Movember is here again in Toronto: You can smell it in the air, feel it in the chilly autumn breeze, and see it in the patchy proto-'staches on everyone's lips. But give it a week or so, and Toronto's gentlemen will soon be sporting their finest facial hair in support of research for men's cancers. As usual, a handful of fundraisers, parties, promotions and team-building exercises have sprung up around the month-long event, for there is no "I" in moustache.

Here are the top Movember 2014 events in Toronto, perfect for trading moustache-waxing tips with your best Mo Bros.

Made in Movember Launch Party (October 30)
Tonight marks the big launch bash for the Movember season in Toronto - staff say it's the biggest global Movember launch party to date. From 7 until 10pm, Tattoo will be supplying be-moustached revellers and their friends with food, drinks and tunes. The guest list is tight, but you can still try to RSVP; get the details here.

Rickard's Beerber Shop (Until October 31)
Rickard's took over Tattoo this week for a series of Movember promos. Today (October 30) they'll be giving away tickets for Movember's launch and gala events from 11am to 5pm, and on Halloween, they'll be doing some pumpkin carving (and doling out free shaves) between 11am and 8pm. Show your Mo Space page, and you get free beer between 4 and 8pm.

Close Shave3: Q Meets Who (November 1)
No Doctor nor Enterprise captain has ever sported a moustache, and yet, the organizers of this Doctor Who and Star Trek crossover comedy night have opted to donate the proceeds to Movember. The triple-header at the Imperial Pub comes in three parts (at 7pm, 9pm and 11pm, all with different lineups). In addition to comedy by Zabrina Chevannes and the ladies of the Sketchersons, there'll be musical support from More or Les and the raunchtastic High Heels Lo Fi.

Guys Giving Face Shave-A-Thon (November 2)
Woody's and Sailor in the Village is throwing a signup event for their Movember team, Guys Giving Face, from 2 to 5pm on November 2. (The duo of Village clubs makes the obligatory 'mos with 'mos jokes, and it does not go unappreciated.) To wrap up a month of moustache-having, they'll be throwng a "Mo'Off" at Screen Lounge on November 29 to judge who has the best 'stache in Toronto.

Suits & Staches Charity Gala (November 21)
Arguably the best moustache-themed party the month has to offer is the annual Movember gala, held this year at Steam Whistle Brewery. In addition to an open bar, light catering, live music and a DJ, you'll find an on-site barber doing moustache trims and a caricature artist to immortalize that 'mo forever. Cocktail attire is requested, and moustaches are optional. Lamentably, it looks like tickets have sold out - but if you can snag one, this is the party to be at.

Mo Decks For Movember (November 26)
As the month winds down, the Gladstone will host a bash revolving around the unveiling of 10 artist-designed Movember skateboard decks. While you're checking out their pieces, you can avail yourself of a Kiehl's grooming bar and, since they're a sponsor, probably some Glory Hole donuts, too. Tickets are $10.

Movember Cask Night at Cameron's Brewing (November 27)
Hopheads will want to make the trek out to Oakville, where Cameron's is hosting a Movember edition of its monthly cask night, featuring a fundraising raffle draw. If you show up with a 'stache, you get an extra drink ticket...and if you are wearing an ugly sweater, you also get an extra drink ticket. (Because it's also ugly sweater night. Duh!) Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students.

Did I miss any? Leave your Movember events down in the comments.

They really appreciate the finer things up in Yorkville, where a novel new business idea will save you from the dual agonies of unresolved snack cravings and untethered French shirt cuffs. Two very different companies - men's accessory company Cuffwear and baked-goods chain BakeryHaus - are about to be prominently featured in a pair of high-end vending machines set to be installed in Yorkville's Cumberland Terrace building.

The fully-automated, rather-spiffy digital vending machines - similar to the ones used to dispense cupcakes at the Ex this past year - will stock BakeryHaus' donuts and Cuffwear's cufflinks ($65 each) side by side. Any increase in the availability of donuts is always an improvement - and I can't imagine an emergency cufflink scenario that would require instant satisfaction, but hey, that's one way to avoid the cost and hassle of retail.

The vending machines launch on Monday November 3rd at Cumberland Terrace, 2 Bloor St. West.

Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this Oct 31 - Nov 2, 2014.

Church Street Halloween Block Party
The Church Street Halloween Parade is an annual tradition and one of your best bets for a proper start to this Friday's chaos. Church will close to traffic and go car free at 6:30pm, and from 9-11pm there will be a costume show in the park. Get ready to strut your gruesome stuff. If your dog is wearing a costume on Friday (or Pugoween) check out these handy Halloween costume safety tips - most of them apply to people, too. Oct 31, Church Street, 6:30pm.

For more Halloween events, see our Toronto Halloween Party Guide for 2014.

PARTY

TERROR VISION A/V Halloween
Terror Vision is an all-night, "retro-future" audio/visual Halloween music and art party. 99 Sudbury will be transformed using immersive visual art installations by Mansion, the promoters who brought you last year's Slaughterhaus. Music will be provided by DJ EZ (UK) and "Berghain / Panorama Bar official resident DJ Jus-Ed," to name a few. Your retro-future costume will be perfection, I know it. 99 Sudbury, Oct 31, 10pm.

Want more Halloween dance parties? Of course you do. There are about 666 of them. Consult the Guide.

