The Toronto Island has had a long history of music festivals, from Toronto's first Love Ins with the Mariposa folk Festival in the late 60s to most recently Virgin Music Fest in 2009, but the island's been relatively quiet since. By some strokes of luck and organization, Electric Island was born as a four part summer music series, perhaps dreamt up by the city's tourism board, to compete with Montreal's Picnic Electronique?

Regardless, Platform events has stepped up to the plate along with Embrace, and Footwork night club to bring Toronto's techno-heads a Victoria day to remember with a handful of locals and the larger than life Seth Troxler. Platform's Jeremy K is here to tell us all about it.

Tell me a bit about Platform.

We've been doing events since 2006. Our first was with Adam Beyer at 99 Sudbury on Halloween. We've been ramping up our shows every year, and it seems to be every weekend now. Our original goals was to bring bigger acts to the city and create a platform for local up and coming DJs to get in front of a bigger audience, and I think that we've achieved that. Electric Island is a vision we've had for a while, and the evolution of that original Platform dream because this is a really big stage that people are going to get in front of. Also, we will never repeat any DJs on the line-ups so it will give lots of opportunity for locals.

How did Electric Island come about?

Platform has done an event on this weekend for the last five years and this year we were looking at other options that were available to us. Last year we did the WKD Beach party at Sugar Beach, we do annual community events at Cherry Beach and we also do an annual Bohemian Yacht Club cruise party in Miami during the WMC. This year, we're working with Embrace and Footwork nightclub to bring it together. Embrace has worked with the city through shows at Fort York, also affiliated with the city, so we decided to jump on the island to do something different this time.

The Toronto Island hasn't been used for events like this since the Virgin Music Festival in 2009. How did this become available?

I'm not sure why the city was open to us doing it on the island. I know the city doesn't like people to use other parks due to noise complaints, and some sites on the island aren't available because the noise could affect the new condo developments, but the Olympic Island site is a little further away, and it's really set up for events. They have things like onsite washrooms there even. We're smaller than the Virgin Fest but we'll have a licensed area. People are welcome to bring blankets and chill on other parts of the park. Some people were talking about bringing badminton gear even to play and that's totally cool by us, although since we're licensed, you can't bring in any outside drinks. But we do want people to come out and enjoy the parks and the island.

I see you have a tasty menu set up for the event.

Yeah, Sliced (650 Bay St.) is going to do the food. The menu looks amazing with a wide variety of stuff from sirloin burgers ($7.00), fish tacos ($8.00), fries ($4.00), to watermelon wedges ($2.00) and handmade fruit popsicles ($3). Their food is all fresh and local, and at the end of the day their food is donated to the Daily Bread food bank. They're going to bring a grill to make things more like a picnic. People have been asking if they can bring food, and we're not saying no, but it's not necessary for people to bring their own.

Tell us about the Electric Island Series.

We're doing this for the love of it and it's grown more organically than past events, now that it's an official event. I think that the passion will translate over, although we don't have as many acts as some other huge festivals, I don't think it matters. I think the vibe will be just as good or even better. We're trying to keep the cost low ($17.50) and make it accessible to everyone but still book some solid names. Since we're doing four of these, we definitely want people to come back and realize that we're making an effort to be sustainable.

So what will make the Island so electric on Monday?

Well we have a number of different visuals that we'll be installing. One artist present will be Christian Skjødt; he's a VJ who will be doing a back projected visual once it gets dark. He'll be doing visuals behind the DJ for the last two hours. Lumatronic is a crew that does LED lighting for events like Harvest Festival, Alien Influx etc. They have an LED that's timed to the music. The whole place will really get electric and light up the whole park.

What kind of sound system will you be using?

We're really lucky that Sennheiser's come on board with Moog Audio and they've donated this brand new K-Array sound system with a new flat speaker technology. They look like they're from space and they're amazing. I saw them in Miami ant a venue called The Villa. I'm really happy that we can use it, it's also very easy to transport since they fold together and they do go up to 12,000 Watts of bass! We're so excited that they're loaning this to us.

How did you get Seth Troxler as a headliner?

