Erik Larson first came to my attention with his brilliant book, The Devil in the White City, which I reviewed here. It was a fascinating account of the Chicago World’s Fair, intercut with one of America’s most villainous serial killers, who lived just a few blocks away, known in the annals of history as…
Fringe Toronto: Swordplay – A Play of Swords
This festival has seen one night constantly topping the next, as I juggle job, studio, blogging and shows… Last night’s performance at the Al Green Theatre by the Sex T-Rex company was ingenious, filled with belly-busting, slow-motion, high-flying physical comedy in all the things we hold true in terms of sword stories, be it fantasy…
The Greatest American Hero (1982) – It’s All Downhill From Here and Dreams
Things are definitely starting to get goofy in The Greatest American Hero universe, it’s still wonderfully fun, but you can see that there are other people starting to mess with the formula… First up we have It’s All Downhill From Here, written by Patrick Hasburgh, which aired on the 3 March, 1982. Ralph (William…
Fringe Toronto: OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Darryl
Much to my shame, I’ve never attended a show at Toronto’s Fringe Festival – until now! Tim applied and acquired media passes for us, so even though I am working full time this week, I’m still trying to get to a show every night I still have available, and have already made a mental…
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) – Sidney J. Furie
It’s more tights and flights as I continue with the exploration of the cinematic version of Superman with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book as my guide. Christopher Reeve’s time portraying the character of Superman comes to a close with this film, and he so needed a better movie to go out on. The only things…
Fringe Toronto: Meet Cute
Taking up residence at the fantastic space of the Annex Theatre, Erin Norah Thompson, wrote and stars, alongside Jesse Bond, in this wonderful, funny, and romantic look at one moment, two lives, three versions. A meet cute is a plot device most often employed in rom-come to introduce the romantic leads in a cute (why doesn’t…
Fringe Toronto: XOXO – The Relationship Show
Meghan Chalmers and Franny McCabe-Bennett simply OWN the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace with their presentation of XOXO: The Relationship Show. Combining hilarious songs, wonderful commentary on dating and relationships, and looking like they are having a damned fine time doing it, Chalmers and McCabe-Bennett take us through their love lives as two Juliets. With sketches…
Fringe Toronto: Hamlet… A Puppet Epic
So this morning I took in a Fringe Kids event, I mean it was Hamlet. And puppets. Hamlet WITH puppets. How could I resist? Presented by the puppet company Shakey-Shake and Friends, here in Toronto, this company, both human and puppet, are making their home in the George Ignatieff Theatre for the course of the…
Supergirl (1984) – Jeannot Szwarc
As my time with those denizens of the destroyed planet of Krypton continue with my exploration of the fantastic Sci-fi Chronicles book, I leave Kal-El for a film (apparently he’s travelling to a distant galaxy according to a radio announcer), and join his cousin, the lovely Kara (Helen Slater). Let’s be clear, the Salkinds screwed…
Fringe Toronto: Caws and Effect
Being presented at the Factory Theatre is this singularly stunning piece combining music, masks, puppetry and layered projections. Chloe Ziner and Jessica Gabriel, known collectively as Mind of a Snail Puppet Company, from Vancouver, provided one of the most unique and beautiful shows on offer at this year’s festival. Assuming the personalities of two crows,…
The Mind Reels 