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TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Gerard Butler delights his fans with ridiculous antics at the Machine Gun Preacher red carpet gala

The premiere of Machine Gun Preacher yesterday at Roy Thomson Hall turned out to be a roisterous affair, as Gerard Butler pulled out all the stops to please fans and press alike. Michael Shannon and Michelle Monaghan’s arrival naturally elicited its fair share of shrieks from the crowd, but the fans totally lost it when Butler emerged from a Cadillac SUV (which he promptly jumped upon before running the length of the partition, offering high fives for all). Before Butler there was Sam Childers, the man on whose incredible life the film is based, sporting a Harley Davidson jacket, a killer ’stache and a steely gaze that silenced even the most gregarious photographers. Young Madeline Carroll was an absolute charmer, wearing some of the hottest shoes at the festival so far, and director Marc Forster played it cool, rocking the classic hipster uniform: a hoodie under a blazer and Chuck Taylor kicks. Chris Cornell was there too (for some reason). Weird. See our photo gallery, after the jump.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 12, 2011 | 10:34 am

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TIFF Weekend Roundup: the five buzziest red carpets

Angelina Jolie wears a gold purse handcuffed to her wrist as she poses with Brad Pitt (Image: Lia Grainger)

The first weekend of TIFF is basically one big long party, with a non-stop crush of big premieres, boldface names and tremendous amounts of running around (sleep is usually not involved). In case you missed it, here are last weekend’s five most talked about red carpets:

A wall of screams surrounded Roy Thomson Hall on Friday for the gala presentation of Moneyball. The culprits? Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie (whose purse was handcuffed to her wrist), Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill. Check out our red carpet gallery »
The Ides of March was a kind of passing of the torch from the charming, ageless George Clooney to the charming, youthful Ryan Gosling (who brought his mother along as his date). Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood also shone. Check out our red carpet gallery »
Michael Fassbender didn’t show, but Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen brought star power to the Canadian premiere of David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. Check out our red carpet gallery »
Kirsten Dunst, elegant as ever in a polka-dot top, stole the show at the gala for Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (although Alexander Skarsgård and Kiefer Sutherland were also there). Check out our red carpet gallery »
Take This Waltz saw a gushing Sarah Polley (it’s only her second feature, after all) and a very pregnant Jennifer Podemski (along with co-stars Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman). Check out our red carpet gallery »

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 12, 2011 | 8:00 am

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Today at TIFF: W.E. gala presentation, Festival Music House and more

Our daily roundup of opening galas, parties and screenings.

• 2:30 p.m. Intruders special presentation at Elgin Theatre

• 5:30 p.m. Ten Year official cast dinner at Grey Goose Soho House

• 6 p.m. 50/50 special presentation at Ryerson Theatre

• 6 p.m. Coriolanus special presentation at Elgin Theatre

• 6:30 p.m. W.E. gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall

• 7 p.m. Neil Young Journeys at Princess of Wales Theatre

• 7 p.m. Festival Music House with K’naan at the Mod Club

• 8:30 p.m. Coriolanus official cast dinner at Grey Goose Soho House

• 9 p.m. Ten Year special presentation at Ryerson Theatre

• 9 p.m. Madonna and the Weinstein Company private dinner at Grey Goose Soho House

• 9:30 p.m. The Lady gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall

• 10 p.m. Harvey Weinstein party at Grey Goose Soho House

• 11:30 p.m. The Lady official cast dinner with Michelle Yeoh and Bono

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 11, 2011 | 2:57 pm

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TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen lit up the (sadly Fassbender-less) red carpet for A Dangerous Method

The red carpet for <em>A Dangerous Method</em>

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Said one screaming fan behind a metal stanchion at Roy Thomson Hall yesterday afternoon: “Viiiiggo! Viiiigo! No one ever comes this way!” With fan favourite Michael Fassbender missing in action (he cancelled at the last minute), all eyes were on Viggo Mortensen and a resplendent Keira Knightley at the gala for David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. The film follows the strained relationship between Sigmund Freud (Mortensen) and his mentor Carl Jung (Fassbender) who falls in love with a mysterious Russian patient of his (Knightley). Also present were the director himself (who alternated between his quizzical grin and full-out beaming) alongside his daughter Caitlin Cronenberg, and hometown up-and-comer Sarah Gadon, who plays Jung’s uptight wife (she apparently doesn’t approve of her husband’s habit of spanking his Russian patients). Photos of everyone, after the jump.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2011 | 5:25 pm

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SPOTTED: Sarah Silverman at the Alliance Films soiree last night

The very funny Sarah Silverman showed her face at the very exclusive Alliance Films party last night wearing a suit-inspired blazer-and-shorts combo. Silverman is in town promoting Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, which premieres tonight at 9:30 at Roy Thomson Hall and co-stars Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Luke Kirby. Despite looking demure at the party, Silverman’s not shy: she has a nude shower scene with Williams in Waltz, for which she has jokingly urged fans to lower their expectations.

