blogTO | Posts by ellstar

blogTO | Posts by ellstar http://www.blogto.com/ Toronto blog Copyright 2009 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:34:23 PST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Gorging at the Gourmet Food & Wine Show The weekend, the Gourmet Food & Wine Show is encouraging wine connoisseurs, aficionados and novices to avoid the frosty weather outside by enjoying fine dining and wining in the warm comfort of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

In its fourteenth year, the feature country is France, which is evident with several free and tutored tasting events targeted to the Bordeaux area. Joseph and I took a look at the show this year to give you an idea of what to expect this time around, and how to get the best bang for your buck.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2008/11/gorging_at_the_gourmet_food_wine_show http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2008/11/gorging_at_the_gourmet_food_wine_show Eat & Drink Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:52:35 PST Eat & Drink Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-11-21T17:52:35 Toronto After Dark 2008 - Final Screenings All good things must come to an end, and the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival is no exception. While the past seven days have resulted in line-ups around the block at the Bloor Cinema, zombies and ghouls marching around Toronto and people pouring out of Paupers Pub for Pub After Dark, the festival will be wrapping up tomorrow. Luckily however, they've saved some of the very best and most highly anticipated films for last, not to mention the always interesting Closing Night Party.

More...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/toronto_after_dark_2008_-_final_screenings http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/toronto_after_dark_2008_-_final_screenings Film Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:05:52 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-23T11:05:52 Short Films Shine at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival For the past two years the Toronto After Dark Film Festival has wowed audiences with sci-fi, action and horror films by directors such as Uwe Boll, Lloyd Kaufman and The Pang Bros, and with the strong opening night film yesterday of Let The Right One In, and Repo! The Genetic Opera tonight, it seems there is no end to the buzz circling the festival.

While we've already previewed some of the more interesting features that one can see this year, Toronto After Dark still has its share of hidden gems to be discovered; short films that are amongst the festivals most unique and best kept secrets.

More...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/short_films_shine_at_the_toronto_after_dark_film_festival http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/short_films_shine_at_the_toronto_after_dark_film_festival Film Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:49:35 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-18T08:49:35 imagineNATIVE 2008 Picks Tomorrow marks the launch of the 9th year of the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, an international event which celebrates and showcases Indigenous films, art installations, radio pieces and workshops from Native Canadian artists and those from all around the world.

Here's brief glimpse at some of the films that imagineNATIVE will be offering as part of its programming this week.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/imaginenative_2008_picks http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/imaginenative_2008_picks Film Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:20:42 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-14T22:20:42 War and Peace Conquers the Canadian Opera Company Never had to read War & Peace in school? Couldn't get around to seeing one of the many filmic adaptations? Like big music and big voices? If you answered yes to those questions, why not see War & Peace at the Four Seasons Centre as part of the Fall Season at the Canadian Opera Company (COC)?

I must admit, I never even attempted Tolstoy's novel and the films looked daunting, but after seeing the Opera, I think I finally get the full gist of the story. Even amongst the Napoleonic War and the threats against Russian society, there's just something about Natasha Rostov!

]]> http://www.blogto.com/arts/2008/10/war_and_peace_conquers_the_canadian_opera_company http://www.blogto.com/arts/2008/10/war_and_peace_conquers_the_canadian_opera_company Arts Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:30:00 PDT Arts Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-09T09:30:00 Radius and Helena Prove Massey Hall Ain't Just for Gordon Lightfoot Anymore If you're looking for an earful of music tonight, mixed with a dash of atmosphere at an unusual venue, swing on over to the highly anticipated CD release party for Toronto 'vintage sci-fi indie rock band' and overly-enthusiastic Battlestar Galactica fans, Radius and Helena.

The album in question is their first full length CD release and this whole shebang will be going down in the swanky Centuries Lounge which can be found in the basement of The Old Lady of Shuter Street herself, Massey Hall!

But before you go any further, you may want to catch up on our story thus far...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/radius_and_helena_prove_massey_hall_aint_just_for_gordon_lightfoot_anymore http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/radius_and_helena_prove_massey_hall_aint_just_for_gordon_lightfoot_anymore Music Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:40:00 PDT Music Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-03T09:40:00 This Week in Film: October 3rd 2008 Sometimes when I'm choosing what films to write about for the upcoming week, I'm reminded that one of the beautiful things about film in Toronto is that we treat it as something more than simply popcorn entertainment.

The film medium has been used by activists and explorers, scholars and dictators throughout it's entire lifespan, and in this city we really know how to appreciate a compelling story with a dose of reality to it, or a documentary that will change your perspective on things and give you something to sink your teeth into.

These are the types of films I recommend this week. Well, that and a free suspense film, and some Japanese short films too.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/this_week_in_film_october_3rd_2008 http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/this_week_in_film_october_3rd_2008 Film Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:38:00 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-03T09:38:00 Toronto Japanese Short Film Festival Preview This October, there will be gardening, butchering, pop star idoling, porn star ogling and chainsaw maids a-chaining... basically a little bit of everything thanks to the Toronto Japanese Short Film Festival. Now in its 6th year of programming fantastic short selections from the land of the rising sun, the festival has screened over 130 films to over 5000 audience members with hopefully many more to come.

