T-dot Hot Links

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Vote To Bring ‘Attack The Block’ To Your City

Published on /Film | shared via feedly

After months of building buzz with free screenings, online clips and giveaways, Attack the Block finally opened this weekend on eight screens to a very healthy $17,200 per screen average, making it the highest grossing of the new, limited release films. (It lost the highest per screen average of new limited releases to Miranda July’s The Future which made $27,000 on one screen). The awesome sci-fi adventure film will obviously continue to play in those cities and is schedule to expand on August 19 to Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Dallas and Washington, D.C.

One additional city will also get the film on August 19 but which one is up to the fans. If you live in Philadelphia, Detroit, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Portland, Cleveland or Minneapolis find out how you can cast your vote to get Attack the Block in your town after the break.

Fans in the aforementioned cities should head over to Facebook.com/AttackTheBlockMovie, Like it and then vote for their city. Which ever city has the most votes come this Friday, August 5^th at 12 pm PST will get the film in their city on August 19.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past five months, Attack the Block is a sci-fi action comedy written and directed by Joe Cornish. It’s about a group of teenagers in South London who find themselves smack in the middle of an alien invasion. Great characters, incredible music, exciting action and awesome effects are just part of what makes Attack the Block so special and, almost across the board, people who have seen the movie seem to love it. If you really want to bring the film to your city, and you live in Philadelphia, Detroit, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Portland, Cleveland or Minneapolis, you should vote.

Hell, even if you don’t live in one of the above cities you should vote. The more people who see this film in all the cities will allow it to open wider and wider. Trust us, you want that to happen.

Monday, August 1, 2011

A visual history of Kensington Market

Published on blogTO | shared via feedly

Kensington market History With another Pedestrian Sunday set to to take place in Kensington Market this weekend, I figure it's about time that the area be featured in one of our historical photo posts. Despite the fact that there are precious few photos in the Toronto Archives that depict market life prior to the 1970s, it is nevertheless possible to get a sense for how the neighbourhood developed into the lively destination that it is today.

Prior to the first World War, Kensington had yet to develop into the full-blown outdoor market scene that it has since become. The growth of the Jewish community during the inter-war years would, however, change the area from a tired residential neighbourhood, to a burgeoning marketplace — first via handcarts pushed through the streets, and then by stalls opened up on residents' front lawns.

By the 1930s, roughly 80 per cent of Toronto's over 40,000 Jews called the Kensington Market area home, and a bustling outdoor market had already taken hold on streets like Kensington and Baldwin. As the photos below indicate, houses were small and the conditions were decidedly working class, but the market itself was vibrant and led many to acquire enough wealth to move to more affluent areas to the northwest in the years that followed.

Following World War II, much of the Jewish population had left the market, to be replaced by diverse mix of new immigrants that included Portuguese, Hungarians, Italians and Ukrainians. This saw the full-scale rise of the market atmosphere on Augusta and Nassau, where it was common to see live chickens outside the storefronts. In the years that have followed, the market has remained one of the city's most diverse places with the rise of the Asian population as well as Latin Americans and a host of other groups.

PHOTOS

1910s

Kensington Market 1900s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

2011727-kensington-fruit-market-70s-f0124_fl0007_id0005.jpg

2011727-kensington-vert-1970s-80s-f0124_fl0007_id0009.jpg

1980s

1990s

Photo from the Toronto Archives unless otherwise noted

A trip to the CN Tower Edgewalk, 356 metres in the air

Published on blogTO | shared via feedly

edgewalk, cn tower, high When the CN Tower announced earlier this year that it would be adding a new attraction to its lineup, I couldn't help but smile. I've always had a special fondness for great heights, so I was excited by the fact that anyone (with enough cash) would now be able to feel the rush of getting up so high.

At the same time, I was curious to see if the EdgeWalk would live up to my expectations.
The CN Tower does, after all, take things to a new level — 356 metres to be exact. And although I was initially disappointed that I wouldn't be allowed to take photos on this trip — photography is forbidden for safety reasons — I was comforted by the fact that I would be free to enjoy the experience of the walk unburden by the camera, something that's pretty rare for me when I ascend tall buildings.