MUSIC

SBTRKT
Technically this two night stand by SBTRKT is more concert than dance party, but if people aren't moving to his futuristic bass pop at these shows something has gone wrong. Maybe for Halloween he'll play without his trademark mask for a change? Bonus: this should be done early enough that you can still hit a costume party. Watch out for our Halloween guide. October 31 and November 1, Danforth Music Hall. Catch him DJ-ing at the Hoxton Halloween night, too. BB

UNDEAD VENUES

Hell On Earth 3 "Apocalypse"
Here's a spooky thought: if the rumours are true (and this time, it looks like there's no white rock & roll doves to save us - or possibly even that iconic sign), the El Mo is no more as of early November. This all ages rave that will send the El Mo off in style on Halloween night, so dress as an EDM version of your favourite Rolling Stone - they all look like zombies. Oct 31, El Mocombo, 9pm.

FILM

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition
Can you stomach seeing those blue dresses the scary twins wore in The Shining up close? Opening Halloween night, TIFF's Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition is next in a long line of stellar, fan-pleasing installs at the King Street cinema (such as this creep-out Cronenberg tribute). The exhibit, featuring documents, swag, and props like 'Starchild' from 2001: A Space Odyssey, runs until January 25, which might give me time to get over those Shining nightmares I had from age 7-13. Maybe. Opens Oct 31, TIFF Bell Lightbox.

See also

• Toronto South African Film Festival
• VS (Saturday)
• The Hitchcock 9: Blackmail (Sunday)
• The Hitchcock 9: Downhill, Pleasure Garden (Sunday)

BOOKS

Canzine: Festival of Zines and Underground Culture
Canzine organizers Broken Pencil (the zine that reviews zines, as the quip goes) have been at this a long time, and they know how it's done - on November 1st, everyone gets a big tote bag on the way in to fill to the brim with goodies like handmade books, indie comics, art prints, buttons, t-shirts, records, cassettes, cards, and of course, old-school photocopied zines. I hope Wholly Shit, the punk church review zine and my favourite zine ever, will be there, but I heard he got bored and quit. So punk. Nov 1, 1-7pm, 918 Bathurst.

See also

• Old Book and Paper Show (Sunday, Wychwood Barns)

COMEDY

Close Shave3: Q Meets Who
No Doctor nor Enterprise captain has ever sported a moustache, and yet, the organizers of this Doctor Who and Star Trek crossover comedy night November 1 have opted to donate the proceeds to Movember. The triple-header at the Imperial Pub comes in three parts (at 7pm, 9pm and 11pm, all with different lineups). In addition to comedy by Zabrina Chevannes and the ladies of the Sketchersons, there'll be musical support from More or Les and the raunchtastic High Heels Lo Fi. NM

See more Movember events in our Movember 2014 Guide.

See also

• Dark Comedy Festival 2014

ART

Exposing Energy East
Our most politicized pick for fall is this exhibition of the photographs of Garth Lenz (landscapes) and Robert van Waarden (portraits) for Exposing Energy East: People and Places at Risk by TransCanada's Energy East Pipeline Proposal. The documentary photos explore the people and places threatened by the massive Energy East pipeline. There will be an artist talk Saturday November 1 at 2pm. Oct 31- Nov 5, The Richmond.

COMMUNITY

Sorauren Park Pumpkin Parade
This annual tradition is one of Halloween's quieter events. Bring your pumpkin down to get in line (the line to where? What happens to jack-o-laterns when they die, ma?), or just wander through admiring the artwork of your fellow citizens. Over 2,000 pumpkins are expected to attend. Nov 1, Sorauren Park.

See also

• Halloween Bike Rave (Saturday)
• Dia de los Muertos Celebration (Sunday)

GAMES

Halloween Spookcade
This party and "spooky video game arcade" includes a huge line up of games just waiting for you to track fake blood all over them, plus they're serving up food and cocktails to keep you on your (crooked and dismembered) toes all night. Oct 31, Bento Miso, 8pm-1am. JS

HORROR

Horror-rama
Spend Halloween at a horror convention, buying horror swag to show off in your window next year. There's a ton of programming to check out too, if you spent all your mula on this year's costume. Then don't miss this Black Sunday screening off site. Nov 1-2, 99 Sudbury.

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

Contributions by Benjamin Boles, Julia Stead, Liora Ipsum, Natalia Manzocco

Photo by Jesse Milns

High profile PR firm Navigator is no longer representing Jian Ghomeshi. In a terse statement issued earlier today, the firm stated:

In response to numerous media requests, Navigator confirms it does not advise Jian Ghomeshi. Regrettably, the circumstances of our engagement have changed and we are no longer able to continue. No further comment will be issued.

UPDATE: Ghomeshi's long-standing PR firm, Toronto-based rockit-promotions has also just dropped Ghomeshi, tweeting: Going forward, rock-it promotions will no longer be representing Jian Ghomeshi. We won't be responding to or receiving media requests.

Author Reva Seth, who briefly dated former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi more than a decade ago, has come forward in an article on the Huffington Post alleging that Ghomeshi choked and "violently" penetrated her. She writes:

The evening started out fine. We had a drink, we smoked some pot and we hung out chatting. A while later we started kissing. Suddenly, it was like he became a different person. He was super angry, almost frenzied and disassociated.

I distinctly remember the jarring sense of suddenly being abruptly shaken out of my reverie. I remember thinking "what the fuck is going on here? What's wrong with him?" Jian had his hands around my throat, had pulled down my pants and was aggressively and violently digitally penetrating me. When it was over, I got up and it was clear I was really angry. My sexual interactions until then had always been consensual, enjoyable and fun.

Seth as come forward in the wake of similar allegations that surfaced less than 24 hours ago on the CBC Radio and the Toronto Star and felt encouraged to do so after seeing these other women tell stories of the alleged incidents. Read the full article here.

Photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Ryerson Artspace hosts a Halloween Sloppy Pop Up Cafe tonight (Friday, October 31), serving sloppy joes and pulled pork tacos from the walk-up window at The Gladstone (1214 Queen St. West)
• Evergreen Brickworks (550 Bayview Ave.) hosts a Dia de Los Muertos celebration on Sunday, November 2 from 10am to 3pm. The family-friendly even will feature skull face painting, a churro competition, Mexican market and cantina complete with craft beers and tequila.
• Chowder Chowdown goes down on Tuesday, November 4 from 7pm at the Fermenting Cellar (28 Distillery Ln.). For $56.50, attendees can sample and vote on original chowders from top Toronto chefs paired with local craft beers. The fundraiser event supports Ocean Wise, the Vancouver Aquarium conservation program devoted to endorsing sustainable seafood.
• What's on the Table, the 10th annual gala for The Stop Community Food Centre, takes place on Wednesday, November 5 from 7pm to 11pm at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St. East). Tickets are $300 (with a charitable tax receipt issued for $205), but food and beverage stations are all-inclusive.
• Citizen Catering and the Beer Store present Beerworking - Food and Brew Masters Panel at Propeller Coffee (50 Wade Ave.) on Wednesday, November 5 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. General admission is $30 for the evening of food and beer sampling, which features panel discussions about sustainable practices.

UPCOMING

• Gluten Free Garage pops up at Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie St.) on Sunday, November 9 from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are $10 (kids under 12 go free) for the admission to the marketplace, featuring over 60 vendors, guest speakers, food trucks, and beer and cider tastings.
• The Depanneur (1033 College St.) hosts an Intro to Onigiri workshop with Jess Mantell. The hands-on make-and-take happens Monday, November 10 at 6:30pm and costs $40. Learn about the different kinds of Japanese rice, how to wash and cook the rice, and finally, how to form it into tidy snackable packages filled with goodies like karaage, salted plum or tuna with mayo.

Photo of Gluten Free Garage 2013 by Jesse Milns.

Toronto events in November won't be as spooky as October's, as (for most) our obsession with death begins to give way to whatever emotions the winter holidays conjure up. Dollarama is already selling tiny Santa costumes for cats - kind of cute, right? Film fans can look forward to a whirlwind of festivals - there isn't a single day this month that at least one film fest isn't running, and it will be perfect weather to push up your glasses and snuggle up a warm theatre. (Winter isn't even going to be that bad, FYI, but I get your dread.)

Here are the top ten can't-miss events in Toronto this month.

Canzine: Festival of Zines and Underground Culture
Canzine organizers Broken Pencil (the zine that reviews zines, as the quip goes) have been at this a long time, and they know how it's done - on November 1st at 918 Bathurst, everyone gets a big tote bag on the way in to fill to the brim with goodies like handmade books, indie comics, art prints, buttons, t-shirts, records, cassettes, cards, and of course, old-school photocopied zines. I hope Wholly Shit, the punk church review zine and my favourite zine ever, will be there, but I heard he got bored and quit. So punk.

November film festivals
While TIFF is long over already and Hot Docs is a long way off, Toronto goes bananas for film festivals in the fall. Check these out over the course of the month:

• Hitchcock 9 (Nov 1-16)
• Pomegranate Film Festival (Nov 5-9)
• Ekran Polish Film Fest (Nov 5-9)
• Russian Film Fest (Nov 5-9)
• Reel Asian (Nov 6-16)
• Planet in Focus (Nov 6-9)
• Rendezvous With Madness (Nov 10-15)
• International Shorts Film Fest (Nov 12-14)
• European Union (Nov 15-30)
• Regent Park (Nov 19-22)
• Brazil Film Fest (Nov 27-30)
• Blood in the Snow (Nov 28-30)

Royal Winter Fair
Can't escape the city this fall? Let the country come to you. The largest indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world takes over Exhibition Place from November 7-16 for 10 days of horse shows, petting zoos, livestock competitions, fudge eating, butter sculpting, sweater-buying fun. The event has become increasingly food-focused over the years, which just makes sense. Get to know your farmer, guys. It makes dinner taste better. LI

Gluten Free Garage
The forth Gluten Free Garage is November 9 at Artscape Wychwood Barns. Since starting in 2012 the event has grown in popularity, and not just among celiacs. Scores of vendors will be on hand to showcase the best gluten free products found in the GTA, plus you can learn all about doing gluten-free the tasty way from presenters like Bunner's Bakery.

Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair
The inaugural Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair will take place November 13-16 at the Metro Convention Centre with over 400 authors on hand, including such heavyweights as Margaret Atwood (but of course), William Gibson, Anne Rice, and Kathy Reichs. Along with the literary highlights, there will be sections and stages devoted to culinary writing (with Elizabeth Baird and Rose Reisman in attendance), children's books, romance novels, and memoirs. The fair will be capped off with Canada's Self-Publishing Awards, which will dole out $50,000 in prizes. DF

Gentlemen's Expo
The Gentlemen's Expo is back for the second year, which is great because some times you just want to pass as a dude. Head to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Nov 14-16 to learn the secrets from real live dudes who identify as gentlemen and macho companies including Canadian Tire and 102.1 The Edge. The Darcys and Born Ruffians will perform, obviously. Hair flip/beard flip. Once you learn how to be a dapper dude, it's time to get shopping - and wall climbing (gentlemen need to scale everything).

