FILM | Shorts That Are Not Pants
Canadian shorts are a rarity in the winter and the Carlton Cinema is looking to fill the void. Shorts That Are Not Pants enters its second year of screening the best in Canadian and international short films, beginning tonight with seven shorts, including a look at the art of making a mixtape for a loved one in Mixtape and Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart's Long Branch, a short about what happens when a woman's one-night stand lives two hours away from where they meet. Tickets will be available at the door.
Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton Street) 7PM $8 advance, $10 door

TYPOGRAPHY | Songs That Saved Me
Music is a saviour to many and the weight of powerful lyrics will be felt at Songs That Saved Me, a new exhibit featuring a roster of artists opening at Huntclub Studio tonight. Artists such as Dave Murray, Justin Broadbent and Marlene Silveira will examine songs that help people through difficult times at this show, selling originals and prints of the works in the show. Help yourself through the winter sadness by visiting the exhibit by February 8th.
Huntclub Studio (709 College Street) 7PM Free

MUSIC | The Bicycles/ Tusks/ The Pinecones/ Wax Atlantic
New music and talent will be featured at an eclectic indie showcase tonight at the Horseshoe Tavern in the form of four young local bands. The Bicycles play music from their latest EP The Good The Bad and The Cuddly, with Tusks' popular Total Entertainment following. Joined by The Pinecones and Wax Atlantic, this evening will be an enjoyable mix of genres and talents for those who appreciate discovering new acts. Tickets at the door.
The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West) 8PM $8

SHOPPING | 4th Annual RegiftTO Event
Interested in re-gifting a terrible Christmas present? At the 4th Annual RegiftTO event, you can do so without the risk of being caught. Simply bring an unwanted unisex holiday gift to Locus 144 tonight and trade it for someone else's wrapped regift. At 8:30PM, the countdown to the unwrapping will begin before people rip open their gifts as a group. There are also prizes to be won and a dance party will follow the gifts. For a free event, this one sounds like a win-win.
Locus 144 (144-171 East Liberty Street) 7PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• Wolfgang Gartner
• 5th Annual Riverdale Harambe
• BETWEEN BOUNDARIES: A Collection of Short Films by Igor Drljaca
• POP UP ART SHOW - Thrush Holmes

Photo courtesy of The Pinecones

City council officially passed the $9.4-billion budget 2013 budget yesterday, adding new spending for additional firefighters, nutrition programs, daycare and housing. Mayor Rob Ford in favour of spending $3.1 million for 64 new firefighter positions despite suggesting the day before he wouldn't back the plan. Despite the flip-flop, Ford declared the budget the best in Toronto's history.

In the wake of spending plan getting the approval of council, its architect, councillor Mike Del Grande, called it quits as Rob Ford's budget chief. Del Grande suggested he would quit his post if councillors added new "emotional" spending to the document. He told CTV he felt a motion to include more transparency in the budget process was a personal attack.

Also in finance, councillor Giorgio Mammoliti says the more than $12,000 his campaign is alleged to have overspent during the 2010 election is the result of a disagreement between two auditors. In an interview with the National Post, Mammoliti claimed, in strange third person voice, "it isn't about the candidate."

They might be political foes, but that doesn't mean Rob Ford and Adam Vaughan can't share a pitcher of Mill Street and a sandwich. A picture of the non-partisan luncheon at Monarch Tavern in Little Italy taken by councillor Paul Ainslie settled a bet that the three-day budget council meeting would wrap up before 1pm on day two, according to Doug Ford.

The Grid's Ed Keenan has an interesting proposal for transit funding: a two per cent HST hike that would raise around $1.3 billion a year for new LRTs, busses, and subways in Toronto. Keenan argues the idea could be more palatable as it was the rate of tax many Toronto citizens paid in 2006. Is this a better way of raising cash than a casino?

The TTC enforcement officers fired for covering skipped shifts with fake tickets could be made to give back their pay, according to CEO Andy Byford. Several of the sneaky staff were paid more than $100,000 a year plus overtime.

Finally, Toronto's open bus shelters could soon be a thing of the past. According to Jack Lakey, the Toronto Star's "fixer," Astral Media has decided not to install any more of the glass waiting areas over complaints about the lack of protection from the weather. Unfortunately, it's not clear what will replace them.

IN BRIEF:

• Gun found at Toronto high school, 4 students arrested [CBC]
• Bowmanville Zoo named second-worst in North America for elephants [The Star]
• Vancouver-based meal token program coming to Toronto [The Star]

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

Photo: "Gotta Love Train Yards" by calebwildes/blogTO Flickr pool.

This new womenswear boutique in the Distillery District focuses on casual staples and comfortable clothing from both local and international brands. You'll also find a healthy dose of housewares, accessories, and gifts.

Read my profile of Mint Boutique in the fashion stores section.

This Week in Film rounds up noteworthy new releases in theatres, rep cinema and avant-garde screenings, festivals, and other special cinema-related events happening in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

Mekong Hotelscreening w/The Capsule (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world: fact. His last film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, is probably only his third or fourth best film, yet it still unquestionably deserved its Palme d'Or in 2010: fact. Mekong Hotel is not the same as last year's Panahi film, This is Not a Film: fact...and yet, it probably should have been released with that title anyway, so that nobody can confuse it with a genuine Weerasethakul 'effort.'

Effort is the key word here, as very little of it seems to have been expended on Mekong Hotelwhich is, by all accounts, merely a sketch...a doodle. Yet I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone to go out and pay money to see it, on account of it is being screened with Athina Rachel Tsangari's medium-length film, The Capsule. Never mind its brevity (37 minutes), This One, Indeed, Is A Film.

On the Road (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

The inevitable problem with any literature-to-film adaptation is a question of prose. Great novels are often great not just because of the narrative, but more so because of the author's prose style, and how that colours the narrative. Jack Kerouac is famous for his spontaneous, free style writing methods that were often only slightly edited. Which is one reason Walter Salles' film translation was doomed to whiff at the Beat Gen air teeming through Kerouac's pages. Stylized, polished, controlled and expensive (Kristen Stewart don't come cheap), On the Road is fine as entertainment (if a tad too long), but it takes the allure of creative freedom and commodifies it, thereby rendering it lifeless, which leads me to ask 'what was the point?'