Find this story on our Star Spotting Map, where we plot the locations of celebrities spotted around Toronto.

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2011 | 1:15 pm

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TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Philip Seymour Hoffman on the red carpet for Moneyball

Brangelina

Screaming fans stretched from Wellington to King Street waiting for the horde of stars associated with director Bennett Miller’s bound-to-be-a-blockbuster flick Moneyball to walk the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall. Real-life baseball player David Justice showed, and so too did Chris Pratt, grinning ear-to-ear, alongside wife Anna Faris. Practiced as he as at this rigmarole, Philip Seymour Hoffman still seemed bewildered by the spectacle and exited the carpet as quickly as possible, much to the chagrin of autograph-starved super-fans. The crowd chanted, “Jonah Hill,” and the slimmed-down star leaned over to Miller and said, “Remember that first dinner we had in Malibu, seven years ago?” See who arrived next, after the jump (hint: her purse is locked to her wrist).

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 8, 2011 | 5:45 pm

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SPOTTED: Thierry Guetta (and hipsters) chilling outside the TIFF Bell Lightbox

A member of our secret underground spy network spotted street artist Mr. Brainwash (a.k.a. Thierry Guetta) on King Street West at lunchtime, hanging around the TIFF Bell Lightbox surrounded by a protective shell of hipsters. But Guetta, the subject of Banksy’s 2010 doc Exit Through The Gift Shop, isn’t just here for the shawarma. Mr. Brainwash been commissioned by TIFF to install a number of giant spray cans based on Hollywood icons along the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall. You can also check out his exhibition at Gallery One for free—we’ve got all the details. There’s a great profile over at the Toronto Star as well.

Find this story on our Star Spotting Map, where we plot the locations of celebrities spotted around Toronto.

The Hype

To-Do List

June 18, 2011 | 10:57 am

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Weekend Luminato picks: Incendies, 1000 Tastes, One Thousand and One Nights and more

Ammar Haj Ahmad, Asaad Bouab, Ramzi Choukair, Tewfik Jallab, and Saad Al Ghefari in One Thousand and One Nights. (Image: Cylla von Tiedemann)

The fifth edition of Luminato, the city’s annual everything-culture fest, kicked off last Friday and goes until Sunday. Here, five events to fill out your weekend.

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The Hype

To-Do List

May 25, 2011 | 2:49 pm

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The Weekender: Boyz II Men, La La La Human Steps and six other events on our to-do list

La La La Human Steps; the iconic Brick Works smokestack; Boyz II Men’s Wanyá Morris

1. LA LA LA HUMAN STEPS
This Québécois contemporary dance troupe, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is known around the world for founder Édouard Lock’s beautiful, adventurous choreography. For the final production of CanStage’s 2010–2011 season, Lock combines two Baroque operas—Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice—into one inventive piece, Untitled. To June 1. $22–$99. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front St. E., 416-368-3110, canadianstage.com.

2. TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES
This clothing swap has more going for it than just a sassy name. We really can’t think of a better venue for budget-conscious style mavens who are looking to revitalize their wardrobes with brand-name and vintage pieces for less than the cost of lunch. And it can even be a family affair: in addition to clothing, shoes and accessories for the ladies, there are also offerings for men and children. May 27 and 28. $15. Trinity Bellwoods Community Centre, 155 Crawford St., 647-342-6521, theswapteam.org.

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The Hype

To-Do List

May 18, 2011 | 2:11 pm

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The Weekender: Ariadne auf Naxos, Itzhak Perlman and five other events on our to-do list

Adrianne Pieczonka as Ariadne; Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo; A Family is a Family

1. TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL (FREE!)
Acrobats, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers—it’s not just the kids who’ll love this three-day, big top–themed event. Performers from Zero Gravity Circus and other troupes pull out all the stops at Harbourfont’s annual circus festival this weekend, which also includes puppet shows, a hula hoop and a Lego funhouse. May 21–23. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., tocircusfestival.com.

2. ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
Who doesn’t love a good play within a play? Starring Canuck opera stars Adrianne Pieczonka and Richard Margison, this Richard Strauss opera is partially set on the ancient Greek island of Naxos, where princess Ariadne has been abandoned by the demigod Theseus, and partially set backstage at an opera house where that story is about to be staged. Think of it as a precursor to po-mo. To May 29. $65–$315. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231, coc.ca.

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The Hype

To-Do List

May 11, 2011 | 12:18 pm

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The Weekender: Cinderella, Christy Turlington Burns and six other events on our to-do list

Christy Turlington Burns, Donato DiStefano in Cinderella and Diego Matamoros in The Aleph

1. FESTIVAL OF IDEAS AND CREATION (FREE!)
CanStage’s annual Festival of Ideas and Creation is all about supporting artists and developing new works. This year’s lineup has some serious thespian credentials: director Atom Egoyan, opera director Robert Carsen and playwright Will Power. This weekend, don’t miss The Decameron: Things We Left Behind. Loosely based on Boccaccio’s collection of novellas, this new production is about four friends in a swiftly degenerating city. (Similarities to Toronto’s 2012 budget are, we’re sure, strictly coincidental.) May 9 to 21. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St., 416-368-3110, canadianstage.com/festival.

2. WEEKEND GEOFEST
Geocaching, in a nutshell, is a high-tech take on scavenger hunts: participants search for hidden clues and race to the finish line, all aided by a GPS device. This weekend-long event, hosted by the Golden Horseshoe Monthly Geocaching Club, includes a GPS 101 workshop, guided tours and a series of themed geocache hunts. It’s the perfect way to separate the kids from their Wii for a weekend. May 14 and 15. $6.50. Kortright Centre for Conservation, 9550 Pine Valley Dr., 905-832-2289, trcaparks.ca.

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The Hype

Curtain Call

March 18, 2011 | 9:30 am

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American Idiot announces open casting call in Toronto

American Idiot makes promises, promises (Image: Marlon E)

At long last, every Torontonian who can sing and dance will have the opportunity to become an American Idiot in the Broadway hit’s Canadian production. The producers of the New York success story—the New York Times calls it “wonderfully raucous,” whatever that means—will be holding an open call for auditions at Roy Thomson Hall on March 26 at 11 a.m.

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The Hype

To-Do List

March 2, 2011 | 2:23 pm

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The Weekender: New Creations Festival, Cory Doctorow and six other events on our to-do list

Writer Cory Doctorow, Sumo Robot Challenge and composer John Adams

1. ELECTRONICA MEETS ORCHESTRA
Once a year, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra hosts a festival to prove that sometimes, classical music can be just as edgy as Lady Gaga. The entire program of this year’s New Creations Festival is rife with boundary-pushing examples of musical innovation, but we’re most intrigued by Saturday’s program: composer John Adams conducts the Canadian premiere of his jazzy City Noir, while DJ and composer Mason Bates presents his electronica composition Liquid Interface. March 5. $32–96. Roy Thomson Hall, 416-593-4828, tso.ca.

2. SUMO ROBOT CHALLENGE 2011
Since 1992, this quirky design competition has pitted robots designed by OCAD U students, high schoolers and the general public against one another in epic battles of technological supremacy. Head downtown to find out whose robot is the better fighter, dancer and, yes, painter. March 5. $5. OCAD U Auditorium, 100 McCaul St., 416-977-6000 ext. 332, ocad.ca.

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The Hype

To-Do List

January 19, 2011 | 12:24 pm

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The Weekender: Chromeo, Assassins and six other events on our to-do list

Chromeo's Dave 1, dancer Karen Kaeja and TSO music director Peter Oundjian

1. ASSASSINS
This musical—with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, based on the book by John Weidman—opens in the midst of a carnival shooting gallery, a device that’s used to tell the stories of nine different people who attempted to assassinate the U.S. President (and sometimes succeeded). Far from being totally depressing, Assassins prompts the audience to think about the would-be killers’ motivations. It’s also a really good show—which is probably why it cleaned up at 2004’s Tony Awards. To Feb. 20. $35. The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. W., 416-504-7529, artsboxoffice.ca.

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The Informer

Cityscape

October 1, 2010 | 5:32 pm

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The Bell Lightbox is also a giant money box

The numbers are in. Not surprisingly, credit card spending was up in the Entertainment District, while Yorkville saw a slight decrease during TIFF, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Yorkville is officially dead. The Globe reports (yes, the paper has a non-redesign story today) that credit card purchases at restaurants and bars went up 9.1 per cent on King West while going down 5.2 per cent in Yorkville. The same pattern applies to retail stores.

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