Kire Paputts' film "Junkie Run" screens at the Paradise Theatre, Feb 15

Junkie Run is the most Hamilton film you'll ever see. Don't miss the Toronto premiere at the Paradise Theatre on February 15th presented by Gary Topp.

Here's the scoop from Gary Topp...

"When I first met Kire in 2006, he was at Ryerson. He sent me his film ONLY I KNOW. I recognized his dad (Chris of the Viletones) in it. I recognized Kire as a fierce independent filmmaker. I introduced him to Colin Brunton and they made The Last Pogo Jumps Again together. Kire continues to prove me right.

"Come see his newest and fifth feature, perfect on a chilly Lord’s Day afternoon. There’s a bar, good popcorn and a live musical interlude in the lobby by one of the stars (Wayne Larabee, the East-End Sensation) before the screening." – Gary Topp

"About half the roles in Junkie Run were written for specific people. Many of these actors I’ve worked with in the past. For some, it’s our first collaboration. I’ve spent years building a roster of characters. Consisting of friends, family, and muses. And I’m constantly adding to my Rolodex. Always looking for new talent. The idea of building a community is very much inspired by John Waters." - Junkie Run director Kire Pauputts

The Toronto premiere screening of Junkie Run is at the Paradise Theatre on Sunday, February 15th at 3 pm. Tickets are now sold out.  Watch the trailer followed by a Toronto Mike'd interview with Kire Paputts below. 

Handsome Ned doc "You Left Me Blue" screens at Paradise Theatre, January 10

Chris Terry & Ross Edmunds' 2010 film about T.O. rockabilly icon Handsome Ned gets a rare screening at the Paradise Saturday.

Here's the scoop...

Handsome Ned Masyk (June 4, 1957 – January 10, 1987) was a Canadian country singer and songwriter. Although he only released a small number of singles during his lifetime, he was one of the key figures in the transformation of the city’s Queen Street West district into a cultural hotspot. 

You Left Me Blue is a detailed portrait of an emerging artist and music scene. Ned’s been credited as the catalyst for an early-1980s country music and roots rock revival in Toronto which paved the way for acts such as Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers and Cowboy Junkies. The reverence for Ned held by so many of the musicians interviewed, from Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor to Steve Koch of (The Demics, The Ugly), is clear.  All share a deep admiration for him and an appreciation for what he stood for.On the anniversary of his passing, this screening is a fitting tribute to his legacy. 

You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story screens at the Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor St. West) on Saturday (January 10) at 3:00 pm. Doors at 2:15 pm. Get advance tickets right here. Watch the trailer below.

 

Jaymz Bee Movies @ Paradise Theatre, Monday

TIFF? SCHMIFF! Jaymz Bee screens four of his short films at the Paradise Theatre on Monday at 7 pm. 

JAYMZ BEE MOVIES (four short films and short Q&A)

MONDAY! - please get your tickets now!  

Monday September 8 - at 7 pm ( doors at 6:30 pm) - Paradise Theatre - if you prefer, you can walk up for the 9:00 screening and pay $20 in cash. Getting 7 PM tickets in advance is highly recommended! Lots of familes coming to the 7pm show. They aren't kids movies per se, but they are family friendly!  

Get tickets right here: https://bemusednetwork.com/events/detail/1049

Italian neo-noir "Un Maledetto Imbroglio" screens @ Paradise Theatre, Sunday

Pietro Germi's 1959 Italian neo-noir The Facts Of Murder gets a rare Toronto screening at the Paradise on Sunday at 1:30 pm. Watch the trailer below.

Here's the scoop...

Don't miss this rare Toronto screening of the classic Italian neo-noir "Un Maledetto Imbroglio" (The Facts of Murder) at the Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor St. West) on Sunday, August 17th at 1:30 pm.  

Directed by and starring the legendary Pietro Germi, this sharp blend of noir, satire, and social commentary investigates a murder in postwar Rome, peeling back the layers of a seemingly simple case. With a stellar cast (including a young Claudia Cardinale), richly textured cinematography, and sly humour beneath the suspense, this is Italian cinema at its most compelling. In Italian with English subtitles. 

Watch the trailer below. Get tickets here: https://paradiseonbloor.com/movies/the-facts-of-murder/

Věra Chytilová's "Daisies" screens at the Paradise Cinema, Monday

Věra Chytilová's Czech new wave gem Daisies gets a rare Toronto screening at the Paradise Theatre on Monday at 6 pm. 

Here's the scoop...

The Paradise Theatre, as part of their ongoing Material Girls series, presents a delightful satire/protest of materialism courtesy of the Czech New Wave. It's Věra Chytilová's joyously radical DAISIES.