Divided into five programs, (all named after fruits!) the festival runs from October 7th-10th with every program screening twice, giving you more than enough chance to see all the films.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/toronto_japanese_short_film_festival_preview http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/10/toronto_japanese_short_film_festival_preview Film Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:21:29 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-10-02T13:21:29 This Week in Film: September 26th 2008 This week in film really kicks it up a notch, with yet another fantastic Free Friday Film, one last film screening under the stars, a documentary about who controls your food and what they do with it, a festival of films that are short and sweet, classic cinema offerings you have to see, for the first or dozenth time... and did I mention a funky forest?

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/this_week_in_film_september_26th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/this_week_in_film_september_26th_2008 Film Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:05:32 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-26T16:05:32 This Week in Film: September 19th 2008 The first week in film after the Toronto International Film Festival has an eerie, ghost-town quality to it. Basically it's quiet, a little too quiet. Some of the festival flicks are out already, such as Burn After Reading or The Duchess, but some of the best will probably be a long while to come. There are no other festivals to really speak of this week, and the local cinemas are keeping fairly quiet. Still, there are things to see, as always, in a city where the movie-goers keep prowling and the projectors never really stop rolling.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/this_week_in_film_september_19th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/this_week_in_film_september_19th_2008 Film Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:19:42 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-19T12:19:42 TIFF 2008 in Review It's been a few days since the Toronto International Film Festival packed up and already the city has returned, somewhat, to normalcy. The red carpets have been rolled up, the stars have left town, the schedule guides which littered the streets around Bay & Bloor, Yonge & Dundas and by Roy Thomson Hall have disappeared, and all we have left is our memories, and maybe a complaint or two. While we've reviewed many of the films at TIFF this year, why not review the major complaints and changes at this year's festival?

]]> http://www.blogto.com/toronto_film_festival_2008/2008/09/tiff_2008_in_review http://www.blogto.com/toronto_film_festival_2008/2008/09/tiff_2008_in_review Toronto Film Festival 2008 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:41:28 PDT Toronto Film Festival 2008 Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-17T13:41:28 Sandwich Box Location Slips Into the Deadpool Just to make things clear, this isn't exactly breaking news for the Dead Pool, as this closure occurred over two weeks ago and to a franchise with other locations, but here goes! It seems that after a disagreement with landlords over issues such as the overall cleanliness of the market and, oh, heating, the St. Patrick's Market location of Sandwich Box, has been forced to close up shop. Here's the notice they left for their customers:

]]> http://www.blogto.com/deadpool/2008/09/sandwich_box_location_slips_into_the_deadpool http://www.blogto.com/deadpool/2008/09/sandwich_box_location_slips_into_the_deadpool Deadpool Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:59:47 PDT Deadpool Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-16T16:59:47 TIFF Reviewed: Part Six The dreaded Wednesday of the Toronto International Film Festival is usually the day when festival-goers (such as myself) hit the proverbial 'wall' due to a disturbing lack of sleep, unhealthy food, over-reliance on caffeine and the like. This usually results in sleeping during or through screenings, getting impatient in line or foregoing films all together. I decided on the latter and took Wednesday off to collect my thoughts about some of the thirteen films I've seen so far.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/tiff_reviewed_part_six http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/09/tiff_reviewed_part_six Film Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:13:59 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-11T13:13:59 TIFF: Reviewed - Part Four It's the afternoon of the fourth day of the festival and with five films down and at least a dozen to go, I'm already tired. I'm attempting to see films every day while working long days, which leaves very little time for sleep, healthy food, and friends. But my situation is not uncommon; depending on who you talk to, seeing 5 films by this point is more than most but much less than some. I stand in awe of those managing the Festival Package of 50 films, or the Festival "Lite" of 30. I don't think I'd be able to handle that much cinema even if I were logistically able to.

Regardless, I've had good luck so far. Read further for mini-reviews of Treeless Mountain, All Around Us, and Sauna.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/toronto_film_festival_2008/2008/09/tiff_reviewed_-_part_four http://www.blogto.com/toronto_film_festival_2008/2008/09/tiff_reviewed_-_part_four Toronto Film Festival 2008 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:17:16 PDT Toronto Film Festival 2008 Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-09-08T10:17:16 This Week in Film: August 28th 2008 It has become increasingly difficult to concentrate on films lately, that is, films that aren't a part of the Toronto International Film Festival which opens exactly a week today. During that time period, This Week in Film will take a hiatus, but there will be more than enough coverage to keep cinephiles informed and aware of everything taking place at the festival. For this week however? We get to sift through the cast-offs in terms of summer releases, mixed with some excellent long weekend programming by our hard working alternative cinemas.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/08/this_week_in_film_august_28th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/08/this_week_in_film_august_28th_2008 Film Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:39:19 PDT Film Danielle D'Ornellas 2008-08-28T16:39:19