Movies in general just rock. Life without ‘em would be so…so full of radio.
There are tons of choice flicks coming out this season that I want to see: Hugo, My Week with Marilyn, We Bought a Zoo, etc. I’ve already seen Breaking Dawn (a 15-year-old girl still resides within me, okay? If you have a problem with that then tease me and I will report you to the principal) and The Muppets (Beaker, for the win!).
And while I have no problem dropping $17 per movie at your average suburban colossus theatre, there is something far more enchanting about a) old, one-screen, small town theatres and b) Toronto’s mecca of cinema, the TIFF Bell Lightbox. There’s enough going on there to fill most of a day, and that’s just what we did.
Until January 22, the Lightbox is hosting an exhibition called Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess. To be honest, my knowledge regarding Grace didn’t really surpass “gosh, she looks like January Jones.” But inside the exhibition, you’ll find heaps of her vintage couture (not displayed in heaps), her iconic “Kelly bag,” her tiara and jewels and her wedding dress.
You may recall that in October, I blogged very enthusiastically about Bannock Restaurant. Well, inside the TIFF Lightbox lie two restaurants run by that same fabulous company, Oliver & Bonacini. Upstairs is Luma, where they’ve got a “Grace Kelly-inspired menu” available for the duration of the exhibition. Downstairs, at street level, is the more casual Canteen.
I’ve never walked by this place when it wasn’t absolutely heaving, which tells you something.
Here’s some food porn for you (not safe for work, if you work at McDonalds).
Beet Root Salad with Savoury Granola and Greek Yogurt.
Beef Burger (made with ground brisket), with carmelized onions, sautéed mushroom, Ontario cheddar and fries.
Short Rib Ravioli with brown butter, grated horseradish and toasted hazelnuts.
Toffee Apple Cobbler with clotted cream.
What I’m not showing you here is the bit when the chef, Jason Bangerter, came over and deposited a small plate of venison heart in front of Billy. Now, you have to understand that Billy isn’t the most adventurous eater (he thinks oatmeal is barf masquerading as something edible). But, sensing my assumption that he’d rather put the heart in his jeans pocket than into his mouth, he swiftly impaled a forkful and ate it!
A face full of regret soon followed, but I was impressed with this medieval behaviour nonetheless. At least, until he said “now you can’t ever accuse me of not trying things. I’ll just come back with: “I ate a heart!”
The excuse, which extends to more than just food challenges, it seems, has been trotted out several times since.
“Can you please get the laundry out of the dryer?” ”I ate a heart!”
“Um, honey, I need your rent cheque.” ”I ate a heart!”
Anyhow, after you eat a huge meal – with or without heart – this is not a sign you want to see taped to the door of your movie theatre:
The Lightbox plays a grab bag of more obscure films – things you wouldn’t see in theatres that have Burger Kings in them. We saw Melancholia, which is an odd but memorable art house movie about a stray planet that threatens to envelop the earth. It stars Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
For a listing of the movies playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, click here.
This was #4 of 5 posts on what’s going down in Toronto this holiday season.
To see #1, “Christmas Cupcake Workshop,” click here.
To see #2, “A Euro Village of Our Own,” click here.
To see #3, “On Top of Toronto,” click here.
To see #5, “A Victorian Christmas,” click here.
THIS JUST IN: Until December 20, if you book a Toronto hotel package priced at $99 to $179 plus taxes, you will receive a Torontoland wristband worth 15% savings at more than 50 participating attractions, restaurants and retail locations, as well as a $50 gift certificate for The Bay. If you stay two nights, that gift card will swell to 100$. For more information, click here.
Travel arrangements courtesy of Tourism Toronto.
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The Lightbox is one of my favourite places in a the city. Not only is it gorgeous, and has fantastic exhibitions but it plays a lot of under the radar movies that don’t get a wide release. Such a great centre for film in the city!
I hear the beef burger is good. Melancholia, not so much.
For the second-half of Melancholia, you couldn’t pry me out of my seat with a crowbar. Because I had long since left the theatre.
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