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The Velvet Rope

September 12, 2008 | 9:28 am

Thank you, ET Canada. You can pimp out our castle anytime

ET Canada’s four-night free-for-all at Casa Loma has come to an end for another year, and while we were slightly disappointed by the reticence A-listers showed toward mingling, we are up for any party that has complimentary Moët on our side of the velvet rope. So while the chances of getting a tête-á-tête with Paris, Brad or Benicio are nil (they didn’t make the trek up that widowmaker of a hill), clinking glasses with the Toronto contingent is extremely doable. Anna Olson, David Usher, the Degrassi kids and scads of local PR folks hit the ET Canada birthday party hard on Tuesday night. And for the unknown partygoer who threw himself at Rick the Temp’s knees during a segment, we mean this literally.

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At the Wavelengths party at The Drake, everyone was on the same wavelength: must get laid

It was late into the night Wednesday when we hit the Wavelengths party at the Drake Hotel, where an eclectic crowd of creative types moved slyly around the various rooms. After some red wine and chatter among film buffs, it became clear that everyone was pretty much there to get laid. Those of you who have had a chance to ride the festival carousel will know the formula: dramatic films + free booze + a lot of people from out of town staying in hotel rooms = loose morals.

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Industry Standard

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September 12, 2008 | 9:01 am

The Buzz: Film fest deals and Oscar hopefuls

• There’s already Academy Award talk about The Wrestler and for Mickey Rourke’s haunting comeback performance as a world-class athlete gone to seed. [Los Angeles Times]

• Though it has just been picked up for U.S. distribution by Summit Entertainment, Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker will still have to avoid the box-office death suffered by Iraq films in previous years. Did anyone see In the Valley of Elah? [Economist]

• We’re hearing good things from inside the theatre world about the documentary Every Little Step, which chronicles the casting process for the 2006 stage revival of A Chorus Line. [Broadway World]

• Four actresses from the TIFF crop are standing out in the awards-show race: Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, Keira Knightley in The Duchess, Kristin Scott Thomas in Il y a longtemps que je t’aime (I’ve Loved You So Long) and Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky. [The Envelope]

Since most of the celebs have left town, Torontonians can now enjoy the films for their own sake, without the constant ticky-tack of someone thumbing the details of last night’s close encounter into their BlackBerry.—Katy P

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Today's Special

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September 11, 2008 | 3:55 pm

Sotto Sotto: Av and Dav’s risotto mecca

Each day of the 2008 film festival, Toronto Life will introduce one of TIFF’s hot spot restaurants. We inquire about the vibe, the celebs who dine there and, of course, the food. Today’s special: Sotto Sotto.

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Stargazing

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September 11, 2008 | 2:53 pm

TIFF bourgeoisie mistakes itself for social activists at Patti Smith concert at the Gardiner

Patti Smith hushed the crowd at the Gardiner Museum last night (well, minus the 10 per cent who were just there to get friendly with the free booze), and we were brought back to the era of punk, safety pins and pogo dancing. Having arrived from Moscow just yesterday, Smith was seriously jet-lagged (see top photo, left) yet still showed her quick and contagious wit. She apologized for having a guitar strap from the Berlin Film Festival, but said it was only because BFF had given her one and TIFF had not (I guess they really are a BFF). Photogs were standing in the corner of the great room, going nuts trying to capture images of the legend. Following her first song, she turned to them and remarked, “I think you are almost done taking pictures, because at this point Robert Mapplethorpe had taken Horses.” (To the uninformed: Horses is the famous Patti Smith album where she appears unimpressed, wearing suspenders, which happens to be the current fashion rage at this very moment.) After the jump, Patti lets loose on Joan Baez, while Robin Kay and Joe “Fresh” Mimran are spotted.

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Stargazing

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September 11, 2008 | 2:19 pm

Spotted last night: Tim Robbins, Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke and Emily Haines

The triple threat of Tim Robbins, Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke shared a booth at Ultra last night for the What Doesn’t Kill You party. The booze was flowing, the women were giddy, and at one point, we thought, Scandal! Ruffalo kissed another woman! But it turned out that it was, in fact, his lovely, bespectacled wife. Later in the night, we tried to ask Hawke how his night was going, but he chose to respectfully ignore us. That’s fine, Ethan. We’ll try again in 2013 when Boyhood finally comes out.

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The Velvet Rope

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September 11, 2008 | 1:54 pm

Tyler Labine has cum a long way from Breaker High

“This feels like an open house for a home everyone wants to buy but can’t afford,” a friend remarked at the Control Alt Delete after-party last night, which was aptly held at Wicked. Now, in case you’ve been living under a rock, Wicked is the West Queen West club where sexy couples go to mingle with other couples or singles. We weren’t the only curious souls; we noticed a high concentration of National Post staffers during our exploration of the three-storey sex palace. At first, we thought the Post sponsored the party—their logo was proudly displayed along the stairwell—but it seems they’ve just written about this club a lot. That, plus the Control Alt Delete–themed computer-and-hardware decor prompted one Postie to remark, “I kind of feel like I’m at work.” After the jump, a sexy run-in with Tyler Labine.