He was our headliner for our first Bohemian Yacht Club cruise in Miami, and it was the same year they recorded that video of him with the boat hat on YouTube, hehe. He's definitely a character with a larger than life personality, and the best selection of music. Caller No. 7 is one of my favourite tracks. When you're booking a stage show, it's good to have a guy like that. It's really cool that he's kicking off two inaugural events in a row. We've also got Nitin (No. 19), My Favourite Robot (My Favourite Robot Records), Nathan Barato (Roots and Wings), Jonathan Rosa (Hot Fingers), and a special guest that we can't announce yet.

Can you drop any hints?

Nope! But it will be announced later in the weekend.

Damn, ok. How do you feel about the growth in Toronto's techno scene?

It's bigger than it's ever been in the last decade. We're starting to see the thousands coming out that we had in the earlier Toronto rave scene. I think it's just going to get bigger. Electronic music has been turned into pop now. Whether that's good or bad, nobody knows. It depends on how it's operated and hopefully the heads of our city will keep making it better rather than turning it into something we all hope it doesn't become, haha.

Photos by Jose and TesseractPhoto

Photo by Jack Landau in the blogTO Flickr pool

This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

Kamp (Camp) / Enwave Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $15-$30
It's extremely difficult to represent on stage the trauma suffered at concentration camps during the holocaust. It was human suffering at its most extreme. But Hotel Modern from the Netherlands is ambitious in its play about Auschwitz, filling the stage with thousands of eight-centimetre-tall puppets as stand-ins for the prisoners. Alongside the puppets, performers move through the set with cameras while the audience plays witness.

El Camino or The Field of Stars / Videofag / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $15
Halifax theatre artist Stewart Legere travels to Toronto to premiere El Camino or The Field of Stars, a complex solo show featuring a story about a young and in-love queer couple battling their own internalized homophobia. Throughout the course of the play, Legere takes the audience on a trip to Italy that doesn't go as planned, as well as explores the significance of an ancient pilgrimage to France and Spain called El Camino Santiago de Compostella.

The Barber of Seville / Soulpepper - Young Centre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $32-$62
There are so many versions of The Barber of Seville, but which one is it? The original is Pierre Beaumarchais's play of 1775, which was followed by Gioachino Rossini's comic opera of 1816 (the most well known). Soulpepper has turned to the updated version from Michael O'Brien who pulls from both the play and opera. It's directed by Leah Cherniak and features Dan Chameroy as Figaro, Gregory Prest as Count Almaviva, and Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster as Rosina.

The Bone House / The Storefront Theatre / 8:00pm / $20
Marty Chan's The Bone House is billed as a psychological thriller which examines human nature's more perverse and twisted side. The play focuses specifically on serial killers and what, if anything makes them tick. Red One Theatre Collective promises a "bone-chilling" and "immersive" night with cast members Kurt Spenrath, Asante Tracy, Claire Armstrong, and John Fleming.

carried away on the crest of a wave / Tarragon Theatre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $27-$53
David Yee's play is composed of short vignettes which serve to illustrate how far and wide tragedy can spread from one event. The playwright takes an ambitious global approach, crossing continents and weaving through families, that has mixed results. While strong segments reverberate through a mesmerizing set from Camellia Koo, others are less successful under the weight of dark, dramatic plot reveals. Check out our full review.

Photo from Kamp

Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., backed up by his band The Killers, was on fire last Wednesday night. Rock's most exciting drummer was at full form with his trademark enthusiasm and vigor proving that arena rock can still be viable and entertaining.

With a big sly smile and hearty wave Vannucci Jr. took the stage with his fellow "Killers" immediately launching into the bands breakout hit "Mr. Brightside" with house lights on. This, no doubt, was a statement, mostly likely crafted by Vannucci Jr. himself, that The Killers needn't employ theatricality to entertain the cordial audience filling the ACC.

Of course after the point was proven the lights were dropped and full theatrically was employed. Playing a roster of their hits, fan favourites and material from new album "Battle Born" Vannucci Jr. led the band for nearly two hours in an Arena rock set of the highest magnitude. Projections, lasers, fireworks, confetti all marked a fantastic set, balanced expertly with an anthem to ballad ratio of 4 to 1. All, of course, underscored by Vannucci Jr.'s majestic drumming-cum-emotional-conducting.

Vannucci Jr. was like a character out of Steinbeck novel: a reluctant leader with the highest humanist intentions, one who shows off a style and candor from a bygone but more human age. From atop his podium, constructed specifically for his stature and drum kit, he was able to redirect the crowd's energy back onto itself, building a wonderful tension until he would relieve it with a powerful fill or charge. When backed up by fireworks, any vestiges of doubt that Ronnie Vannucci Jr. is immortal were left behind.

