Giorgio Mammoliti is upset over a proposal to raise the limit on the number of body rub parlours in the city, a plan he says was devised behind closed doors—and one he says could make Toronto “the biggest pimp in North America” (although we’re pretty sure Las Vegas has that title in the bag). Of course, how Mammoliti believes the availability of permits would somehow have rub-and-tugs popping up like mushrooms after a rainfall remains unclear. And, come on, we all know Mammoliti isn’t exactly averse to the sex trade. Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »
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Giorgio Mammoliti is riled up over plans to raise, ahem, rigid limit on body rub permits
How a chronic insomniac found a radically simple cure for her sleepless nights
I was living in a co-op on the edge of Regent Park, next to a playground that was invaded by screeching junkies every night. Everything that year was miserable. My mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving radiation and chemotherapy every day for a month. My dad and two brothers and I juggled our schedules to get her to Sunnybrook Hospital from north Scarborough. When I wasn’t scared I was despondent. Even as I tried to keep up my performance at work (I was an editor at Toronto Life at the time), I wasn’t sure if I wanted the job anymore. Then I got insomnia.
Films picked up at TIFF: Steve McQueen’s Shame and Christophe Honore’s Beloved (Les biens-aimes)
TIFF is often lauded as the first place to look for Oscar worthy-films—the festival has previously premiered Precious, No Country for Old Men, The Hurt Locker, Chariots of Fire, and, of course, last year’s King’s Speech, to name a few. Naturally, distributors are always in town for the festival and eager to snatch up the next hot-ticket item. Already Variety is reporting that the first two films to get deals at this year’s festival are Steve McQueen‘s sexual thriller Shame and Christophe Honore’s romantic drama Beloved (Les biens-aimes).
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How Kent Monkman—a half-Cree illustrator from Winnipeg—sexed up the exploitation of First Nations people and conquered Toronto’s art world
(Image: Jody Rogac)
Pink high heels. Heartthrob pink. These are dream shoes, shoes to break your heart. Shoes that are up to no good, shoes to dance their way into millennial visions or scuttle their way into nightmares. Tricky shoes. Trickster’s shoes. Kent Monkman’s shoes. He is painting them into the picture he’s working on as I watch, his fine-tip brush glowing with pink acrylic pigment. The figure in the picture who’s wearing those still-wet, kick-ass platforms is Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, a virtually naked bubble-butt hussy in a cascading feather headdress. I am watching Kent Monkman sitting in front of a canvas painting a picture in which Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, who looks remarkably like Kent Monkman, is also standing before an easel, putting the finishing touches on a canvas. Tricky.
We take a quick look at some of the top Bollywood flicks up for hardware at the International Indian Film Academy Awards
There’s been no shortage of Bollywood-related events taking place around the GTA this week, but even amidst all the hype and hoopla we haven’t forgotten why the biggest stars in Bollywood have descended on Toronto: the IIFA Awards at the Rogers Centre on Centre (yup, it’s big). While we wouldn’t call ourselves Bollywood experts, we’ve been following the scene pretty closely ever since we heard the awards would be coming to Toronto. With that in mind, we offer a small preview of five of the biggest and best films in the running at tomorrow’s spectacle, after the jump.
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Skins recap, episode 9: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t
Chris and Tina get serious (Image: MTV)
This week’s episode finally fills us in on the illicit (never mind totally illegal) relationship between Chris and teacher Tina. And while the after-school special fan in us loves a good hot-for-teacher plotline—they’re all the rage these days, according to Entertainment Weekly—this one felt really uncertain about what it wanted to be. Funny bits like Chris handing in an essay entitled “How I’m Going To Bone You Tonight” didn’t quite jibe with more serious scenes, like the one where Tina is arrested for rape. This lack of identity has been Skins problem all along; ridiculous characters like Dave, Tina and that weird girl taking all the pictures make it unclear whether the show is trying to paint a real picture of high school or parody it. As always, here is our weekly reality roundup of what passes the reality test and what feels faker than teacher Tina’s trout pout.
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Skins recap, episode 8: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t
Daisy at work on Skins (Image: MTV)
In this week’s fairly heavy-handed opening sequence of Skins, we learn that Daisy is the member of the gang “who fixes everything.” We also learn that she works at the Skins equivalent to Hooters (finally, the secret behind her ever-present cleavage revealed! Well, sort of), and that a game of sexual broken telephone has left just about everyone in the gang with a case of the clap. Everyone, that is, except Daisy and Abbud, because they’re still virgins. Or, at least, they were still virgins, until they decided to re-enact the plot of No Strings Attached before our very eyes. Groan.
As always, our Skins reality roundup: where the show’s rendition of high school reality gets an A, and where it gets an F.
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Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 8
(Image: Starz)
First off, a correction. We were under the impression that this week was the Pillars finale, because it was episode 8 and the show is described as an “eight-part miniseries.” Except that the CBC must have turned it into nine parts to fit in commercials. At any rate, there are still many loose ends to be tied up, both in Shiring and beyond (we know we haven’t seen the last of snarly Alfred or the diabolical Bishop Waleran). Here, our roundup of the unresolved issues at hand.