Not Dead Yet Music Fest
Stuck in the City's hardcore punk festival Not Dead Yet is back November 20-23 and they're pretty impressed with the line up - and have a right to be. Venues S.H.I.B.G.B's, Sneaky Dee's, Nocturne, Hard Luck, The Garrison, Magpie, Soybomb, and more are in for hosting shows for the likes of Forward, Perfect Pussy, Iron Lung, Career Suicide, Destruction Unit, Pleasure Leftists, S.H.I.T., and way more. Naturally the fest offers tons of all-ages options for the wee ones.

Toronto Maker Faire
Head to the Toronto Reference Library on the weekend of Nov. 22-23 for Maker Faire to find over 100 exhibits plus workshops, yarn bombing, 3D printing, and the rampant overuse of the word "maker" as a substitute for "person who does stuff." Think about what you want to 3D print beforehand to avoid that glazed, overwhelmed look all 3D printing workshop tutors know too well. The early launch party is Nov. 5 at 918 Bathurst.

One Of A Kind Show
Attention craft fans and gift hunters. The One Of A Kind Show at the Direct Energy Centre will bring hordes of shoppers to check out the talent this country's artisans and creators have to offer, from household goods to fashion items. Support independent businesses, and munch on tasty samples of delicious condiments in the food aisle. This year's show runs until Nov 27 - Dec 7.

Bud Light Sensation
A sea of 30,000 people donned in white will hit the Rogers Centre November 29. The $150 a ticket DJ event will pump Toronto's dance fans audio and visual over-stimulation, plus booze and eats providing enough fuel to kept energy high well into the night. Under no circumstances should you call it a rave, especially if you're talking to your parents. Check out our gallery from last year.

BONUS

Suits & Staches Charity Gala
Arguably the best moustache-themed party the month has to offer is the annual Movember gala, held November 21 this year at Steam Whistle Brewery. In addition to an open bar, light catering, live music and a DJ, you'll find an on-site barber doing moustache trims and a caricature artist to immortalize that 'mo forever. Cocktail attire is requested, and moustaches are optional. Lamentably, it looks like tickets have sold out - but if you can snag one, this is the party to be at. NM

Contributions by Liora Ipsum, Natalia Manzocco

Photo by Alejandro Santiago, Derek Flack

While the Star has owned the day as far as coverage of Jian Ghomeshi's abuse allegations go, the Globe has now picked up some of the slack as pertains to the former radio host's dismissal from the CBC. Naturally, the broadcaster has tried to keep the story behind Ghomeshi's firing under wraps -- particularly with that massive but dubious lawsuit pending -- but we now have a pretty good idea of what happened behind closed doors.

Two crucial meetings took place in the host's final days at the CBC, one on Thursday (Oct. 23) and one on Sunday (Oct. 26). According to the Globe, Ghomeshi presented evidence that his sexual activities were consensual at the first meeting, but the "proof" that he presented to CBC management backfired.

"[They] were taken aback, and their views on Mr. Ghomeshi's conduct changed instantly," reads the report. "What they saw, in their opinions, was far more aggressive and physical than anything they had been led to believe during months of discussions."

In the wake of this meeting, Ghomeshi was put on indefinite leave on Friday afternoon. His career with the CBC wasn't, however, finished until his behaviour in the second meeting. "When he arrived at the Sunday meeting, his dismissal was not yet a foregone conclusion," a source told the Globe.

"Had he expressed remorse, or offered to seek treatment, the CBC would have had to consider its next steps carefully... Given a chance to speak, Mr. Ghomeshi insisted he had done nothing wrong. His employment was terminated on the spot. The decision was unanimous."

The article also contains other intriguing information about what it was like to work at Q, not the least of which is that the trademark essays which led the show weren't typically penned by Ghomeshi. Former producer Matt Tunnacliffe is reported to have written 95 per cent of them.

Read the entire article here.

Toronto's newest record shop is also a contender for its smallest. Tucked away in the back of a gift shop, the carefully selected (don't say curated) stock is handpicked by a duo with strong ties to Toronto's indie music scene. The cozy space is now bringing concert tickets sale back to the east end, and plans to host live in store performances as well.

Find out more in my profile of Tiny Record Shop.

Over the past 30 years, Toronto location spotting in Hollywood films has become akin to a low-intensity drinking game. We've all seen the obvious candidates - Yonge Street mauled by THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the Gardiner re-imagined as a dystrophic freeway in TOTAL RECALL, etc. - but what about some of the low-to-no budget horror films which have showcased Toronto's creepier corners? Here's a brief look at some lesser known titles who cinematically painted the city in a slightly more blood-curdling light. (WARNING - Spoilers and scary scenes yonder!)

One of Toronto's best kept secrets, the Scarborough Bluffs have appeared numerous times in locally shot TV series such as DEGRASSI, NIKITA, and KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES. Although it has never really hosted a 5 star production to serve justice to its majestic curves (although the recent epic Scarborough Bluffs selfie comes pretty close), the Bluffs did pose as a gateway to horror in a pair of schlocky 1980s b-movies.

Un-fondly recalled as the movie where KING OF KENSINGTON (Al Waxman) gets eaten by a giant rubber snake, SPASMS (1983) is a classic video nasty seen only by those adventurous VHS renters who squatted in the Horror section of their local Mom & Pop video store.

Sporting an A-list cast (Peter Fonda, Oliver Reed - presumably working for drink money, Marylin Lightstone), the "plot" of SPASMS involves boffin scientists exporting a behemoth serpent from a remote African island to an unnamed American University (where it proceeds to eat everyone). The Bluffs does a yeoman's job as standing in for the remote African island from which this demonic monster was poached:

Best known as the final part of Jamie Lee Curtis' breakout "Scream Queen" trilogy (following John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and TERROR TRAIN), PROM NIGHT follows the basic slice and dice formula of a masked killer avenging a historic wrong doing on a special occasion (if the title didn't tip you off, this one being Prom Night).