Coming out of the gate atop the 360 restaurant to be greeted by a blast of fresh, cool air was exhilarating to be sure. As our group walked around the the Pod and leaned over the edge of the one and half metre platform, the sheer vertical views, uninhibited by steel and glass, were exceptional. The feeling of awe and freedom were immediate as everything that I love about heights came together at once.

I couldn't help but tune out the sounds of the guide and wonder off into that familiar headspace I like to occupy when atop high buildings. This was the real thing. I'm still not sure if it's quite worth $175, but the thrill of the experience was undeniable.

EdgeWalk Highlights

The EdgeWalk is the highest of it kind in the world (1168 feet / 356 metres)
The walk will be open August 1st to October 31st this year (May 1st to October 31st in 2012)
Participants have to be at least 75 lbs and no more then 310 lbs to go on the walk
The harness line is tested for 15,000 pounds.
The cost is $175, which includes full access to the Tower (observation deck and Sky Pod)
Participants must be at least 13 years old
To be eligible for the walk, one's blood alcohol must be lower then 0.08

Photos and Video

edgewalk, cn tower, high

edgewalk, cn tower, high The photos above are a mix of video screengrabs and those shot from above the attraction

SummerWorks Festival Music Preview

Published on blogTO | shared via feedly

SummerWorks returns for another year this week. And while the focus of the festival is obviously on theatrical performances (see our theatre preview here), there's also a great selection of concerts to see this year, too. Here are my top picks. As always make sure to check out the SummerWorks web site to get a full picture of what's happening.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

Raoul and The Big Time, The Elwins, Patty Cake, Modern Superstitions and Light Fires at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA). Doors open at 8:00 PM.

The opening party for SummerWorks goes down in the MOCCA courtyard. Rain or shine, MOCCA always makes for a great event venue and will no doubt be the perfect forum for the Elwins and Modern Superstitions to strut their stuff. Bonus points that the Lakeview Restaurant is doing the catering and better yet that entrance to the party is FREE.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5

Steven McKay and Hooded Fang at the Lower Ossington Theatre. Doors open at 10:00 PM.

Steven McKay is perhaps best known as the drummer for the Bruce Peninsula; he's also been know to collaborate with Timber Timbre. But it's his solo project that he's bringing to the Lower Ossington Theatre, though he returns with a regular gig almost a week later. McKay is a talented songwriter, able to move effortlessly between being thoughtful and funny with each song. It also helps he has a great band opening for him, Hooded Fang whose critically acclaimed debut album, Album, was long-listed for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. $10.

MONDAY, AUGUST 8

Oracle - Musical Works in Concert at the Lower Ossington Theatre. Doors open at 10:00 PM

There are two "works in concert" during the ten day festival. The first, which is highlighted here, is on Monday, with the second one on the following day. Oracle is the story of Leigh, a forty year old woman living in Delphi, Indiana. One day, Phoebe, the Oracle of Delphi, is mysteriously transported into Leigh's life and begins to turn it upside down. For those who would like to see something different this will likely be worth checking out. $15.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

Jennifer Castle and Bruce Peninsula at the Lower Ossington Theatre. Doors open at 10:00 PM.

Toronto's other big collective of talented musicians, Bruce Pennisula, returns to play their first concert since Neil Haverty, the band's vocalist and guitarist, underwent cancer treatment. It's conceivable that to mark the occasion the band's already large choir might expand to include some special guests. This is, after all, a choir section that once included Katie Stelmanis and Casey Mecija from Austra and Ohbijou, respectively. Jennifer Caste, too, shouldn't be overlooked. I checked out one of her shows at NXNE and she didn't disappoint.

DJ Dylan Barlow & Shit LA Merde at MOCCA. Doors open at 7:00 PM.

David Binette, aka Shit La Merde, teams up yet again with Dylan Barlow to throw this midweek party -- the two share resident DJ duties at Sweaty Betty's. Both are known for playing an eclectic collection of songs during their sets, so there should be something here for everyone. Like the opening party, entry is free.

For more live music at SummerWorks check out the full schedule online. See also our Call & Response with Bonjay who are playing SummerWorks on August 6th.

Photo of Hooded Fang by Fermata Daily in the blogTO Flickr pool