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Justin Bieber on sex, health care, abortion and how awesome Canada is
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This being awards season, it must have seemed fitting to the folks at Rolling Stone to put Canadian mega-star Justin Bieber on the cover their current issue (that is, before he lost the Best New Artist Grammy to Esperanza Spalding). The Bieb’s hair may channel the cast of Jersey Shore, but the article inside delves deeper than mere primping. The Rolling Stone Web site provides a few details from the pop star’s interview. Vanessa Grigoriadis manages to get his views on the predictable stuff—sex, love, Canada—and a few stranger topics, including abortion and Korean politics. Here, our favourite opinions from the interview.
Skins recap, episode 5: the show that gets high school right–except when it doesn’t
Michelle embraces Stanley (Image: MTV)
This week’s Skins was all about Stanley. We’re not sure why. Doesn’t it feel like we already know Stanley? He’s goofy, gets food all over himself, loves his best friend’s girl and has a poor relationship with his parents. Oh, and he skips school a lot, which was the kickoff to this week’s action-packed (and yet strangely humdrum) episode. Below, our usual reality roundup, this time including why Esquire magazine needs a refresher course on the teen pack mentality.
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Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 5
Alfred (Liam Garrigan), Aliena (Hayley Atwell), Jack (Eddie Redmayne) (Images: Starz)
A lot went down in what was without a doubt the most riveting Pillars episode to date. We definitely didn’t see Tom Builder’s sudden murder coming, although, come to think of it, we probably should have—characters always die right before they’re about to reveal some big truth.
On the plus side, his death sets the spotlight onto his rivaling “sons” Alfred (the real one) and Jack (the mistress’s spawn). The boys represent the age-old talent versus ambition debate, and come up on different sides of just about every coin. Alfred is competent, Jack is brilliant; Alfred had his father’s blood, Jack had his gifts; Alfred has Aliena’s hand in marriage, Jack has her heart. In fact, the only thing these guys have in common is the love of the same woman and strangely modern haircuts (Alfred’s is bordering on a Bieber bob). It’s pretty much a medieval, gender-bending Betty and Veronica situation, so the big question is: who should Archie—er, Aliena—end up with? And who will she end up with? And is the answer the same?
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Skins recap, episode 3: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t
Chris goes surfing (Image: MTV)
In the most depressing episode of Skins yet, we get the story on Chris, the skin-headed, pill-popping party boy who’s been abandoned by his parents and would probably trade all the ecstasy in the world for a little stability. Or maybe not. While Skins purports to be above (or is it below?) the classic teenage morality tale, the show quickly establishes that behind Chris’s drug abuse and out-of-control behaviour is a scared and insecure little boy who feels he’s undeserving of love. Chris’s inappropriate relationship with his teacher Tina, which was hinted at a few episodes ago, was developed further this week, but it’s anyone’s guess whether we’ll get to see this forbidden teacher-student love affair come to its dysfunctional fruition.
Now that word is out that Skins’s ratings sank 50 per cent between week one and week two—despite a parental uproar that should have made it must-see TV—this week’s viewership numbers will be crucial. While we still can, we give you our usual high school reality roundup. Below, what rings true and what feels faker than the Jo Bros’ virginity pledge.
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Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 3
Ellen, played by Natalia Wörner (Image: Starz)
Things really started to steam up on this week’s Pillars of the Earth (which we found particularly funny, given that Skins was supposed to be the most scandalous small screen event of the week). Episode three centred on Tom Builder’s quest to get the cathedral started already, as well as the beautiful Aliena’s quest to win back her dead father’s land and title (Donald Sutherland, leaving so soon?). Of course, she must do so in the name of her mildly milquetoast brother Richard, because back in the 1100s, nice women didn’t go around avenging anything. This brings us to this week’s observation: in spite of the male-dominated backdrop, most of the powerful Pillars characters so far have been equipped with two X chromosomes. (Insert appropriate Beyoncé anthem here.) Ken Follett is obviously a feminist. The evidence below.
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MTV’s Skins criticized for racy teen sex and Canadianness
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For teens tired of the Prada-sporting, beach house–dwelling Gossip Girl set, MTV’s upcoming Skins—a spinoff of the controversial BBC program of the same name—may offer some much-needed realism and relief. The North American version was shot here in Toronto, and though it debuts tonight, many American parenting groups are already crying foul.
Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 2
Ian McShane as the conniving Bishop Waleran
A second week of smut, scandal and sex, 1100s style, offers further proof that Medieval Times would have made a better soap opera than restaurant. This week’s episode focused on a massive fire that will mean a new cathedral must be built, and thus provide the overarching plot for the entire series. Of course, we’re a lot more interested in what’s going on behind the scenes, so with that in mind, a few life lessons that are as relevant today as they were in 10th-century England.
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