The Waiting Room (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

You've seen Michael Moore's Sicko, now take a look at the USA's health care dilemma without the belligerence and bias. To be fair, though, Peter Nicks' documentary promises to be much less overtly political than Moore's film. For one, The Waiting Room is much more of a character piece (think The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, but set in one hospital and focusing on several patients instead of one). "Using a blend of cinema verité and characters' voice over, [this film] offers a raw, intimate, and even uplifting look at how patients, executive staff and caregivers each cope with disease, bureaucracy and hard choices."

Also in theatres this week:

• The Bastard Sings the Sweetest Song (The Royal)
• Beware of Mr. Baker (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Broken City (Carlton, Rainbow Market Sq., Scotiabank)
• The Last Stand (Carlton, Scotiabank)
• Mama (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Quartet (Varsity)

REP CINEMA

Frozen Inferno: The Films of Alexei Guerman (January 19 - 29; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Alexei Guerman can be thought of as a Russian analog of Terrence Malick. Not that their films have much in common, but rather they both have a penchant for extended gaps between films. But whereas Malick is accelerating, Guerman has been in an active state of deceleration since his first feature, 1967's The Seventh Companion. Since that debut, his following films were released with gaps of 4 years, then 5, then 8, 12, and now we're 15 years waiting for his epic about the Arkanar Massacre. Rumoured to be ready to finally premiere this year, TIFF's retrospective arrives just in time to catch up on the monolithic back catalog of this Russian giant.

Screening this week in Frozen Inferno: The Films of Alexei Guerman:

• My Friend Ivan Lapshin (Saturday, January 19 at 7:30PM)
• Trial on the Road (Tuesday, January 22 at 9PM)
• Twenty Days Without War (Thursday, January 24 at 8:45PM)

Tokyo Drifters: 100 Years of Nikkatsu (January 19 - April 6; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Following in the footsteps of the New York Film Festival's landmark Nikkatsu retrospective in 2011, TIFF brings us a healthy sampling of the greatest productions from the golden age (1956-70) of the iconic Japanese studio. The source of a large number of Japan's sleekest cult canon, the Nikkatsu studio's signature style can be called a hybrid of Hollywood noir, exploitation pictures, softcore porn, comic books, and a touch of the French New Wave.

Icons of the era include Seijun Suzuki, Yuzo Kawashima, and Takashi Nomura, and landmark productions include Tokyo Drifter (natch), The Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (voted one of the top 5 Japanese films of all time), and A Colt is My Passport. Slotted in the standard 'genre hour' at the Lightbox (Saturday's at 10PM), the Nikkatsu legacy is the most fun Japan has to offer this side of Tampopo (why this film is missing from the 'Japanese Cinema in the Eighties' program, we will never know).

Screening this week in Tokyo Drifters: 100 Years of Nikkatsu:

• Massacre Gun (Saturday, January 19 at 10PM)

More in Rep Cinema this week:

• My Night at Maud's (Friday, January at 18 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• My Dinner with Andre [FREE!] (Friday, January 18 at 7PM; Innis Town Hall)
• The Silencers (Friday, January 18 at 9PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Kapò (Saturday, January 19 at 4:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• New Year's Evil (Saturday, January 19 at Midnight; Revue Cinema)
• Salesman (Sunday, January 20 at 1PM; Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• The Easy Life (Sunday, January 20 at 5PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Frankenstein (Tuesday, January 22 at 6:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Ugetsu (Thursday, January 24 at 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Early Monthly Segments: Jonas Mekas + Lorne Marin (Monday, January 21 at 8pm; Gladstone Art Bar)

To celebrate Jonas Mekas' 90th birthday last month, Early Monthly Segments are screening the first third of his rare, brilliant film Lost Lost Lost. "He and his brother Adolfas borrowed money to buy a Bolex camera and Jonas starts shooting their daily lives. These first two reels...frame their first five years after landing in Brooklyn, living with fellow post-war Lithuanian immigrants and other "displaced persons" and their attempts at melding into their new surroundings while holding onto hopes for Lithuanian independence.

Political meetings and rallies, meals, weddings, readings and visits to Long Island are captured and narrated with a blunt reflection on Mekas's loneliness and longing to both fit in to New York while simultaneously not losing touch with his past." The two reels will be preceded by Torontonian Lorne Marin's 1972 short Rhapsody on a Theme From A House Movie. $5 donations are graciously accepted at the door.

Lead still from On the Road.

The College Condominium will surely be a magnet for students (ahem...that is, their investor parents) and potentially a source of NIMBYism due to its 15-storey façade. Don't get me wrong — 15 storeys is not a mega-structure by any means, but it certainly will make a statement on an otherwise modest stretch of College Street west of Spadina. A Tribute Communities development, this condo will have a couple hundred units with various sizes and layouts, and several parking spaces underground that will cost the equivalent of a brand new luxury sedan. Here is a closer look at The College Condominium.

SPECS

Address:297 College Street

Floors: 15

Total number of units: 234

Types of units: One bedroom, one-plus-den, two bedroom, two-plus-den, three bedroom

Unit sizes (in square feet): 477-1026

Ceiling heights: Up to 9'

Prices from: $326,990

Parking: $55,000 (For select suites)

Maintenance fees: $0.57 (+ hydro, gas, water)

Developer:Tribute Communities

Architect:Core Architects

Interior Design:Bryon Patton & Associates

Amenities: Fitness room, party room, theatre, billiards room, 24-hour concierge

Expected occupancy: Summer 2016

THE GOOD

Have developers suddenly grown tired of Richmond and Adelaide, or has that area finally reached condo saturation? Either way, The College Condominium wins a point right from the get-go for not being in the way of obnoxious Friday night limo traffic. Granted, living right on College will come with a few drawbacks (noise, congestion, dumb Frosh activities, etc.), but the boons of this location will definitely outweigh the bad. First off, your brunch options from this spot will be superior, extensive, and disproportionately delicious, with so many great options within five minutes or less (yes, Bella, I'm thinking of you). You'll be minutes from Kensington Market shopping, seconds from Chinatown late night eats, and just steps away from the University of Toronto campus.