I wonder how often he wakes up to catch Brandon Flowers smelling his hair.

And of course,Vannucci Jr. looked great. With his trademark shoulder length mane playfully blowing in the wind and a thick beard highlighting his many variations of pensive excitement, he was a model for what masculinity can still be in 2013. Even behind the drums, his outfit of a classic black-t and slacks stood out for their subtlety and sophistication. Still, even looking like a Wrangler jeans model, he still had the air of a cooler older cousin: both lofty in his hipness but still willing to hold out his hand for you to join him.

In conclusion Ronnie Vannucci Jr. actually looks alot like Jesus and certainly plays like a gentleman, even more so than when he was young. The rest of the band play appropriately to his talent.

Photo of Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (and the Killers) taken in Fairfax, VA by Peter Hutchins

This ain't your average yoga studio. Run by ex-CFL player Andre Talbot and his partner and fellow instructor Catalina Moraga, this studio not only provides a variety of yoga classes, but also offers personal strength training, kettle bell, meditation and individual yoga practice. Deep in the heart of Leslieville, this zen space is the ideal place to stretch and let yourself go.

Read my review of Spirit Loft in the fitness section.

Photo by Scott Irving in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Victoria Day events in Toronto, 2013

FOOD & DRINK | Brewer's Backyard: Queen Victoria's Secret
This afternoon, the Brewer's Backyard returns to Evergreen Brick Works to begin a new season of beer drinking at its finest, in the lovely Koerner Gardens and and Holcim Gallery. "Queen Victoria's Secret" is the Brewer's Backyard's 2013 kickoff event, and was a royal success last year! The idea here is one where the element of surprise is at work: the details of the food and beverage selection for today will not be revealed until the event begins, but the brewers can be revealed: Great Lakes, Oast House, Granite, and Left Field, with edibles coming from FeasTO. Brewer's Backyard regulars know that only selections fit for "royalty" will make the cut, so let yourself enjoy the suspense, and the afternoon!
Evergreen Brick Works, Koerner Gardens (550 Bayview Avenue) 12-4PM

MUSIC | ELECTRIC ISLAND with SETH TROXLER & Friends at Centre Island
Electric Island is a new concert event that is perfect for a holiday Monday. Taking place today on Centre Island, this event is both a fully licensed picnic and a concert. Local and international DJs will be featured in what is shaping up to be a monster showcase of electronic sounds and danceable rhythms. The lineup includes: Seth Troxler, Nitin, My Favourite Robot, Nathan Barato, Nature of Music, Jonathan Rosa, and several others, including a surprise special guest. Electric Island runs all afternoon, and is scheduled to end before 11PM to give everyone time to make their way back by ferry.
Centre Island (9 Queens Quay West - ferry boarding) 2:30PM - 10:30PM $17.50

MUSIC | Living with Lions, Deforesters, Brave the Wild + Guests
Tonight at Sneaky Dee's, a power-packed lineup of bands that will help you end the long weekend with a bang! Headliners Living With Lions, hailing from Vancouver, bring their punk-infused pop sonics to town, and are joined by Deforesters, who are playing their first gig, and feature members of Topanga and Roman Line. Also on on the bill are TO punk rock outfits Brave The Wild and Days Like Today. Rounding things out musically and geographically, Reunion from Halton Hills will get the ball rolling and show everyone how it's done. Apparently this show will be done by 11:30, and followed by karaoke. Should be good!
Sneaky Dee's (431 College Street West) 7PM $10

BOOKS & LIT | "Wrestling with Democracy" Book Launch
Tonight at the Tranzac Club, Dennis Pilon launches his book, Wrestling With Democracy, published by University of Toronto Press. Politics, at every level of government seems to impact our lives in so many ways, and this book will be very interesting for anyone who has ever given thought to the process of electing our leaders and its history. Wrestling With Democracy traces the history of this "democratic process", and how differently it works in various Western countries, and also examines how it has changed or remained unchanged in different regions in the last century. Leo Panitch will host the event.
Tranzac Club, Main Hall (292 Brunswick Avenue) 7:30PM

ALSO OF NOTE

• projek: SKISM
• Elvis Monday

OPEN AND CLOSED

What's open and closed Victoria Day in Toronto 2013

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in music
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• Toronto food events
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• Toronto Concerts, May 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

