Friday 6 July 2012

Toronto, Film and A "Terrifying" Big Cat!

There is an interesting opportunity for a film/travel blogger here to visit Canadian film festivals. I'm tempted but not eligible, but if YOU love film, and blog, and want to visit Canada, maybe you can check it out.

I have written several articles about Canada, but my favourite was a piece I did about "Film in Toronto." My article isn't online any more but I found a quote in a piece about Reg Hartt . Reg is one of those people you only meet once in a lifetime. Eccentric, sure, but one of those eccentrics who gets out into the world and lives his life the way he wants on very little money.

Here he is (top right), with friends. He screened classic movies on 16mm in his own dilapidated home on Bathurst, and sent out for pizza for his audience at half time. It was all very friendly, like attending a really rather strange party. I thought he'd been closed down (read the story here) when the landlord tried to throw him out, but I just found his website and now I'm not so sure....

I also liked Cinecycle, a bike shop that shows silent movies. Struggled there through three feet of snow, but what an atmosphere after dark, with the lights down, the bikes everywhere, loads of people and a bloke in a bowler hat playing the piano to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.

Also visited the IMAX research and development, in Mississuaga, just outside Toronto which was so slick and professional and in great contrast to the city's old hippies doing their own dotty thing. I've always yearned to accompany an IMAX crew and write about it. The film quality is stunning and they take those gigantic cameras into all kinds of unexpected places.

Toronto's very much my kind of city. So I'm rather sad I don't meet the criteria for this trip - they're searching for people who have never been to Canada before. So if you apply for the trip and get it, let me know.

PS. Talking of film, here's one from John, on "Don't Unplug your Hub" blog, another of my favourites. It's all about a really terrifying Big Cat, as you'll see if you watch.



50 comments:

  1. i think it would be so cool to go to a film festival and be right in the thick of the creativity...haha on the stunt gone awry...

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  2. I've only been to Canada briefly, and I'd love to return some day. As for Reg, everyone needs a Reg in their lives~

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  3. I've never been but my first love was from Canada so I have a soft spot for it!!

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  4. I like the idea of feeling like you're in a rather strange party. I think I'm eligible, might give it a try if I don't get too busy.

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  5. As many times as I've been to Toronto, and aside from the fact that I lived there for a time, I've never heard of or been to any of the places you mention here. They seem fascinating...and odd. But if you want a city with old hippies doing their own dotty thing, you still can't beat Vancouver!

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    1. This would have been so perfect for my son's girlfriend, who was a travel blogger based in London -- until last April when she went to Canada -- so unfortunately for this job she is already there. Pity...

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  6. Canada is too far for me! But would love to visit the country someday. :)

    Good luck to the bloggers who wants to enter.

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  7. Fame at last! Thanks for sharing this. My mate Big Glenn is an eccentric. Actually now I come to think about it I know quite a few eccentrics.

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  8. Hi Jenny! Man, you do get around, don't you! I enjoy your travel journals - living my vacations vicariously through you. My sister is visiting us this week on her vacation - but not much of one with such destruction all around and my dad's power is still not on yet. It's seven days a little after mid-night tonight since the storm - and that lightening WAS amazing. I'll be posting soon with a full story and pictures when family leaves. Too much going on just now.
    Joy!
    Kathy

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  9. I've never been to Toronto - would love to visit! I've heard about that guy Reg Hartt before...

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  10. I've only been to Canada once and was stuck in a ski resort for a week, and as I don't ski it wasn't much fun, but the place was beautiful and I found the Canadian's very friendly.


    For some reason I couldn't get the video to play.

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  11. I do love Canada. I have visited twice but have yet to visit Toronto. My favorite so far is Nova Scotia and the surrounding areas. Loved the big cat....so ferocious!

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  12. The world is like an onion. The more you peel it the sweeter it gets. I've never been to Toronto but I've no doubt it has many wonderful things to see and do, as this post points out. Loved the video of that bad-ass tiger.

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  13. The photo of Reg Hartt outside his house reminds me of my twenties and living in rented accommodation.

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  14. Jenny,
    Don't encourage John! He is already practicing his autograph for his female fans and looking out (hopefully) for the paparazzi!
    HA! Just kidding, I love you put this on here. He makes me laugh.

    And you are really making me want to visit Canada!

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  15. I was in Toronto in 1969 and it was the cleanest city I'd ever see! And they had black squirrels!! ;) I loved this little video--a hoot!

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  16. Toronto is one of my favorite cities in the world! When we lived in Buffalo and I wanted to get homesick for Europe, we would take a quick trip to Toronto. :-)

    I think people from Toronto have it right - they believe Toronto is the capital of the world.