Which leads me to my next point. I'm quite confident that most of us have "that friend" who comes up with the "brilliant idea" to buy a condo and rent it out. "Easy as pie," he'll claim. "The rent will cover the mortgage, and I'll sell it in a couple of years and bathe in the profits." Savants, they are. But sometimes the rent doesn't cover the mortgage, and appliances need repair, and tenants don't necessarily climb over each other to snag a studio in CityPlace. But I suspect the situation might be (lucratively?) different for owners of a suite at College Condominiums.

Proximity to U of T makes the building incredibly desirable to students — especially international students — with the demand for close-to-campus accommodation an enduring, endearing characteristic of the community. So, while Liberty Village, say, might be a "hot" neighbourhood today (debatable, but never mind), housing by U of T will always be in demand. In that way, a purchase at The College Condos seems a much safer bet.

And the units themselves? Well, that depends on the suite. There's a terrible L-shaped 661-square-foot one-plus-den with wasted space and a windowless bedroom, but a very livable 514-square-foot one-bedroom, with a walk-in closet and room by the entry. It just boils down to which suite you (or rather, mommy and daddy) select.

THE BAD

God help the working professional souls who move in here thinking they can relax in their brand new purchase. Try weekday parties, dramatic 3 a.m. breakups, and other gems courtesy of only those who have maneuvered their classes after 12 p.m. I'm not saying The College Condominiums will be a glorified dorm necessarily, but chances are there won't be the same respect for the nine to five as you might find in a building by the Financial District or over on Queen West. The College Condominium will likely have a heavy presence of tenant-occupied suites as well, which can often take a greater toll on amenities and other common building elements. Just a couple of things to consider when deciding whether to drop off that hefty down payment.

Speaking of, make no mistake — The College Condominium is not being offered at student-friendly prices. Depending on the suite, you're looking at paying about $600 - $700 per square foot or more, which (despite a supposed "cooling" real estate market) is certainly no steal. But despite the full prices, the suite finishes still seem to reek slightly of "student," with laminate flooring over hardwood and bitty 24" appliances. And while maintenance fees for new builds usually start at $0.50 - $0.53 per square foot (which, granted, is artificially low), the fees for The College Condominium start at a curious $0.57. Plus water, hydro, and gas. These are not unreasonable expenses, mind you, but the value might be lost when the awful sounds of Ke$ha start to bleed between the walls. Crazy Kids, indeed.

THE VERDICT

Depends on whether these balconies are conducive to multi-storey beer funnels.

What do you think? Would you live here? Add your comments to the thread below.

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board

This is where vintage kitchen chairs, cardboard deer heads, and Elvis-themed pop-up books meet. Stocked with items you never knew you needed (but suddenly must have) this Bloorcourt gift and decor shop seems to have found the sweet spot where kitsch and one-of-a-kind meet.

Read my profile of General Tao in the design stores section.

With Collective Concerts inking a deal with Ticketfly the newly arrived American online ticketing giant, two key Toronto venues, Lee's Palace and The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, both run by Collective Concerts, will be saying g'bye to the dated Ticketmaster sales system.

What's Ticketfly you might ask? Well, it's basically an online ticket sales platform that empowers event promoters with social media services, sales outlets, analytics, microsites and a bunch of other handy features.

Apparently Jeff Cohen of Collective Concerts has been eager to move since he met the Ticketfly crew at SXSW almost two years ago.

"Jeff learned that a bunch of his contemporaries in the US were using the platform," CEO Andrew Dreskin told me from their annual FlyCon in San Francisco "and it was seen as the most progressive and forward thinking one. He fell in love with the technology and said to us, 'You know what? You're not in Canada yet, but I don't care, I like you. We're going to make a deal.' And that's literally how it went down."

Since the boom in EDM (yes I hate the term as much as the rest of you, so don't get me started) festivals, Ticketfly has seen some very interesting stats in neon-slathered show goers. Apparently they tyically buy single tickets, rather than in pairs, and they are three times more likely to buy via Facebook mobile than other genres. No surprise there as fits perfectly with the "digital" nature of the beats. With all the social media bells and whistles in Ticketfly, Facebook will let you know what shows all the "cool kids" in your friends list are going to.

Also on board are Inertia Entertainment, Ontario's largest heavy metal promoters and Union Events, (who in recent years have acquired Toronto's REMG) and rank #48 worldwide as event promoters according to Pollstar.

Dreskin is no stranger to the live concert experiences. Along with creating Ticketweb, one of the very first online ticket sales services back in 1995, he's also responsible for bringing VirginFest to North America which is still going strong, unlike the dearly departed Toronto edition.

Along with a high level of social media and digital integration, Ticketfly claims to have lower service charge fees, making enjoying shows easier on our wallets too. But listen up, Ticketfly is expanding, so if you're a show promoter or booker, you might want to take a click and see what all the buzz is about.

For more on Ticketfly's arrival in Canada, check out this video.

Keanu Reeves just might be the most underrated movie star out there. But Jesse Wente is out to change that. The Head of Film Programmes at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Wente is the brains behind the Keanu Reeves retrospective, "Whoa. The Films of Keanu Reeves" currently underway at the movie house.

Featuring eleven films spanning Reeves' career, the selection goes from 80s hockey actioner Youngblood, which shows Reeves in his feature film debut beside Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze, to stoner comedy Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure [screening Feb 1] which forever cemented Keanu's awestruck, slightly stoned trademark "whoa...", to indie drama My Own Private Idaho [Feb 22], to his iconic and star-making turns in Speed [March 15] and of course, The Matrix [March 22].