IN THE NEWS

NXNE releases third block of artists

The 2013 edition of NXNE is fast approaching, and this year's lineup, which was already pretty stacked, has gotten even more robust. Last week, festival organizers announced a slew of new artists that have been added to the bill. Dan Deacon, Wintersleep, Blue Hawaii, Gold & Youth, Ryan Hemsworth, and No Joy were just a handful of the artists announced. Seeing as the festival, which runs from June 10-16, will also see performances from The National, Social Distortion, Big Boi, Millencolin, and a ton more, this year's edition is shaping up to be one for the ages. Head on over to the festival's website for a full listing of artists and events, as well as ticket info.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TICKETS

WEDNESDAY MAY 22 / THE SHINS / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $46 - $55 / ALL AGES

Arguably one of the most popular bands of this generation, The Shins, led by frontman James Mercer, will hit the stage at the Sound Academy. Mercer is the last remaining original member of the group, was has undergone a major makeover in the last couple of years. They released the band's fourth album, Port of Morrow, in 2012, and have been touring extensively in support of it. Their last appearance in Toronto was opening for the Black Keys last summer - this time around, they're headlining, with Ra Ra Riot offering support.

FRIDAY MAY 24 / FALL OUT BOY / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $46.50 / ALL AGES

I can't attest to being a big fan of Fall Out Boy, but I'm well aware that they have a pretty large following of fans. Thus, this show, their first in Toronto since going on hiatus in 2009, will probably be one of the more anticipated shows of the week. The band released their fifth album, Save Rock and Roll, in April, so it's safe to say that you'll be hearing a lot of newer material in addition to their older hits.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

• SWINGIN' UTTERS / HORSESHOE TAVERN / JUNE 7 / 10PM
• WE ARE THE CITY / THE RIVOLI / JUNE 14 / 8PM
• CHAINS OF LOVE / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / JUNE 15 / 6PM
• GOGOL BORDELLO / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / AUGUST 19 / 8PM

WHAT WE GOT UP TO LAST WEEK

• Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. steals the show
• Electric Island turns on for Victoria Day techno party
• Noise legends Oxbow say if you don't like it, stay home
• Japan's Hikashu admit to being wizards at The Garrison
• Drake will drop OVO Fest when Drake wants (i.e. now)
• New in Toronto Music: Decades, Veronica Domingues, Meredith Shaw, The Breaks, DIANA
• 12 summer music festivals in Toronto for 2013
• Lights beams some, um, light into my life

Photo of The Shins courtesy of nooccar on Flickr.

A collective of antique, design and found object purveyors have opened a shop near Queen and Dovercourt that stocks an eclectic mix of gadgets and gizmos, handmade jewelry and beautiful housewares.

Check out my profile of Thank You in the design section.

TV Party was born when filmmaker Doug Nayler saw a gap between Toronto's many niche art scenes. Inspired by the recent Long Winter music and art series, he came up with a simple idea to bring the city's artists together: short collaborations between musicians and film makers based on the dead technology of clunky TVs sets and pre-internet television broadcasts.

For TV Party's debut event at SPK Beverley Hall on Friday, Nayler and his team collected half a dozen TV sets and built an enormous television facade to cover the venue's stage, where five films were projected while musicians played below. Each musician had only three weeks to compose music for the visuals: (deep breath) Rae Spoon (Montreal), Laura Barrett, SlowPitch, Vanessa Fischer (Lioness) and Macbeth II collab'd with film makers Leslie Supnet, Daniel McIntyre, Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian, Mark Parselli, and Nayler himself.

The night featured macho Saturday morning cartoons paired with a rock band, a sustained autoharp drone matched with emotional close crops of talk show clips, a sensual late-night-TV tribute, experimental turn table rumbles set to b-horror clips, and a creepy exploration of Pentecostal film archives.

During intermissions (longer than the actual performances - hence TV "Party"), wine and beer were handy, VHS tapes played on the TV screens, and the talent and novelty of the collaborations kept the atmosphere light. When asked about future TV Party's, Nayler hinted at something "bigger and ambitious" in the fall, but wouldn't say any more.

View all the photos from the event in our Streams section.

Photos by Denise McMullin.

This familiar sounding pub on Eglinton West draws locals for after work pints and traditional fare like burgers, Shepherd's Pie and fish and chips. In the area recently during the lunch hour, my friend and I decide to give its lunch-time service a spin.