Don Mills Collegiate Institute doubled for the on-screen "Hamilton High School", while the Bluffs appeared in a memorable kill scene involving an out of control van (covered by the Toronto Star, no less.)

For years only available in a poor quality version that looked as if Vaseline had been smudged across the camera lens, this title has been re-appraised upon its recently restored Blu-ray re-release. The van scene, however, remains slightly more comedic than frightening.

Another recently released Blu-ray - DEADLY EYES aka THE RATS (1982) - has been garnishing some lost love after being rediscovered and restored by the flawless cult DVD label Scream Factory. Based on James Herbert's pulp horror novel "The Rats", DEADLY EYES is chock full of Toronto locations being terrorized by the crazed titular rodents:

Canuxploitation.com creator, curator and historian Paul Corupe describes DEADLY EYES as "a sleazy camp monster movie from ENTER THE DRAGON director Robert Clouse, but a certifiable good time if you want to see giant rats (or in this case dogs in rat costumes) running around the Lower Bay Station and the old Golden Harvest Theatre on Spadina attacking people."

In addition to tearing up a Bruce Lee marathon at the Golden Harvest, the Rats spoil a greasy local Politician's unveiling of what his populace demand - Subways, subways, subways:

Asked about his favourite Toronto horror films, Corupe offers up "THE MASK (1961). Canada's first horror film - It's about a psychiatrist with receives a ritual mask from a patient who dies, and when he puts it on he experiences hallucinatory visions (shot in 3-D) that drive him to murder. It's an ambitious film, with great surreal dream sequences of sacrifices, fireballs and snakes and at least part of it was shot at the Royal Ontario Museum - you can see the totem poles in the stairwells".

The University of Toronto campus is spooky enough on its own, already overflowing with ghost stories and student mayhem. 1986's stalk and slay fest KILLER PARTY (also directed by William "SPASMS" Fruet) taps into some of that U of T tension and manages to make even the surrounding neighborhoods as hellish as Haddonfield:

A CHRISTMAS STORY director Bob Clark also captured the campus' unsettling nuances in BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974). "It only features a handful of Toronto locations, mostly around the University of Toronto campus, but it does a notable job in actually feeling like the girls in the sorority terrorized by the unseen "Billy" are actual U of T students that attend classes, thanks to a few well-placed shots of archways and classrooms." notes Corupe.

While on the subject of scary phone calls, MURDER BY PHONE aka BELLS (1982) remains one of the great forgotten Toronto horror films. Has there ever been a better manifestation of eerie pay phone calls on a TTC platform?

Also conveniently lost to time is the camp classic YETI: GIANT OF THE 21st CENTURY, a shameless rip-off of the 1976 remake of KING KONG, which features an oversized Yeti stomping around Toronto and even taking in the sights at City Hall.

Still the most famous Toronto horror film is local maestro David Cronenberg's masterpiece VIDEODROME (1983), a prophetic and damning indictment of early 80s UHF and video tape culture. According to Corupe, "VIDEODROME is probably the ultimate Toronto horror film, because so many elements are intrinsically tied to the city. Not only is the film actually set here, it's a thinly veiled story of the rise of Moses Znaimer and CityTV in the early 1980s, clearly inspired by the "Baby Blue" movies and other local late night programming happening at the time.

Plus there are so many familiar locations in the film, from the Factory Theatre to the Financial District, Queen Street East to Cherry Street. Often watching a Toronto-set horror film means ignoring American flag props and disjointed geography, but VIDEODROME actually feels like it's taking place in a real Toronto without dropping a bunch of obvious landmarks in your lap. Plus it's a major accomplishment as a horror film, perhaps one of the finest genre films of the decade."

While almost all of Cronenberg's films are set and/or filmed in Toronto, THE BROOD (1979) holds a special place for turning a mundane Hogtown location into a site of sheer horror. In a nutshell, the story involves a messy divorce in which a psychologically disturbed mother controls a hoard of strangely deformed children who attack others at her will.

During one particularly gruesome sequence, the monster children attack Brown Public School on Avenue Road near St. Clair.

Elijah Siegler, a child actor who played one of the survivors of the attack and also attended Brown in real life, recalls "The interior was a kindergarten classroom and it hadn't been changed much from how it normally looks, so it was truly a bizarre experience to see a woman get beat to death by mutant dwarves. The playground was obviously the same playground where I would play STAR WARS and SUPER FRIENDS with my classmates. Brown School was a great elementary school to go to but looking at it in THE BROOD I see it's such a modernist, ugly building, which fits the film's tone."

Another innocuous location triumph appears in horror master John Carpenter's IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1993), where the R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant becomes a lunatic asylum, while the film's apocalyptic finale plays out at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.

Asked if there are any suitably terrifying Toronto locations which have not yet been exploited on screen, Corupe suggests "The Canada Linseed Oil Mills building? Don Jail and the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital are also good choices but have appeared in a few films. It would also be interesting to see something set about people getting lost after hours in The Path, or perhaps that's just a projection based on my own poor navigation skills."

More recently, big Hollywood horror titles filmed in and around Toronto include the SAW series, the RESIDENT EVIL series, URBAN LEGEND, JASON X (2001) FREDDY VS. JASON (2003), and BRIDE OF CHUCKY (1998). Hosting another godfather of modern horror, George Romero's LAND OF THE DEAD (plus the 2004 remake of his classic DAWN OF THE DEAD as well), no doubt makes Toronto the second Zombie capitol of the world after Pittsburgh.