Now, everyone knows who Keanu Reeves is - he is a pop culture icon. I mean, once you have your own Internet memes then you're pretty much set for life. Don't believe me? Ask Chuck Norris...or maybe, don't.

But does anyone really know Keanu Reeves? This is the question that spurred Wente to action for this series. For all his popularity and longevity in the business, you never really hear too much about Reeves, except, it seems, when he chooses it. So in that respect, he really is like an old school movie star - something that is exceptionally hard to be in the current age of, "Privacy? What privacy?"

After what seems like years of not hearing a peep from the reserved actor, last August saw the arrival of Side by Side, a documentary by Reeves featuring interviews with renowned filmmakers like David Lynch and Martin Scorsese on the future of filmmaking in the film versus digital debate.

Later this year will come 47 Ronin, Reeves' first return to big screen action since 2008's The Day The Earth Stood Still, (although there was 2010's bank heist comedy Henry's Crime - which I'm still shocked I didn't know about given the additional presence of James Caan and Vera Farmiga) and there are serious talks underway regarding a third installment in the Bill and Ted series. So one might say the timing of this retrospective was fortuitous, to say the least.

In our interview right before his trip to Sundance, Wente details his love for the films of Canada's favourite prodigal son, explains why Point Break was the make-it-or-break-it selection in the series, and talks about why focusing on dead movie stars might not always be such a great thing.

So you're heading off to Sundance in a day or so?

Early tomorrow morning, yes.

Oh, nice. Are there any films in particular you're looking forward to?

In particular, I'm looking forward to Stoker, which is the new film from the Korean director Park Chan-Wook, and then I'm looking forward to Before Midnight, which is the latest from Richard Linklater.

Nice, nice. So, talking about the retrospective, my first question is, why Keanu Reeves, and why now?

I mean, why not Keanu Reeves? When we're putting together our programming, we're always looking to allow or present a number of different entry points for audiences into cinema and cinema history, so you know, we often look to actors or particularly, popular actors to just give us a sort of new perspective. I think Keanu is at that moment in his career where it's about time for us to go back and re-look, I think, at the films. He is also marking his return to on-camera performance for the first time in a little bit, with 47 Ronin, so it sort of seemed like a...I sort of held my finger up to the wind to see where the zeitgeist was going, and it felt like Keanu's time.

Very nice, very cool. And would you consider yourself a Keanu Reeves fan?

For sure, absolutely. I mean, I hope so! I'm a big fan, I just think it's a very interesting career, with a really wide variety of movies within the career, and I just think, in an age where we've slowly sort of eroded what it means to be a movie star, Keanu Reeves is still a giant movie star. So I think all that is interesting, plus the fact that he is a local Toronto boy who has made really good! So that's why I am a fan, and that's why I wanted to explore his career a little bit this season.

Very cool. And how hard was it to narrow down your scope to just 11 films, out of the entire filmography of his?

Yeah, I mean, that's always the hard part about curation, or programming, the choices you have to make. It's not often we can actually show everything, or more to the point, even that everything is available to be shown. Because not every movie still has a print or whatever that's around to be shown. So we were just sort of going through the list, and picking out what I thought were the really milestone moments, or the benchmark films, and even some of the smaller films that I thought were more interesting and showed a different side to Keanu. That was sort of it.

But yeah, I mean, I think there are some essential titles, movies like River's Edge and My Own Private Idaho, Speed and The Matrix that you couldn't really have a Keanu Reeves series if you weren't going to show those movies. So I think some of the movies choose themselves, and some of the choices are there because I think they are interesting in relation to all the other work that we're showing and they allow for a broader understanding of a star like Keanu Reeves.

Interesting. And what was your goal, would you say, with creating the retrospective, and how did that influence your choices?

I think the goal is always just sort of share a general cinema exuberance with the audience, but also that we should take a second look at someone like Keanu Reeves and that, you know, big, sort of what might be called "pop" movie stars or movie stars of the modern age deserve just as much consideration as the stars of the past, and that we can often get caught up celebrating movie stars who are no longer with us, and sometimes ignore those who are still actively working.

So part of it's to just find a nice balance with everything else that's going on in the [TIFF Bell Lightbox] building. On one hand we're doing a massive series looking at these icons of Japanese actresses, so for me part of the balance is, Well, why don't we look at a living actor, and hey, why not Keanu Reeves, you know?

Awesome. You know, it's interesting you mention the idea of pop movie stars because there's this particular fascination with Keanu Reeves. I mean, he has his own memes, and I actually discovered a blog dedicated entirely to curating news about him and interviews with him. It's called "Whoaisnotme.net"

Awesome, awesome! Yeah, he has...there's all sorts of fake twitter accounts. I think part of it that he's like an old school movie star, we don't really see him that often. Like, it's really only when he decides to do something we see him. He's not a guy who's on Twitter, or in the tabloids, or constantly sort of in our face. I think that adds to the allure and the mystique, and sort of in the end, I think helps ultimately mean that he remains a movie star. I mean, when is he around? We haven't seen him in a while, and now he has a giant movie out. You know, I think that adds to the persona that is Keanu.

Nice. And you mention that he's coming out with a new on-screen movie role, but I believe last year he had a documentary about the whole digital vs film divide, and interviewed a whole lot of filmmakers about that. Did you get a chance to see that?

Oh yeah, for sure, we've seen it. I think it's again a fascinating choice, you know, for a guy who is primarily known as a movie star, you know, made a very serious documentary, really about the state of our art, where the art of cinema currently rests. I thought it was a very...really powerful documentary, and I think it speaks to, again, the variety of choices he's made. Here's a guy who's in one of the big blockbusters, or what will be one of the big blockbusters of the year, and yet the film he did previously was this small documentary about the art of cinema and the technology around moviemaking.

You know, that's really interesting, so I think that's all part of why I think now is the right moment to really sort of take another look at a guy who, for a lot of people, is maybe a second thought. As popular as he is, I don't necessarily know if we've ever considered just how astonishing and amazing his career has been, and how [many] great movies he's been a part of, that he is reaching a level that is deserving of some recognition. So I think that the fact that he made this really insightful documentary looking at where his particular art form currently is, is more flavour of what is a very interesting artist.