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  17. I agree with you that Toronto is a wonderful city with lots to see, but I didn't get to meet any interesting characters when I was there. Wow, that tiger looked dangerous. :D

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  18. Oh, I do love films and enjoy Canada (Toronto and Vancouver at least). Wish I were qualified for this. And I love old eccentrics who live their lives the way they want to -- am married to one, and he often says he could live on very little money happily except that I would probably be miserable. Anyway, I'll have to look out for that bike shop that shows silent films. Sounds right exactly up the alley of our good friends in Toronto, a university professor and his wife, the doctor, both avid cyclists too. I'll tell them to look it up! Thanks for the travel tip.

    - Jenny

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  19. Interesting post, Jenny. I've only been to Canada once and would love to go again. What a surprise to see John's video on here. I looked at it again so I could have another laugh.

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  20. I'll try and spread the word about the competition via Twitter, what an incredible opportunity for whoever is picked. I've been to Toronto twice and it was a superb place.

    As for Reg he sounds marvellous and just the sort of person I would get on with.

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  21. Interesting post. I have distant relations in Toronto, two of whom I met during the war when I was a boy and they were over here with the Canadian forces. I always experience a spike of interest when Toronto is mentioned in a discussion.

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  22. Hi, would you be interested in participating in the blog tour for my award-winning humour novel Royal Flush, to be held in August? If so, email me at scott_t_bartlett@hotmail.com to discuss it further.

    (Feel free to delete this comment.)

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  23. Interesting how many people seem to like Toronto. It doesn't have a very high profile as a good place to visit, yet I hardly know anyone who doesn't like it. And there is such cool stuff there! Yes, I love real originals like Reg, too, and spending the time was actually a high spot for me.

    Jenny, this money thing is interesting. I generally appreciate things more if they are a little bit hard to get, And I always choose the cheapest and simplest of gadgets, appliances, etc. This is part of my nature. But I also really appreciate nice things, and luxurious places, and in fact I think I have quite high standards. In fact I reckon I'm a mixed up kid! :)
    Kay and Valerie, I clean forgot about not encouraging John. Oh dear, too late now! OTOH I just had to share his brilliant movie! :D
    Kathryn, I am so sorry about all the damage and destruction there has been - we don't know anyone in those areas although I have sometimes faced the wrath of nature and feel so utterly helpless.

    I have read all the comments with great interest, as usual.

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  24. You have such an interesting life! Thank you for sharing everything, I so enjoy my time here!

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  25. Thank you for for visiting my blog and your comment.

    I noted your interest in Toronto and Film Festivals.

    Very popular is the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
    Visit: http://tiff.net/thefestival

    After living and working in Toronto for many years, my wife and I retired to the country and now live 2 hours east of Tdot (catch phrase for Toronto).

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  26. Good travels, Toronto, I hear is great, and large! I've been to BC, and Victoria Island. Loved it. Maybe some day, Tdot.

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  27. I used to hang out at the National Film Theatre when i was in London - I've sort of lost touch with the scene since I moved into the countryside! The Toronto film festival sounds wonderful, but sadly I've been to Canada before so I can't apply.

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  28. I forgot to mention that Jack and Arnold (heroes of my post today) were from Toronto.

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  29. I love it when people think outside the box and just do what their heart desires in film without needing the approval of some “higher up” in the business to give their approval. Today with the help of technology anyone can show their work and (as you illustrate in this post) there are many ways of bringing self-expression to audiences. All you need is a lot of creativity and a bit of drive. Or is that a lot of drive and a bit of creativity? :))

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  30. We absolutely need to meet. How come you know all the interesting people when I only get to know the boring ones? I must have done something wrong...sigh. I would love to go to Toronto!

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  31. Many years ago I used to go the annual silent-movie festival at the Academy Cinema in Oxford Street, London. It was a great atmosphere with the usual piano accompaniment to the films. It was a sad day when the cinema closed down in 1986.

    Jenny has a couple of Canadian cousins in Toronto and I've been to the city but I can't say I warmed to it. I much prefer Vancouver for the scenery and the vitality.

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  32. It is much too long since I have had a good visit to Canada. I have been to Toronto, but like the last poster, prefer Vancouver. I only passed through on the way to the cruise pier, but it is definitely a place I would like to spend more time.

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  33. Thanks for your visit to my blog today. This is my first visit to yours. I love Canada - anywhere from BC to Nova Scotia. I'd visit anywhere in Canada in a heartbeat.

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  34. last yr we crossed the bridge from the USA into Canada by mistake and did not have passport for the kids in the car..a disaster!!