Aside from some of the rarer titles mentioned above, we ask Corupe if there are any other "lost" Toronto horror films, begging to be re-discovered and celebrated by local horror enthusiasts?

"The only one I know of is CREATURE OF COMFORT (1968). Made almost a decade before the infamous U.S. production DEATH BED: THE BED THAT EATS, this low-budget film is supposedly an anthology horror film about a killer bed comforter that absorbs evil people. Donald Pleasance has a cameo, apparently. It was shot in Toronto, but since it's never been screened, we don't know whether any recognizable locations were actually used, but I like to imagine that the comforter is first sold by a Leon's or Bad Boy outlet. Who's better for deadly home furnishings? Nooobody!"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

With thanks to Paul Corupe and Elijah Siegler

Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.

The best kid and family friendly restaurants in Toronto cater to the (often) fickle tastes and short attention spans of young ones, and allow parents and children alike to enjoy a meal out. While the kid menus offered at these restaurants deal in the familiar grilled cheese, butter pasta, chicken tenders and chips, there are subtle hints on the menus that suggest a child's palate can, and should be, pushed and developed. These family-friendly restaurants can help kids graduate into real diners, one bite at a time.

Here are the best kid and family friendly restaurants in Toronto.

See also:The top 10 kid friendly brunch restaurants in Toronto

For every preserved historic building in Toronto there have been many more lost to short-sighted planning or indifference. The mindset has changed in recent years--high-profile architects like Frank Gehry must bend their designs to incorporate protected structures and beloved neighbourhood edifices (sometimes) get gentrified--but there are still egregious losses and cases of unfortunate neglect (see Walnut Hall, George St. in general).

It's not practical to expect every pretty building erected in the City of Toronto to remain in perpetuity. This city is in a persistent state of flux, constantly making itself over, old giving way to new. In order to build many of the buildings mourned by this list, other, equally valuable landmarks had to make way. There would be no TD Centre, First Canadian Place, or City Hall in an alternate version of Toronto where these properties had survived.

Here are 10 buildings I would include in an impossible fantasy version of Toronto.

Toronto Star Building
The Toronto Star never looked as much like the Daily Planet as it did during its time on King St. W. Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, a former Star paperboy, likely based Clark Kent's employer on the paper, and the company's imposing, high-tech office tower no doubt played a role. Ink was distributed around the building in pipes, fire poles allowed reporters to quickly change floors, and a system of pneumatic tubes linked the various offices. It even had its own coal-fired power station. The building was knocked down in 1972 to make way for First Canadian Place.

University Armouries
At one time the largest armoury in Canada and the home of the Toronto Regiments of the Canadian Army, the University Armouries was a common place of enrolment during the Boer War, the first and second world wars, and the Korean War. The massive interior housed firing ranges, drill halls, even a bowling alley and was often rented out for events like trade shows. It was razed in 1963.

Temple Building
If the Temple Building at Bay and Richmond could have survived the office tower boom of the 1970s, it would probably still be standing today. Built for the Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal organization and financial institution now operating as Foresters, the ornate 12 storey office building was the tallest in Toronto for about ten years. The building was the brainchild of Oronhyatekha, the IOF Supreme Chief Ranger and a prominent early First Nations entrepreneur. It was demolished in 1970 to make way for the Queen-Bay Centre.

General Post Office
It's easy to miss on the King streetcar, but Toronto Street used to be one of the most impressive thoroughfares in the city. The General Post Office on Adelaide St. was its crowning monument. Heritage Toronto notes that the structure, completed in 1873, was the once federal government's most expensive post-confederation project. Though superseded in importance by later postal buildings, the GPO survived until 1958. An office complex currently stands on the site.

Bank of Toronto (King and Bay)
I'm a big fan of TD Centre, the crisp, modern office towers at King and Bay, but it arrived at a price. The original bank building, built for the Bank of Toronto, one of the financial institutions that merged to create TD, was operated out of a grand columned building at the southwest corner of King and Bay. At its heart, a grand banking hall with massive bronze, marble, and glass skylight was bathed in natural light. Several of the building's decorative details were saved and are now on display at the Guild Inn in Scarborough.

Registry of Deeds and Land Titles
Another grand building surrounded by columns that was replaced by a beloved modernist structure, the neo-classical Registry of Deeds and Land Titles was built at a time when the City of Toronto had the money to spend on grand monuments to itself. The loss of the building is particularly hard to swallow because, judging from photos of construction of City Hall, it didn't need to be razed at all (at least one rejected City Hall design incorporated the structure.) Had it survived, the building would be located in place of the Superior Court of Justice.

Chorley Park
The death of Chorley Park, Ontario's first purpose-built government house, came amid cost cutting in the wake of the Depression. The province built the chateaux-style Rosedale mansion in 1916 to house the current and future lieutenant governors, but costs began to spiral out of control almost immediately. The final bill, $1 million, was almost four times the budget and the cost of maintaining the opulent palace was even higher. It was abandoned and stripped of its contents in 1937 and finally knocked down 1959. The building's concrete entrance arch and part of its podium are all that remain.

Board of Trade Building
The Board of Trade Building with its distinctive curved front and decorative rooftop tower almost didn't get off the ground. The unfinished structure collapsed during construction, resulting in the dismissal of the New York-based architectural firm responsible for the original design. When it was completed, like the Temple building, it was briefly the tallest in the city. The TTC would called the Yonge and Front building home from 1921 until 1958.