Interesting. That's a really good way to put it too. Have you ever met him?

Keanu Reeves? Yeah, like, ages ago, on a junket for some movie. Here's what I'll say, he knows the series is happening, you know, I would love to say that he will come, but that's not necessarily in the offing - but we always hold out hope. He's very busy right now, finishing the film in China, but he is aware. I haven't spoken to him in...boy, oh, boy, it's got to be fifteen years or something like that.

Well, you know, let's hope he does spring a surprise visit on us. That would be nice. One more question. I know as a curator you had to look at his whole career, but personally, what's your all-time favourite Keanu Reeves film?

Wow...um, I'm going to go with Point Break, the Kathryn Bigelow movie. She just directed Zero Dark Thirty, the movie about Osama bin Laden that's out now, and is up for the Oscar. This was sort of an earlier film for her. There's often two sides to Keanu Reeves on screen, he can sometimes play sort of dumb, sort of the Bill & Teds, or River's Edge, or sort of the Matrix-style naïve, always-awestruck character. Or there's the brash, "I-am-awesome-and-I-am-Keanu" Keanu on screen.

Point Break is sort of the latter, you know, he's really expressive, and out and bold and everything, and I think it's a fantastic performance, but I think the movie is one of those forgotten action masterpieces of the 90s. I think there's so much to love in the movie from Patrick Swayze, to sort of slow-motion homoeroticism, which seems to be part of all of Keanu's movies, to the soundtrack, to Gary Busey's unhinged performance as his partner.

I just think there's so much to take in in that movie that, of any of them that I'm most interested in seeing again on the big screen, it's probably that one. But I think he's great in River's Edge, I think he's great in My Own Private Idaho, I think A Scanner Darkly - the animated film from Richard Linklater - is a fantastic movie, absolutely worth rediscovering for the first time, because most people never saw it.

So I mean, the series for me is populated with all sorts of movies that I'm dying to see, you have Youngblood on Friday, but if there was one that like, "I won't do the series if we can't show this", probably it was Point Break.

Very cool. Well, I think you did a really good job with this, bridging right from the start of his career to now, so thank you, thank you for bringing this to us.

Oh, thanks so much for the article, I really appreciate it.

"Whoa. The Films of Keanu Reeves" continues at the TIFF Bell Lightbox from January 11 - April 5.

The best new restaurants in Toronto that opened in 2012 could not be any more diverse, with innovative restaurateurs drawing on their own experiences to bring unique new flavours, techniques, and cultural influences to the forefront of our ever evolving dining scene. From juicy tenderloins, to hearty bowls of ramen, or Cantonese-style short ribs, there's no shortage of drool-worthy new dining options to choose from.

Here is the list of the best new restaurants in Toronto in 2012.

See also:

The best new restaurants in Toronto, 2011
The best new restaurants in Toronto, 2010
The best new cheap eats in Toronto, 2012
The best new brunch restaurants in Toronto, 2012
The best new bars in Toronto, 2012

Photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool

City council is seeking a replacement for budget chief Mike Del Grande a day after the councillor decided to step down from his position as chair of the budget committee. Shortly after announcing his departure, which was seemingly provoked by councillors adding spending to the budget, Del Grande said he would consider returning if he was voted back unanimously. "If you're going to leave, leave," said councillor Paul Ainslie. Should council call Del Grande back or find someone else?

The subway debate is never dead in Toronto, it just sleeps occasionally. Waking the monster this time is councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, who believes replacing the Scarborough RT with an extension of the Bloor-Danforth line is possible in the next decade. Should replacing the obsolete RT be a priority like the Yonge relief line?

Movie director Guillermo del Toro likes filming in Toronto so much he's hoping to shoot here for the next couple of years, according to the Toronto Star. Del Toro is hoping to follow up the sci-fi Pacific Rim with vampire TV series The Strain.

The Maple Leafs are giving 1,000 fans the chance to attend the team's opening home match against Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. 15,000 season ticket holders, who saw their time at the rink cut in half by the lockout, will also get a free night at the ACC. Tickets will be assigned randomly over the next few days to passionate fans, the team says. Will this win back angry fans?

Finally, cellphone thieves beware: apps that automatically upload photos to the Internet like Dropbox keep running, even if you don't realize. One Reddit user found that out when pictures of a stranger bleaching her moustache started appearing online [via Reddit.]

IN BRIEF:

• Toronto officer hit by car, smashes through windshield [CBC]
• Man arrested in connection with lockdown at Etobicoke school [Globe and Mail]
• Man charged with ex-husband's murder seeks dead spouse's life insurance payout [The Star]

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

Photo: "Winter Activities 12" by Sarah M Jordan/blogTO Flickr pool.

Hey, York Region! Look at you covered in snow. But there's some good news for those of you whose fates depend on public transit. Albu Media has just released an iPhone app that tracks bus arrival times, which sure is nice given the frequency of service in the area. Not to be confused with a trip planner, the app merely tracks the position of upcoming buses, which you can view by time or space (i.e. on a map). That's it. Nice and easy to use.

The app is a broader version of the Viva-specific one the company released last year and joins a host of similar products that service the Toronto area. Call it Rocket Radar for York Region. Using GPS information, users get real-time info about the status of their next ride. The price? 99 cents. That's probably worth forking out if it saves you even a few minutes waiting for a bus in the positively frigid weather north of Steeles Ave.

The new year brings good news for Toronto music fans: Placebo Space is back. The all-genre, multi-disciplinary venue that was once hidden away above an autobody shop at Bloor and Lansdowne is about to make big waves at Lakeshore and Islington — and not just in our ear drums.