Read my review of The Abbot on Eglinton in the restaurants section.

The best splurge sushi in Toronto lends itself to an entire realm of epic sensations. Forget what everyone in Vancouver says - sushi in Toronto isn't that bad and there's certainly plenty of worthy spots to drop serious coin on raw fish.

And coin is key. As is often the case, the best comes at a premium. Don't go to these places looking for spicy tuna rolls or sushi pizza. There's a whole whack of decent cheap options that satisfy those cravings. For a sushi splurge, prepare yourself, as any one of the following places has the potential to completely ruin you from what is currently your favourite sushi place...you've been warned.

Here are the best splurge sushi restaurants in Toronto.

See also:

The best cheap sushi restaurants in Toronto
The best AYCE sushi in Toronto
The best take-out sushi restaurants in Toronto
The best Japanese restaurants in Toronto
10 great Toronto sushi restaurants north of the 401

Writing by Darren "DKLo" Susilo. He hangs out on the twitter and his own mansion. Lead photo by Tom Cochrane

Photo by .enKay in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ENVIRONMENT | Grey to Green Conference
Toronto's move from concrete jungle to a greener infrastructure is the topic of discussion at the Grey to Green Conference that begins this morning at the Evergreen Brick Works. Potential solutions and the introduction of green technologies will be presented by designers, engineers, urban planners, developers and government policy makers at Grey to Green through keynote speeches, workshops and a trade show. Special guests will include Gord Miller, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, and John W. Campbell, CEO of Waterfront Toronto. Tickets range in price with extra sessions happening throughout the day.
Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenue) 8:30AM $175-$650

COMMUNITY | Architecture for Humanity Toronto Symposium
Communities and architecture seem to be the hot topic today as on the other side of town, CSI Annex will be hosting Sergio Palleroni in an Architecture for Humanity symposium. The architect, professor and activist will discuss how communities shape architectural decision-making and vice versa, as well as his work in developing countries and with BaSiC Initiative, a program that supports community partnerships. This event is pay-what-you-can and will include a raffle to win a 3-month Community Membership to any CSI.
CSI Annex (720 Bathurst Street) 6:30PM PWYC

MUSIC | Piper Hayes
Local folk singer-songwriter Piper Hayes performs a soulful acoustic set at 3030 this evening just because it's Tuesday. Joined by friends Hello Companion, an indie rock foursome from Toronto, the show will be a mellowed, laid-back alternative to tonight's events, helping to ease you into the week after a holiday. Tickets are $5 at the door.
3030 (3030 Dundas Street West) 8PM $5

MUSIC | 50s and 60s Music with The Dreamboats
The Dreamboats play their regular Magpie Taproom show tonight if you're looking for a little pick-me-up after the long weekend. Playing some of the best pop and rock from the '50s and '60s, The Dreamboats cover the likes of Ritchie Valens, Chuck Berry, The Beatles and Buddy Holly. The show is free and yes, they are really dreamboats.
The Magpie Taproom (831 Dundas Street West) 9:30PM Free

ALSO OF NOTE:

• Graven Feather's Letterpress Card Making Workshop

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in music
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• Toronto food events
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• Toronto Concerts, May 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo by Victor Shum in the blogTO Flickr pool

We're waiting to find out what Rob Ford's next move will be in the wake of last week's crack smoking allegations. The mayor cancelled his weekly Newstalk 1010 radio show and has so far been silent on accusations he was caught on video smoking the illegal drug, not to mention allegedly making some seriously dubious remarks about Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and the kids he coaches.

A statement - hopefully more than a few lines - is expected today but the Toronto Sun says it won't be a confession. Ford is due to appear later at a special council debate to decide the fate of the proposed downtown casino.

Speaking of which, the debate and vote could put the final nail in the coffin of the "essentially dead" concept. The meeting was cancelled by the mayor last week in the wake of news Toronto wouldn't get the hosting fee it expects from the province. Councillors revived the conversation in the hopes of removing any ambiguity around the city's position.

A man is dead after an apparent stunt on a BIXI bicycle went awry. The incident happened in the early hours of Monday morning in the skateboard portion of Underpass Park; it appears the rider was trying to make a jump when he fell and hit his head on the concrete ground. He wasn't wearing a helmet. It's not clear whether alcohol was a factor.