If the entire world is bad, why shouldn’t we be? Adopting this insolent attitude as their guiding philosophy, a pair of hedonistic young women (Ivana Karbanová and Jitka Cerhová), both named Marie, embark on a gleefully debauched odyssey of gluttony, giddy destruction, and antipatriarchal resistance, in which nothing is safe from their nihilistic pursuit of pleasure. But what happens when the fun is over? Matching her anarchic message with an equally radical aesthetic, director Věra Chytilová, with the close collaboration of cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera, unleashes an optical storm of fluctuating film stocks, kaleidoscopic montages, cartoonish stop-motion cutouts, and surreal costumes designed by Ester Krumbachová, who also cowrote the script. The result is Daisies, the most defiant provocation of the Czechoslovak New Wave, an exuberant call to rebellion aimed squarely at those who uphold authoritarian oppression in any form. The quirky original score by Jiří Šust & Jiří Šlitr is also quite intriguing on it's own. 

Věra Chytilová's Daisies (Czech Republic, 1966)

Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor St. West)

Monday, September 16th at 6 pm (doors at 5:30 pm). 

General Admission $12.50 | Student/Senior (with valid ID) $10.00 + HST/eventbrite fees

Get tickets here. Door tickets are available for purchase on the day of screening. Watch the trailer followed by a discussion of filmmaker Věra Chytilová's work and an audio clip from the soundtrack below. 

Willy Deville doc "Heaven Stood Still" screens at Paradise Theatre, July 4

Better grab your tickets quick for this rare Toronto screening of Heaven Stood Still: The Incarnations of Willy DeVille!

Here's the scoop...

There was no one like the American singer Willy DeVille. From CBGB’s Latin punk to New Orleans soul singer to the premiere voice of American roots music on the continent of Europe for three decades, he was arguably the most original, most romantic artist of his time, writing and performing the Academy Award-nominated theme to the movie The Princess Bride. No one inhabited as many musical styles and personas, and everything about him was a work of art.

DeVille sold over a million records and was deeply respected by his peers, from Ben E. King to Bob Dylan, for peerless playing and songs that were anthems to the heartbroken and the downtrodden. Yet almost no one knows anything about him, where he came from or who he loved. How could he fly under the radar for 35 years yet leave so much we do know in his path? That is the mystery of Willy DeVille.

Get tickets for Heaven Stood Still: The Incarnations of Willy DeVille at the Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor St. West) on July 4 at 8 pm (doors at 7:15 pm) right here. Watch the trailer below. 

Lee Aaron sings "Goldfinger" for Jaymz Bee's Music For Secret Agents

Lee Aaron's update of "Goldfinger" is off Jaymz Bee's Music For Secret Agents launching at the Paradise Theatre, November 18.

Here's the scoop...

The lead off track from the forthcoming concept album, Jaymz Bee presents Music For Secret Agents, is the ultimate James Bond theme "Goldfinger" – written by John Barry with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley – featuring the unmistakable voice of legendary rock diva Lee Aaron, who continues to be one of Canada's great vocal powerhouses. Listen to Lee Aaron's version of "Goldfinger" below. Stream it here. 

 

Says Jaymz Bee "Lee Aaron absolutely slays this classic 007 song and I have been a fan since her debut in 1984, so I’m absolutely thrilled to have her on the album. She is incredible!" 

 

Also featured is the extraordinary Juno-nominated saxophonist Alison Young,  who has performed with everyone from Heillig Manoeuvre and Shuffle Demons to Joe Sealy and Corey Hart. 

 

The Music For Secret Agents band includes Eric St-Laurent (guitar), Adrean Farrugia (piano), George Koller (bass), Davide Direnzo (drums), Great Bob Scott (percussion), Irene Torres (backing vocals) and Jono Grant on the talk-box. Produced by Jaymz Bee and Juno, Gemini and Genie winner Jono Grant.

Music For Secret Agents will be celebrated with a live concert and party at Toronto's impressive music venue and movie house, Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor West) on November 18 featuring a live band, film shorts and videos, courtesy of D.J. Swankenstein. Doors at 7 pm. Concert at 8 pm. Get tickets here.

Listen to Lee Aaron's version of "Goldfinger" followed by Shirley Bassey's original from 1964. 

 

U.S. Girls preview Heavy Light @ The Paradise Theatre, Saturday

Meg Remy and her U.S. Girls unveil their new "Heavy Light" album (out March 6) with a sold out show at Toronto's Paradise Theatre tonight. 

U.S. Girls on tour
Feb 15 Toronto, Ontario - Paradise Theatre
Feb 16 Montreal, Quebec - Le Ministère
Feb 18 New York, NY - The Dance
Apr 4 Detroit, MI - MOCAC
Apr 5 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
Apr 6 Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
Apr 7 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
Apr 9 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
Apr 10 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
Apr 12 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
Apr 13 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
Apr 16 Vancouver, British Columbia - Imperial
Apr 17 Seattle, WA - Crocodile
Apr 18 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
Apr 20 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Apr 21 San Jose, CA - The Ritz
Apr 22 Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
Apr 24 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
Apr 25 Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole
Apr 27 Austin, TX - Antone’s
Apr 28 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
Apr 29 Houston, TX - Continental Club
May 1 Memphis, TN - The Greenroom at Crosstown Arts
May 2 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
May 3 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
May 5 Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall
May 6 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 7 Boston, MA - Sinclair
May 8 Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live