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  35. Hi Jenny! Thanks for visiting my blog. My little blog is pretty boring compared your wonderful travels and adventures! I've been to Canada on many occasions and Toronto is a wonderful place to visit. A few years ago we were in the Yukon and enjoy that part of Canada as well. When I was 14 we went to Montreal for Expo '67..yes, that's 1967! My family actually camped at the most bizarre campground that did not have anything that the brochure advertised. Sometimes the worst places make the best family folklore stories that live on forever! Thanks again for your visit!

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  36. Toronto must be a beautiful and exciting city to explore. I have been impressed by the sky-piercing looking CN Tower and now we have Tokyo Skytree about 35 years later than CN Tower’s construction. I’ve never been to Canada and had only a few travels overseas. I’ve enjoyed travelling with you inside and outside Britain, Jenny, at this blog.

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  37. Hi Jenny,

    Follow up note since I just saw on the BBC that it was the 150th year since a maths don named Lewis Carroll took a little girl named Alice on a boat trip, spinning a yarn about a white rabbit. The rest, as they say, is history. Did you join the celebration, or was it re-enactment, they held in Oxford?

    And on your comment re: money, I believe I am as mixed up as you are. I like the humblest, crudest folk items and the rarest, most luxurious things too. It's things in the middle I dislike, that huge morass of mediocrity!

    - Jenny

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  38. And all he had was an air rifle... brave man.

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  39. Haha! well spotted Cromagnon.

    Jenny I don't even just like simple folk objects, I just like simple stuff, - like the most sophisticated bit of my 15 year old cooker is the self timer :) But I like to choose to buy something better if I want, and that's why I am grateful not to be poor, I do choose my old cooker. Choices are what it's all about, perhaps. (This discussion is making me think). No, I wasn't at Oxford, and I've already done the river trip with kids, which I think is much more interesting than with adults. I blogged about on my Jabberwock blog and you might find it interesting to read it - I found it fun to do. http://www.jabberwock.co.uk/blog/index.php?itemid=453

    I'd love to see the Tokyo skytree, Yoko. I'm still kind of thinking of taking a trip to Japan next year.

    Haha,yaya, I'd love to read about your camping disaster! :) you are right those things make the best stories.
    If I had a couple of cousins in Toronto I'd be really friendly with 'em Nick I mean friendly enough to visit. I have visited Vancouver once as part of a longer trip, think I drove up from Seattle but that trip was a bit of a disaster through no fault of Vancouver.

    Thanks for visiting, Mary! I liked your blog and will be back there.

    Muriel, if we meet each other we can be reassured that we have met at least one interesting person in London! I need to be more sociable, but every time I step out of the door lately someone asks me to do something and then I dont care how interesting they are! I have to go and deliver some leaflets now.

    Now this is strange. I think I enabled more comments than have appeared here. I'll go back and check on the dashboard.

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  40. I'm intrigued by the eccentric lifestyle. "Don't Unplug Your Hub" is a favorite place to stop and get a chuckle. John's a funny bloke.

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  41. Thanks for sharing again, Jenny :D Fun! And interesting like always :o)
    We all wish you have a sunny and happy week, dear friend
    love
    Natasha & Fam.

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  42. Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting! Although my travels stay within the U.S.A., I have always wanted to make a trip to Canada to explore some of its beauty.

    Johns blog is also one of my favorites, he always manages to bring a smile to my face... quite a character!

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  43. I don't always play the movies that people post. But of course with the promise of a big cat I couldn't turn away. Ha!

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  44. Just when I thought I'd seen everything, you inform me of a bike shop that shows silent movies!
    The hunt for the big cat is hilarious!

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  45. RYC: I'm chuffed that I discovered a new word for you! That is literally the reason I do my blog.

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  46. I’ve never been to Canada, but always wanted to since doing a ‘project’ (remember those?) at Primary School. Now I do it vicariously by having blogging friends there and through informative blogs of travel writers!

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  47. I love films and I have a blog. Now if only I could find a way to Toronto!

    That video cracked me up!

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  48. Never visited Canada but my man has and loved it. Maybe one day ... Reg sounds like a great guy.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog - I do try and reply to all comments but you appear as a 'no-reply comment' blogger, so I can't reply to you and am not sure how to rectify it.

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  49. I'm catching up after being away and you can add me to the list of people who love Toronto. I used to enjoy having breakfast in Movenpick in the Atrium. I believe that it may be back in business. I saw the stage version of Mama Mia there when it first came out. The things that the mention of a name evoke can be quite surprising.

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