The bigger and better Placebo will be fully licensed, and there will be no more curfew (or shoes-off rule). Owner Yunior Marino has captured what was once Etobicoke jazz spot The Gallery Studio Cafe, meaning neighbourhood music lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. The former Placebo Space hosted some jazz nights of its own, and it looks like they're more than willing to do so in the new spot, along with their usual blend of latin, indie, klezmer, experimental, and et cetera.

Don't let your stomach turn: Marino carefully curates his events, so funk fans who hate harsh noise (and vice versa), have only to check online to see when Placebo will be their dance party paradise, or their circuit-bending sanctuary. The space will also continue Placebo's reputation for audio, visual, and tactile art installations (Marino himself is an artist), plus it looks like a lot more surprises are in store. We caught up with Marino himself to find out more.

Congrats on the new space! Etobicoke is a far jaunt from Bloor and Lansdowne. How did you find the new home?

Yunior Marino: Thank you. I was actually hunting for land on Craigslist to start a self-sustainable community with close friends. Somehow I came across the new Placebo space randomly. I had already dropped the music venue idea.

The Gallery Studio Cafe was a hopping jazz spot with strong ties to Humber University. I'm sure the cafe's old fans want to know: will you still be hosting jazz nights?

We have heard about the university jazz nights but we haven't had a chance to meet anyone from the university yet. If someone there would like to come talk to us we are usually available. We look forward to supporting them.

You mentioned that shows will no longer have curfews, and I know the old Placebo Space was starting to have trouble with neighbours, even though you were above an autobody shop and pretty out of the way. What are some other benefits that come with the new digs?

We don't have the previous restrictions in the new place. The new space is licensed for live music - and it has more space. We won't be bothering anyone here; the neighbours are accustomed to the sound. We enjoy being able have a bigger part in the community with this location.

Will you be serving food and drinks? What's in store for our taste buds? Tell us everything!

There will be drinks and food available. The menu is still in discussion, so "everything" does not exist yet. But neither will we limit ourselves to one menu. We will be changing the menu like the seasons, like the months, like the weeks, like the days. Supporting local and organic food will be a priority.

I used to live in a nice share house for three years. One of the thing I loved was the food surprise factor. You were always eating something new, with everything changing all the time.

Are you worried that old Placebo Space fans might find the new space's distance from downtown too daunting?

Some people could be worried about this, but I see it more as something special. I can only see the bright side of the moon.

Placebo Space on Bloor was visually enchanting: your abstract paintings, the cushions on the floor, a projector beaming water droplets on a speaker-head from a back cupboard onto the stage, etc. Have you designed the new Placebo Space in a similar way, and are there any surprises in store?

The same features will be present. The floor cushions and bare feet will be lost, sadly, although we could still go that way on certain occasions. We can't have it all, at least at the same time. That's a joke.

We're hoping to surprise ourselves in the future. How? I don't know yet!

One of my favourite things about Placebo Space was it crossed between many genres: one night you'd host a reggae trio or a latin dance party, and the next week Placebo would be home to experimental noise, or lo-fi indie pop. Will the new Placebo space carry on this diversity?

We'll host all types of genres as long as we consider it good music. Movie screenings, documentaries, comedy, poetry and a few other activities will be happening, too.

What have you got coming up at Placebo Space?

We have on the opening night, January 18th, a good friend: Quique Escamilla Band, with a nice Mexican sound. The show begins at 8:30pm.

Following that, between January 18th and 31st, we are having psychedelic, space rock, contemporary cuban Jazz, classical, celtic music, klezmer and more. We're featuring bands like Ozere, Moonwood, Alexander Brown's Cuban Jazz Project, Black Walls, Lorde Awesome, and The Kitchen Orchestra.

Sounds busy! How can artists and fans contact you about the space?

Just email me through my website, or find me on Facebook. We are open to any fun and cool idea.

Any TTC tips for getting to Lake Shore and Islington from downtown?

The 501 streetcar will leave you accross the street. Or you can take the subway to Islington and then the 101 B route. Get off on Lake Shore, and just walk one block east.

Placebo Space bursts back into life Thursday night with the Quique Escamilla Band. Doors are at 8:30PM.

Photos by Denise McMullin. Photo of Bloor St. Placebo Space by Kyle Burton (4th & 5th).

The photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page. One thing to add, however, is that the voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, after which the winner will be contacted with the good news.

For those photographers whose images are featured below, please feel free to give us a little information about your shot — i.e. where and when it was taken — in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe your description will sway voters in your favour!

Lead photo by Ben Roffelsen.

2.
Photo by Jason Cook

3.
Photo by enedkl in the blogTO.

4.
Photo by Ian Muttoo

5.
Photo by Jeff Hayward

6.
Photo by cookedphotos

7.
Photo by ~EvidencE~

Either we've run out of decent spots to build new condos, or the corner of University and Dundas is just too good a spot to pass up. The City of Toronto has received a rezoning application to build a residential tower on top of an existing office at 480 University Avenue.

Presented as "The Icon" by Amexon Developments back in May (real original name, guys), the building will see a total of 55 storeys — 37 storeys of residential added atop an existing 18 storey tower. If approved, the new tower will house 453 residential units, many of which will face the joys of 24-hour, multi-lane traffic.

Proximity to the subway station is an undeniable perk, but University Ave. isn't exactly a hub of residential delights. That probably explains why most of its towers are office spaces or commercial in nature. Unless the existing tower at 480 University is grounded with some sort of mega-existing foundation, I think we can anticipate a pretty major overhaul to make this structure capable of supporting another 37 storeys.

The project obviously seeks to make better (read: $$) use of prime real estate without displacing corporate offices currently on site. And though it's not unusual to see at-grade retail or a few commercial levels in a new condo project, this "Icon" will essentially be two towers in one. It'll make for a superb commute to the office for those who choose to work where they play, but otherwise, residents will be left with suits and corporate luncheons as their stand-ins for neighbourhood perks.

The Bay St. crowd has a new lunch option but prepared to wait in line. Serving a delicious mix of vegan and wheat free dishes (that are filling to boot), this take-out only spot in the bowels of First Canadian Place is the best thing to happen to non-carnivores since the invention of tofurkey.