This summer will most likely be cooler and more balanced than last year's scorcher, according to the latest predictions from meteorologists. The season will likely have hot periods punctuated by cooler, more tolerable stretches. On balance, this summer will likely still be among the warmest recorded in Canada. Scorchio.

Ultimate frisbee is quickly becoming a thing here in Toronto. The city's very own professional team, the Toronto Rush (after the band), played its first home game at Varsity Stadium to a record crowd of 2,293 people earlier this month. The side is part of the American Ultimate Disc League. Amazingly for a Toronto sports team, they're also undefeated so far this year, and it's almost half way through the season. Go, Rush, Go!

Finally, here's a neat tilt shift video by Andrey Savin, a local tech student. Tilt-shift is a camera trick that deceives the eye into thinking it's looking a model using selective focus and a shallow depth of field. "Savin shared the video on Reddit this weekend. Enjoy.

FROM THE LONG WEEKEND:

• The Best Splurge Sushi in Toronto
• How's the lunch grub at this Eglinton West pub?
• TV, film, music combine for launch of Toronto art party
• New Queen St. shop makes old into new
• Leslieville yoga studio appeals to jocks and yogis alike
• Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. steals the show
• Electric Island turns on for Victoria Day techno party
• A brief history of the Riverdale Zoo
• This Week in Music
• This Week in Comedy
• This Week in Theatre

IN BRIEF:

• Man shot in leg in Etobicoke apartment building [CBC]
• Do high occupancy toll lanes really help congestion? [Toronto Star]
• One dead after shooting in Ossington Ave. area [Toronto Star]
• Monarchists oppose Victoria Day name change [Toronto Sun]
• York University students create comics to raise awareness about sexual violence [Toronto Star]
• Dickey, Encarnacion lead Blue Jays over Rays [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Jonathan Castellino/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

Side Effects (eOne)

Prolific independent filmmaker Steven Soderbergh calls time on his increasingly mainstream career with this twisty thriller that starts off like an inverted version of Sidney Lumet's The Verdict, but ends up as an entirely different movie altogether. Rooney Mara delivers yet another blood cooling turn as an intensely scary and scarred girl, manipulating and manipulated in turn by a loveable white collar criminal (Chaning Tatum, re-uniting with Soderbergh after impressive turns in Contagion and Magic Mike), an increasingly desperate and crazy (or is he?) psychiatrist (Jude Law), and ultimately a lovelorn loony Catherine Zeta-Jones.

While the massive U-turn into Fatal Attraction-esq sapphoric erotica ranks as one of the greatest WTF moments of the year in cinema so far, it is a shame that Side Effects didn't stick to its initial guns as a probing indictment of Pez-headed shrinks dispensing anti-depressants like candy. The cinematography, also Soderbergh, is in fine gripping form but matches the narrative as it morphs into something more conventional. Shame.

Extras include Interviews with the cast and crew, a making of, a look at the career of Steven Soderbergh, a spoof Ablixa commercial, and more. Most exciting for film geeks - some of these bonus shorts are even shot in Super8!

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Parker (eOne)

The latest in a strong lineage of tough Hollywood movies based upon Richard Stark's Parker character (Point Blank, The Outfit, Payback), Parker is the first to stay true to its literary roots, to a fault: it's hard to distinguish this from Jason Statham's seemingly endless line of frenzied, ADD edited crime movies. With Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, and a sweaty and sweary Nick Nolte. Extras included an in depth look at the violent world of Richard Stark's Parker, and a frank commentary from veteran director Taylor Hackford (Against All Odds, Ray).

Stand Up Guys (eOne)

Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin basically playing themselves as aging criminals who decide to pull off another job together. Essentially a hang-out movie, who wouldn't want to spend 90 minutes with these guys, who are all in top form regardless of their creeping ages. And nobody swears as well as Pacino, although Arkin gives him a run for his money. Featuring a rather retro soundtrack from Jon Bon Jovi, who features prominently in the extras, along with deleted scenes, stunt driving snippets and a really great look at the art of bringing these legendary actors together.

Medium Cool (Criterion Collection)

Released in the watershed year of 1969, alongside Easy Rider, The Wild Bunch, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it's hard not to miss the anti-establishment fervor in the air. Robert Forester is effortlessly cool as the streetwise journalist whose view on exploding racial issues make him a natural pawn for the FBI, before throwing it all away and heading to the turbulent '68 Democratic convention, shot in the fashionable Godard style of the times.

