November 2012

As the famed adage goes, “this is the business we’ve chosen,” and when you’re living in a dark, depressed world, running a suicide shop is pretty good business. Such is the case with Patrice Leconte’s The Suicide Shop, a French animated musical with a less-than-subtle commentary about desensitization and enjoying the finer things in life. Featured in this year’s TIFF, the flick opens officially tonight at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The Little Years, by Toronto playwright John Mighton, is a deeply moving and profound study of a woman who is crushed by family and society. Running at the venerable Tarragon Theatre until Dec. 16, it is well worth the trip.

The Distillery District is the proud home of the Toronto Christmas Market, drawing inspiration from old-timey European Christmas with its sweeping lights, carolers, musicians, and beer gardens. Running from Nov. 30 till Dec. 16, the Christmas Market has something for everyone to get into the holiday spirit.

Leslie Seiler and Lauren Ash are basically twinsies. After having been hired into the Toronto Second City Touring Company on the same day, the two have been practically joined at the funny bone ever since, eventually developing the comedy duo known as Cory! Collectively, they’ve won a bunch of Canadian Comedy Awards (Ash won this year for her role in Almost Heroes), and when they’re not performing together across the city, they’re shooting TV pilots.

If recent rumours surrounding Aerosmith are to be believed, it’s a wonder that they even managed to make it onstage at the Air Canada Centre last night. From reports of a tour in chaos to accusations of racism from Nicki Minaj, hardly a day goes by without the rock veterans making the news for all the wrong reasons.

Before The Artist swept the Oscars, there hadn’t been a silent film to win the Best Picture Academy Award since Wings, back in 1929. The film was thought lost until it was found in the Cinémathèque Française film archive in Paris. It’s since received a stunning digital restoration, and it flies back to the big screen tonight at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

When the throngs of Torontonians at the Argos’ game on Sunday jeered Justin Bieber and cheered Gordon Lightfoot, it bolstered my faith in this city’s musical taste (no offence, Biebs). The CFL was reportedly attempting to attract younger crowds to the franchise — and it might have been on to something.

Many Torontonians were eagerly anticipating today’s Rob Ford verdict, but writer Matt Baram was a special case: the plot of his new satirical show, It’s a Wonderful Toronto: The Rob Ford Holiday Spectacular!, hinged on whether the mayor was ousted or not. Needless to say, Baram is doing some rewriting.

The Who’s Quadrophenia tour rolled into Toronto on Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. The tour served up a nostalgic spectacle that celebrated the band’s career and, specifically, the seismic album that will reach its 40th birthday next year. Much like the band itself, the album showed its age during certain stretches, but it really came alive when it mattered.

Rob Ford has been ousted as mayor of Toronto after a judge found him guilty of breaching conflict of interest law. He’ll still have his seat for 14 days to allow for a transition period, though it’s unclear what, exactly, will happen next. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite Twitter reactions below.