Read my review of Kupfert & Kim in the restaurants section.

I suspect the most enduring image of Toronto over the last 40 years or so (CN Tower aside) is likely to be a red and white CLRV streetcar, trundling and whirring through the city's streets. What a lot of people don't know is these vehicles, designed to replace an aging American-built fleet, were almost never built at all.

In 1970s, Toronto - like just about every North American city - was practically itching to tear out its streetcar lines in favour of buses, highways, and subways. According to Transit Toronto, the TTC planned to entirely phase out its light rail service by 1980, but thanks to a concerted effort by activists in the wake of the Spadina Expressway cancellation, the Commission ultimately abandoned its plans and began seeking a replacement for its aging Presidents' Conference Committee streetcar fleet.

The result was the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle, a brand new vehicle designed by the Urban Transit Development Corp. for various Canadian and American markets. The prototype vehicles, the first of which were screwed together in Switzerland, were tested on Toronto streets in 1979 and entered service the same year. Unfortunately, other cities like Boston that also tested the vehicles didn't bite.

What we have here are photographs of the first prototype CLRV during a media op in 1977. Note the generic white livery and angled front seats which were fitted to the first six vehicles, but later ditched in favour of the current configuration. Also gone are the subway-style door areas and large sealed windows installed on the first cars in anticipation of air conditioning units.

Give us your thoughts on the prototype. Streetcar 4000, the one pictured here, is still in active service on the system like all but one of the CLRV fleet. Bonus points for spotting it on the street.

MORE IMAGES:

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

Photos: City of Toronto Archives

This Week in Food rounds up the week's food news, restaurants openings and closings, chef movements and upcoming food events in Toronto. Find us here every Friday morning.

OPENINGS & CLOSING

• Nu Bügel hopes to open its doors this weekend at 240 Augusta Ave., bringing wood-fired Montreal-style bagels to Kensington Market.
• Buonanotte just opened at 19 Mercer Street, the former home of Guy Rubino's Ame. This will be the second location for this 20-year old Montreal restaurant known for serving up decadent plates of Italian cuisine.
• There's a new Italian bakery named Forno Cultura slated to open beneath WVRST, and it's brought to you by Andrea Mastrandrea, who provides Alimento with its delicious bakery items.
• Ben & Izzy's Deli is soon to open 3513 Bathurst (south of the 401) next to What a Bagel. The kosher deli has already made promises of kosher house-smoked meat, pickled tounge and corned beef on rye.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Belmonte Raw (1022 Queen Street East) hosts a Raw Italian workshop tonight, Friday, January 18th, at 6:30pm. Tickets are $125 for this guided classes that heads into the kitchen to focus on Italian staples like pastas, soups, and cheese, made with raw ingredients.
• Death Row Meals presents An Evening of Molecular Cuisine tonight--Friday, January 18th--at 7 o'clock. This demonstration will showcase avant-garde techniques and innovative tasting creations from Chef John Placko (Culinary Director of Modern Culinary Academy). Tickets are $70 and extremely limited.
• The Rusholme Park Supper Club and José Arato (Pimentón) host a Paella Night at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) on Sunday, January 20th. Reserve a seat now for $40 and enjoy this quintessential Spanish rice dish served with Escalivada (grilled salad) to start and Crema Catalana for dessert.
• Cheesewerks (56 Bathurst Street) presents its popular Food Fight Trivia Night on Tuesday, January 22nd. Preregister your team to compete in teams of 4-6 for a a cash prize and swag. The entry fee is only $2.
• Local Kitchen and Wine Bar, in collaboration with George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, hosts a dinner series inspired by studies abroad in Italy. On special will be 3 courses for $35 (+$25 with wine pairings) from January 24 to February 2nd.
• Dishcrawl is booking space now for a King West crawl featuring Tapas & 'Tinis. Four locations will offer up small plates and sample sized martinis on Tuesday, February 6th.

OTHER NEWS

• North of Brooklyn pizzeria now does bike delivery.
• Black Oak Brewing is set to release a seasonal line-up of beers and for the first time they'll be available at the LCBO. Starting in April, large format, 650 ml bomber bottles of Black Oak 10 Bitter Years Imperial IPA will be released in select LCBO stores.
• DuWest's The Federal (1438 Dundas Street West) is now licensed for drinks and open for dinner in the evenings.
• Rumour has it that The Black Hoof is bringing back brunch -- this time at Raw Bar (926 Dundas Street West).
• Midfield Wine Bar & Tavern (1434 Dundas Street West) has launched a tapas-style menu featuring small plates of braised beef tongue and tortilla Espanola.

Photo courtesy of Belmonte Raw

Wednesday night's Walkmen and Father John Misty double-bill at the newly renovated Danforth Music Hall made sense in a lot of ways. Both bands offer a distinct, if somewhat monochromatic style (this isn't a bad thing) that harkens back to influences not heard enough in general music trends of the last decade or so.

The night's headliners - though Father John Misty got a set only marginally shorter - wear their Ol' Blue Eyes influence on their sleeves, filtered through the songwriting and occasional guitar skronk of post-punk. Father John Misty (ostensibly J Tillman, former Fleet Foxes drummer, in the studio; live, a fleshed-out sextet) take a bit from the songbook of Harry Nilsson with a rootsy take on psych lurking beneath their quiet folk songs. Both were great pairings, not just with each other but also with the choice of venue for the evening, its club-in-a-theatre vibe striking the ideal balance between classy and weathered.

While Fleet Foxes were never my bag and I was entirely unaware of Tillman's prior solo work, his first record as Father John Misty, last year's Fear Fun, is an unexpectedly spirited romp through various folk tropes, replete with references to Neil Young, Richard Brautigan, and the concept of acting itself. While conceptually intriguing, the idea would be nothing without great songs, which, fortunately, Tillman in no way lacks.