Criterion pulled out all the stops for this release, which features a new, restored 4K digital film transfer, extended excerpts from "Look Out Haskell, It's Real!," a documentary about the making of Medium Cool, "Medium Cool" Revisited, a new half-hour video about the Occupy movement's protests against the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, and much more!

The Last Stand (eOne)

After almost a decade away playing politics with the maid and screwing California, one man army Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to his big dumb action movie roots with this hawkish enough 90 minute commercial for the NRA. While it will never come close to touching the kind of boss work he did the in 80s (Commando, Predator and The Terminator, irie), it's a lot of fun to see an aged hero back in action mowing down bad guys with automatic weapons. Extras include a tour of a weapons museum!

SUMMER HORROR

Beautiful Creatures (Warner Bros.)

Breathlessly described by J-14 as "Twilight meets The Hunger Games", this is the latest stab at a new sustainable Gothic film series by way of pulp horror to feed hungry tweens in the wake of Twilight's astronomical success. So if that's like your thing, you know. Classed up a bit by the presence of stealth thesps Emma Thomson and Jeremy Irons. Extras include a look at how it was adapted, and how the costumes were designed.

The Town that Dreaded Sundown (Scream Factory)

Stone cold classic chilling horror that plays more like an ethnographic documentary about a pillow case wearing maniac loose in a sleepy Texas BBQ town, which went on to influence everything from Friday the 13th to David Fincher's Zodiac. Finally rescued from fuzzy VHS obscurity by those boffins at Scream Factory, this un-missable package also contains director Charles B Pierce's rare as hen's teeth film The Evictors.

The Burning (Scream Factory)

The very first ever movie released by the now mythic Weinstein Brothers Harvey and Bob, this proto slasher actually pre-dates the similarly pitched Friday the 13th, but delivers more scares and legitimate terror in one picture than Jason Vorhees managed in 12. Based around the legendary New Jeresy bogeyman "Cropsey," The Burning finds a bunch of horny teenagers at summer camp getting mutilated, beheaded and grievously injured by sharp weapons. Watch out for a baby-faced Jason Alexander as a doomed camp councillor.

STILL FRESH

• Cloud Atlas
• A Good Day to Die Hard
• Taxi Driver: 4K Edition
• 3:10 to Yuma
• Battlestar Galactica
• Mama
• Jack Reacher

TORONTO FILM OBSCURIA ON YOUTUBE

While many studios and producers took a long time to come around to YouTube, one body who supported it almost from the get go was the National Film Board of Canada. Besides having their own robust streaming website, huge swaths of the NFB archive are living on YouTube, and best of all, they don't act like complete corporate ding dongs if other people post their old material.

The Paperboy (1971) is a short, silent slab of cinema-verity about, you guessed it, a Toronto paperboy going about his anarchic business, from working class hero Clay Borris. Great locations, great sound track, and most importantly, great attitude:

Lead still from Side Effects

Anime North 2013 draws near! Colloquially known as AN, the event is Toronto's most popular convention for the celebration of Japanese pop culture, from animation and dramas to video games and music. Those heading out to this year's twovenues can expect an exciting weekend of wackiness and wonderment.

Like what, you ask? Well..

GUESTS

The stars come out for Anime North! Voice actors like Katie Griffin, John Stocker, Eriko Nakamura, and Ryo Horikawa will grace the scene. Expect artists Ben Dunn, Sarah McNeal, and Steve Bennett to appear alongside veteran cosplayers and prop artists Nora and Bruce Mai and Kate Daley. And while they're fighting for your attention, Kevin Lillard will be round the corner documenting the whole kerfuffle. Serenading us this year will be AWOI,Chii Sakurabi, and Umbrella, so keep an eye out for them. Finally, wrestlers! Wrestlers?! Wrestlers! David "Darkstone" Ross, Shawn Spears, Sabrina Kyle, Ross Eight-Ken, and more! Check out the full list here. Oh, and there are more, like the rock band Hoshi*Furu, aerial acrobat Miranda Tempest, and the FancyWyldDead girls, and you can find out more about them right here.