Maple Leaf Stadium
The original Toronto Maple Leafs had bats and gloves, not sticks and pucks, and their second stadium at the foot of Bathurst St., south of Lake Shore Blvd. was a classic ball park. A horseshoe-shaped stand with views of the field and the lake featured giant stone arches that, as James Marsh notes at Toronto in Time, have recently been mirrored in the designs of Camden Yards and New Yankee Stadium. Toronto would be without a downtown ball park for ten years after the Maple Leafs moved to Louisville in 1967 and the stadium was demolished in 1968.

Bata Shoes Head Office
Canadian architect John B. Parkin's work is all over Toronto. He contributed to the design of Rosedale subway station, Yorkdale mall, the Sheraton Centre, TD Centre, and City Hall, but one of his earliest (and arguably best) buildings is sadly lost. The "simple and seemingly weightless" Bata Shoes office, in the words of architecture critic Christopher Hume, was demolished in 2010 to make way for a Ismaili museum and cultural centre. Hume called the classic modernist building on Wynford Drive "unadorned yet poetic." There aren't many like it left in Toronto.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives, BataLTD/Wikimedia Commons

Hidden away in a basement on Ossington is fashion designer-turned-tailor Maegan McWade's brand-new shop and studio space. Her specialty: "trendy" alterations that turn busted-up jeans or ill-fitting vintage into one-of-a-kind wardrobe staples. If you're not in the market to get your threads fixed up, you can peruse a selection of handmade items from up-and-coming local crafters and artists.

Read my profile of Shoppe and Tailor in the fashion section.

Stanley Kubrick has touched down at the TIFF Lightbox just in time for Halloween. The retrospective tracks Kubrick's evolution as a filmmaker with dedicated areas for each of his seminal works, with particular attention paid to landmark films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining. Casual fans and Kubrick-nerds alike will find something to like here, as the show does a good job of introducing viewers to the director's practice but also offers enough production images and props to appeal to die-hard fans.

While the exhibition has traveled elsewhere, the Lightbox has outdone itself here with its mix of educational resources and cinematographic curiosities. Kubrick's various inspirations and lasting influence on cinema culture is all well accounted for, which should enrich the experience of watching his films after the exhibition. The show runs until January 25th.

Check out the weird and fascinating world of Stanley Kubrick in this photo gallery.

The top General Tao chicken in Toronto still can't seem to agree on what it wants to be called. (General Tao? General Tso?) Whatever you call it, few will disagree that this dish of uncertain origin is a great panacea for those craving a tang of sweet and spicy (and often greasy) Chinese food. It may be unhealthy, inauthentic, and unappreciated by connoisseurs, but for my money, there's no dish that offers as awesome a pick-me-up as a plate of the General's chicken.

Here are my picks for the top 10 General Tao chicken in Toronto.

Not Just Noodles
It's funny how often Not Just Noodles, a grimy and sad-looking corner restaurant, shows up on my lists. Their General Tao chicken, at around $10, is supremely satisfying. It can sometimes be a little batter-heavy, but that's part of the appeal. It's a bit sweeter than several of the other places on this list, and is just the right dish when you're craving greasy, steaming Chinese food in the middle of your cold day. Service is pretty fast, too!

Peking Man
For a psychedelically confusing yet delicious experience, look no further than Peking Man. This 70s-style restaurant is well-known for its Peking duck, but I can vouch for its General Tao chicken. At around $12, it's not exactly cheap (especially because you're not exactly eating in a fancy place) and the portion is a bit on the small side - but that sauce is god-dang delicious. The sauce has just enough kick, and the meat is always tender.

Hong Shing
Also a long-time favourite of many (including my wife), Hong Shing's General Tao is sure to please. At times, they use less sauce than many of their downtown counterparts, but the savoury-sweet glaze is still delicious. Also, you can get it for $6.50 as part of their lunch special, which is outstanding value (though the portions are a bit smaller than many other downtown spots). Complement your meal with some of their spicy fried bean curd and sweet and sour pork. It's terrible for your arteries, but wonderful for your heart.

Asian Legend
Lots of Chinese families go to the Asian Legend chain for meals, so that's gotta mean the General Tao here is more authentic than others, right? Uh, not really. But who cares when you're scooping mountains of sticky-sauced chicken into your bed of rice, complete with sesame seeds on top? The chicken here is more pronounced, and a little light on the batter, so those looking for a less "junky" version of this dish will feel right at home.

Taste of China
The chicken pieces here are covered in a batter that feels crispier than most of the others on the list, while still having that distinctive sweet-and-spicy tasting sauce. It's also a late-night favourite with many (the general is quite partial to after-hours comestibles, it seems), and therefore, another great place for your post-clubbing activities.

Swatow
This restaurant is pretty much a staple for the late-dining crowd in Toronto, so it stands to reason that its General Tao would be one of the best in town. And, put simply, it is, with its glistening sweet-spicy sauce and large chunks of vegetables that complement the juicy chicken. Downing spoonfuls of these with your bed of steamed rice at 2am on a weekend night? Hangover helper.

Spadina Garden
Despite its claims to be a Szechuan-Hunan restaurant, this cute-looking restaurant (a staple for many office workers) is really an Indian Chinese (Hakka)-inspired spot. True to that cuisine's form, expect bold flavours, thick sauces, and a crazy assault on your tastebuds. Their excellent take on General Tao ($11.95) is definitely one of the "heavier" ones on this list - eat it during lunchtime at your own risk.