Packing their 45 minute set with pretty much all of the record's high points allowed for a pace that never slowed, whether going for extended guitar freakouts in "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" or the jaunty folk-pop of "Nancy from Now On." At points, the fullness of the touring band removed the intimate clarity of the songs' studio counterparts, but Tillman's affable banter and his backing band's sense of dynamics got the crowd on their side.

The crowd filled up rapidly during Father John Misty's set, indicating the Walkmen had big shoes to fill. Not that the Brooklyn band are anything but consummate professionals, having last been through town celebrating their 10th anniversary with a 2+ hour spectacle of their best material (of which there's a lot).

While by no means the epic spectacle/endurance test of that Phoenix visit, frontman Hamilton Leithauser & Co. were still fiery right out of the gates, starting with a shambolically perfect take on early favourite "We've Been Had" before charging into the most cathartic song of their career, 2004's "The Rat." It's a little strange hearing the underlying tension of most of the band's music entirely shattered in the first few minutes of the show, but the Walkmen stayed on track nicely, dipping into some simmering slow-burners with "On the Water" and "Blue as Your Blood."

Closing the main set with two tracks from their most recent record, 2012's Heaven, was a slightly puzzling choice, the sedate "We Can't Be Beat" a little incongruous with what had come before. An encore of "Juveniles" and "Canadian Girl" saved the day, Leithauser seamlessly turning his swagger into charm, but ultimately came off as a denouement to the explosive first half of the show.

That said, there's nothing wrong with getting the tension out early to spend the rest of the evening regaining composure, which is exactly the path the Walkmen forged Wednesday night. In tandem with the good Father John and a revitalized Danforth Music Hall, it was hard not to be convinced of the greatness of both bands, even if they don't beat you over the head with the fact.

The Walkmen Setlist

We've Been Had
The Rat
Love is Luck
On the Water
In the New Year
The Blue Route
Line by Line
Blue as Your Blood
All Hands and the Cook
Angela Surf City
Heaven
We Can't Be Beat

Encore

Juveniles
Canadian Girl

Father John Misty Setlist

Funtimes in Babylon
Only Son of the Ladiesman
Nancy From Now On
I'm Writing a Novel
Misty's Nightmares 1 & 2
This is Sally Hatchet
Well, You Can Do It Without Me
Everyman Needs a Companion
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

Photos by Dylan Leeder

Winterlicious, enters its 11th year on January 25th, and while the prix fix food festival doesn't cause quite the stir it used to, there's still lots to get excited about in the days leading up to the event. While much of this year's list of participants is made up of familiar faces, there is some new blood to keep things interesting.

Reservations opened back on January 10th, so there's likely a number of places that will be almost completely booked for dinner already. That said, there's no shortage of worthwhile options that will still have availability leading up to the 25th (and perhaps beyond). So here's a rundown of what to expect from Winterlicious 2013.

HOW IT WORKS

It's probably unnecessary to explain the concept at this point, but just for the sake of thoroughness, I'll review. This year sees 191 restaurants on the Winterlicious roster, all of whom will offer three-course prix fixe meals for lunch (priced at $15, $20 and $25) and dinner (which comes in at $25, $35 and $45). For popular restaurants, it's almost imperative to reserve in advance, though lunch offering are typically far easier to take advantage of on a last minute basis. Although facilitated by the City of Toronto, you need to contact the restaurants directly to make reservations.

NEW THIS YEAR

There are 16 new participants this year, of whom a few are particularly noteworthy. They include the following:

• Grace (menu) — Refined takes on country/farmhouse classics.
• Loire (menu) — A French gem on Harbord. Great service and accomplished food.
• Splendido (menu) — The pick of the litter this year (get in if you still can)

OLD FAVOURITES & HOT TICKETS

This could be a very long list, so I've prioritized 1) those places that you'll want to try to make early(ish) reservations for and 2) that offer bang for your buck considering their usual prices.

• Auberge du Pommier (menu) — Still some of the best high-end French food in the city.
• Canoe (menu) — Another Oliver and Bonacini staple. Come for the view; stay for the food.
• North 44 (menu) — Where Mark McEwan started his empire and it remains remarkably polished.
• Colborne Lane (menu) — Why not see for yourself what all the fuss over Claudio Aprile is about.
• Boehmer (menu) — Ossington hot spot with great cocktails. Try the beef cheeks.
• Centro (menu) — Still excellent Italian-inspired fare near Yonge & Eglinton.
• Célestin (menu) — A quiet and sophisticaed French spot on Mt. Pleasant.
• Lee (menu) — Susur still does small plates very well. Best coleslaw ever!
• Mistura (menu) — Celebrity chef Massimo Capra has still got it.
• Scarpetta (menu) — The buzz has died down, but the food is still generally excellent.

VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN OPTIONS

There's no reason why those who don't eat meat-derived products can't get in on the fun. Here some of the better vegetarian/vegan-friendly options.

• Frida (menu) — Meat-free Mexican eats aren't second class on this menu.
• 259 Host (menu) — Like Indian food? Go here.
• Tabülè (menu) — Excellent Middle Eastern food in a casual setting.
• Prime Steakhouse (menu) — Who would have thought a steakhouse would be your best vegan bet?

CHEAP BUT GOOD

Here are some top picks in the most reasonable Winterlicious price range of $15/$25 (for lunch and dinner, respectively.

• Midi Bistro (menu) — A tiny French bistro that gets country cooking right.
• The Wine Bar (menu) — High end fare for wallet-happy prices (that's the whole point!)
• Spice Route (menu) — Great room, good food, and not that expensive. So, +++.

EVENTS

Over the last few years, Winterlicious has also featured various events designed to enrich the festival experience. Most of these are indulgent as well as educational, so it's best to arrive hungry.

• Pizza Making— It's easier to make good pizza at home than you might think, so might as well learn.
• Guilty Pleasures— Fashion and food meet at the Drake.
• Four Ways Dinner You don't know what you'll get, but it probably be good.
• Culinary U Turn Claudio Aprille and Rene Rodriguez prepare the dishes that first inspired them.

Got a restaurant you think others should try out during Winterlicious? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Jen Laceda