EXHIBITS AND LOCALES

As always, one of the benefits of visiting a convention like Anime North is collecting all of the goodies that will be for sale (and on sale). The sprawling Dealer's Room will see several stores hocking their wares; local talents and amateur artists will be showing off their works all along the Comic Market, the Crafter's Corner, and the ever-popular Gallery Momiji. Also for those who want to kick their feet up, there's also going to be an honest-to-goodness maid cafe for you to enjoy, with all the proceeds spent there going to Sick Kids Hospital, so check out Cafe Delish if that's your thing.

Keep your eyes peeled for the full list of programs, which should be released soon.

EVENTS

By the way, events! There's going to be dance party on Friday and a Masquerade on Saturday, a speed dating service, a Sunday afternoon tea party for aficionados of Lolita Fashion, and a music video content for viewing and submission. Oh and did I mention the panels, the LAN parties and various contests, the battle chess, and the live wrestling? Because it's there. Oh yes.

Anime North will run from May 24th to May 26th. Weekend admissions are sold out, but single-day admissions are still available. Friday and Sunday admission will be $35, and Saturday admission will be $45.

Lead photo by Paul Hillier

It was a troubling week on Toronto's DineSafe database. If you love FV Foods, I'm sorry to have to inform you that it's been forced to close due to "gross unsanitary conditions" on top of food safety infractions involving temperature control maintenance. The establishment also failed to perform adequate pest control.

FV Foods was the only closure this week, but 19 other restaurants received conditional passes following their inspections for such delicious mistakes like failure to wash hands and keep food cold enough.

FV Foods(280 Wilson Ave.)
Inspected on: May 15
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 12 (Minor: 4, Significant: 5 Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to prevent gross unsanitary conditions, failure to thoroughly re-heat hazardous food items, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 60 C (140 F) or hotter.

Gourmet Pizza (133 Roncesvalles Ave.)
Inspected on: May 16
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Il Fornello (214 King St. W.)
Inspected on: May 16
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

Shoeless Joe's (856 Eglinton Ave. E.)
Inspected on: May 16
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 3, Significant: 5)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Tabaq Restaurant (50 Danforth Rd.)
Inspected on: May 15
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Pho Mi Asia (1008 Wilson Ave.)
Inspected on: May 14
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Employee failed to wash hands when required, failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

Gourmet Burger (9 Charles St.)
Inspected on: May 15
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

JJJ Caribbean Restaurant (2180 Eglinton Ave.)
Inspected on: May 14
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 60 C (140 F) or hotter.

This dwelling at 87 Forest Heights Blvd. will require a little bit of imagination to seem fabulous, but it can easily be done. Just mentally Photoshop out the heinous...what are those, foam safety squares for children? Yeah, Photoshop those on out of there. And the matching rug, and...just about all of the other furniture and textiles. This place looks like whoever bought it became immediately bankrupt post-purchase and had to furnish the place through trips to Ikea and the now-defunct Zellers. (And trust me, I know first hand what that looks like, people).

Anyway, clear all the crap out of here and you've got an incredible, loft-like gallery space/living area for just a mere $5.5 million.

SPECS:

Address: 87 Forest Heights Boulevard
Price: $5,499,000
Size (square feet): 12,000+
Storeys: 2
Bedrooms: 5+2
Bathrooms: 8
Parking Spaces: Four car garage
Property Taxes: N/A

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Fireplace
• Indoor pool
• Pool table room
• Exercise room
• Bar
• Sauna
• Two loft bedrooms

GOOD FOR

This property would make for an amazing gallery/party space. Built-in bar, space to mingle, pretty staircase, all-white walls...aww yeah. Perfection.

MOVE ON IF

Bright, airy loft spaces with eight washrooms and a built-in spa retreat doesn't sound quite good enough for you. Or if you can't afford to completely redecorate the place post-purchase.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

The big display of Victoria Day fireworks at Ashbridge's Bay this year finished up just before the skies opened and drenched those who lingered by the lakefront. So good. To be honest, the timing of the rain was kind of perfect because my neighbourhood sounded like an absolute war zone prior to its arrival. As usual, I sound like a dink — but when all you're treated to is the sound of fireworks, it's anything but appealing. I like the idea of neighbours getting together and putting on a little show, but in practice, I was annoyed more than anything else.

Shoot me. Or maybe just look at these pretty photos.

Lead image by moegenore.

Photo by amandalosier.

Photo by laurieanabanana

Photo by claudia_sicon

Photo by aveckat

Photo by papiot

Photo by srawnak

Photo by lolobee

Photo by msredrum

Photo by tdtap