New Ho King
Another place to get greasy, delicious, and dirt-cheap Chinese food at practically all hours of the night, New Ho King will fill your belly up with their large-sized, crudely-prepared, super-delicious General Tao. The service isn`t going to be great, and the atmosphere even less so, but if you ever want a bowl of breaded and sauced fowls at 4am, you can always find the General at the King.

Szechuan Szechuan
No, General Tao isn't a Szechuan dish, and it's not really spicy here. But there's something to the sweet-and-savoury sauce piled on this dish here that keeps me coming back. Now, at over $14, it's rather pricey - but then again it is one of the nicer establishments on this list. They used to have a location downtown, but only the one in Vaughan Mills is now open.

Perfect Chinese Restaurant
Perfect's General Tao is one of the lighter-tasting dishes in this collection, so it's perfect (groan) for those who are looking for a version of this dish that doesn't completely assault your tastebuds. Pair it up with their fried tofu, and you've got a killer combination.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for General Tao chicken in the comments.

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

Photo of Hong Shing by Jesse Milns.

After several days of mounting public pressure, former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi, who's become the subject of numerous sexualassaultallegations in recent days, will no longer be a guest at the Toronto stop on Amanda Palmer's book tour. In a blog post this afternoon, the musician and author wrote:

"thank you to everyone for sharing forward all of the articles and content, you've helped me. the story is incredibly, incredibly sad. given everything i've learned, and especially given how upsetting it would be to so many, jian will not be coming to the show in toronto."

The former Dresden Dolls singer, who is coming through town next month to promote The Art of Asking, an account of what she learned through her infamous Kickstarter campaign, had originally invited Ghomeshi to be a special guest at the Toronto date of the tour. After Ghomeshi initially claimed his innocence on Sunday in a lengthy Facebook post, Palmer shared the statement and added, "for those asking, yes, of course he will still be guesting at the toronto show".

As increasingly damning accounts of alleged sexual abuse surfaced, and Palmer's fans urged her on social media to boot Ghomeshi, she maintained in a follow-up statement on Facebook that she was "still figuring out what to do about this". That wasn't enough for many of her fans, who accused her of putting professional commitments to Ghomeshi before their own feelings of safety - and critics, who accused her of using the controversy to promote her book.

Photo via Amanda Palmer on Facebook.

Jian Ghomeshi was dumped by his agent today, less that 24 hours after being dropped by both of his PR agencies. In an emailed statement The Agency Group, a live music booking agency with offices in Toronto and around the world, confirmed that they are no longer the agent of representation for Jian Ghomeshi. No further comment was issued.

The news comes on the same day that Ghomeshi was finally disinvited from a book tour appearance set to take place in Toronto next month, and in the wake of numerousnew allegations about what the CBC and the Toronto media community did or didn't know about his conduct.

No comment is expected by Ghomeshi who yesterday posted on Facebook that he doesn't intend to discuss the matter any further.

UPDATE: Singer Lights has become the latest person to disassociate professionally from Ghomeshi. The singer-songwriter, who was managed by Ghomeshi for the past 12 years, intially rushed to defend him, writing a statement - since deleted - that closed with "I love you Jian. You're my super hero." In an updated statement on Facebook, the singer writes: "I am now aware that my comments appear insensitive to those impacted and for that I am deeply sorry. This is to confirm that as of now I will be parting ways with Jian Ghomeshi as my manager. I hope everyone can heal from this."

Photo by Ryan Bolton.

Jian Ghomeshi showed CBC brass graphic videos of sexual encounters, which included beatings and bondage, as proof that his violent encounters with women were consensual, sources have told the Toronto Star. Before being fired by the broadcaster last weekend, Ghomeshi had become aware that allegations against him were about to surface, and had brought in the videos as evidence that, as a source told the Star, "how bruising could happen and it could still be consensual."

Ghomeshi features in the videos, which featured "scenarios where Jian Ghomeshi asks, for example, a woman to do something and she does it," the source told the Star. In his initial public statement after being fired by the network Sunday, the host said he "voluntarily showed evidence that everything I have done has been consensual. I did this in good faith and because I know, as I have always known, that I have nothing to hide. This when the CBC decided to fire me."

The attempt, of course, backfired. In a new internal memo to employees leaked online Friday afternoon, the CBC confirmed that at a Thursday, October 23 meeting with Ghomeshi, they saw "graphic evidence that Jian had caused physical injury to a woman" and found it to be "fundamentally unacceptable for any employee." He was officially terminated three days later. The memo also confirms that Ghomeshi first notified them of a possible Toronto Star investigation into his conduct this spring. Read the full memo here.

On the heels of reports that Jian Ghomeshi showed bosses at the CBC graphic videos of him beating women as a means of clearing his name, Toronto Police have confirmed that they are launching an investigation into multiple allegations of abuse against the former Q host. The Toronto Star reports that two women, one of whom is Trailer Park Boys actress Lucy DeCoutere, have filed a complaint with the police force alleging that they were beaten by Ghomeshi.

Both of the women had previously detailed their experiences with Ghomeshi to the Star: DeCoutere came forward earlier this week, saying that Ghomeshi choked and beat her, slapping her three times on the side of the head. A second, unnamed victim, who spoke to the Star on Monday, alleges that Ghomeshi pulled her by her hair to the floor and punched her three times in the head.

Earlier this week, Toronto Police said that despite the numerous allegations surfacing in the press, no one had lodged an official complaint with the police service. Staff, including Police Chief Bill Blair, encouraged anyone who had information and wanted to come forward to do so.

Photo by Jeremy Gilbert via the blogTO Flickr pool.