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The Velvet Rope

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September 11, 2008 | 1:37 pm

Testing out the equipment at Wicked

Control Alt Delete is a film about an Internet porn fetish that escalates to full-on shagging with a computer. (It’s a complicated process, but it involves a drill, bubble wrap and a generous amount of lubricant.) So it was fitting that the film’s after-party be held at Queen Street West’s notorious red-light venue, Wicked. We’d been once before but weren’t allowed up into the naughty area, even though we claimed to be swingers—obviously, we screamed “sex spy.” Last night, we were especially excited to return for a full tour around the three-storey sex maze. Like a modern-day Goldilocks, we tried out the sex swing, but it creaked too much; straddled the pommel horse, but it felt somewhat perverse; dipped our hand in the whirlpool, but it was a wee bit hot. Then we found a bed, and it felt just right.

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Today's Special

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September 11, 2008 | 10:13 am

Rosewater Supper Club: Prized for its back-door entrance

Each day of the 2008 film festival, Toronto Life will introduce one of TIFF’s hot spot restaurants. We inquire about the vibe, the celebs who dine there and, of course, the food. Today’s special: Rosewater Supper Club.

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Peanut Gallery

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September 11, 2008 | 8:50 am

IN DEFENCE OF TIFF: Cantankerous critic Rex Reed spews vitriol over TIFF ’08, makes us miss Statler and Waldorf

Brooding over the “news” that TIFF has grown into a city-wide marketing ploy packed with overpriced hotel rooms and celebrities adept at hide-and-seek, film crank-critic Rex Reed writes in the New York Observer that this year’s Toronto International Film Festival sucks because things just ain’t how they used to be. You know, in the good old days—when Reed didn’t have problems controlling his bladder or stomaching fried foods, when he could chat with Clint Eastwood at Bistro 990 (the place to hang in town because, back then, it was the only place to hang in town).

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Daria takes our mind off TIFF for a flash

Since there haven’t been nearly enough celeb photo opportunities this week at TIFF, CTV held its annual Walk of Fame gala, diverting traffic for blocks around King and University and raising many a middle finger.

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This Just In

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September 10, 2008 | 4:25 pm

Cheers to Monika Schnarre, Kevin Zegers, Sophia Bush and Tim Robbins—recipients of the TIFF Ubiquity Prize

We’d like to give gold stars to Monika Schnarre, Kevin Zegers, Sophia Bush and Tim Robbins. They have been positively ubiquitous at the festival so far—particularly Schnarre, who we’ve seen at least once a day for the past six days, usually at ET Canada or swanning around Yorkville. We respect that. We’ve been in heels for the past six days, too, and we assure you, we are not swanning anywhere. It takes stamina to survive (gel inserts help), so good on you, Monika.—Katy P

The Velvet Rope

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September 10, 2008 | 1:11 pm

Benicio smokes as nipples harden at the Che after party at 99 Sudbury

Benicio Del Toro held court in a corner of the 99 Sudbury (a.k.a. Greenhouse) patio last night, where he spent most of the evening with a giant cigar dangling from his mouth. The romantic Latin American music offered a nice change of pace that was well suited to TIFF hump day. Although Rachel McAdams and Matt Damon never made it to the red carpet, we did overhear a rather interesting exchange when actor Lou Diamond Phillips was asked what it was like to work with Benicio and Steven Soderbergh: “Eventually my anal sphincter loosened up.” Oh really? There are two very different assumptions we can pull from that statement; we’ll leave them both up to you, dear reader. Booze cans, Valentino, Evangeline Lilly and more from the Che party, after the jump.

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Gossip Hound

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September 10, 2008 | 12:08 pm

Colin Firth and Jessica Biel dine on College Street; Biel’s underwear unconfirmed

On College Street, at the new Grace Upstairs (formerly The Bird, which used to reek of smoke), Colin Firth and Jessica Biel relished a private dinner before their screening of Easy Virtue. We wonder if they went for the cookies and milk for dessert. Also among the things we will never know, and cannot confirm, is whether Biel was sporting undies that she may have purchased earlier that day while perusing the sexy Yorkville boutique Augustina.—Jen McNeely

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Gossip Hound

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September 10, 2008 | 12:07 pm

The Wrestler after party: Marilyn falls, Weinstein bustles, Aniston disappoints

The Park Hyatt rooftop was crammed on Sunday night for The Wrestler after party. Again, barrelling through the scene was broad-shouldered Harvey Weinstein. Hey, Harv: just because it’s The Wrestler doesn’t mean you have to be so aggressive! Bad boy Sean Penn accompanied his wife, Robin Wright Penn. They were joined by No Country for Old Men’s Josh Brolin and Jennifer Aniston, whose reviews in Management are just so-so. Looks like over-sensitive and bubbly Rachel was your calling, honey, ’cause we haven’t been impressed with anything since your fab mid-’90s haircut. Although Evan Rachel Wood, who will forever be 13 in our mind, was loitering in the lobby, we did not see her when boyfriend (and, yes, that still makes us choke) Marilyn Manson was falling against, and sliding down, a wall. He’s just too skinny. Maybe if he hadn’t removed his rib cage he might be able to sustain a night of heavy drinking like The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke. That said, perhaps not—Rourke did get mighty sauced at TIFF ’02 at the Bovine Sex Club, where, following some naughty lap dances, he reportedly dropped his pants. When is someone going to make a film about celebrities behaving badly at a festival, Mr. Weinstein? That’s your cue.—Jen McNeely

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