to be GGG, MBIIH, you are GGG.

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I’m into “ball busting” – getting slapped or kicked in the nuts – but my wife was never willing. I did something stupid and saw an escort, just to get my balls busted (no sex), and my wife found out. She was talking about divorce when she told her best friend what was going on. Her friend told her to read your archives first. You probably don’t hear this from conservative Christian Republicans in red states very often, Mr. Savage, but my sense of honour requires it of me: Thank you for saving my marriage. This “GGG” concept of yours transformed our marriage – it also led my wife to either discover or open up about her kink – and we are happier than ever. It isn’t lost on me that I have a gay man to thank for keeping us from becoming another sad divorce statistic. Busted And Loving Life Supremely You’re welcome, BALLS, and all I ask in return for saving your marriage – besides video – is your support for the full legal recognition of mine. Deal? Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/ savage. mail@savagelove.net

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