Tag: Toronto

Transformers! Understanding The Cybertronic Spree and Me

Prom Night can be made extra special for those who love their nostalgia. The Cybertronic Spree offers the right mix of classics, hard rock and performance theatre to make Transformers fans wanting scream for more!

The Cybertronic Spree Next Show
Next show in Toronto!

August 22, 2026
Capital Ballroom, Victoria, BC
Spoiler Alert

When I had the good fortune to be invited to see The Cybertronic Spree for free, I knew I was in for an awesome night of nostalgia and heavy metal, backed by animated sequences celebrating anime, video games and The Transformers: The Movie. For newcomers, they’re a Toronto rock band whose sentai-style costumes, hard-rock covers, original songs and glam-rock theatrics make their stage personas larger than life. I’d seen their YouTube videos and followed their rise as a pop-culture band. Once I learned their latest P.R.O.M. tour, short for Programmable Read-Only Memories, used a playful rock-opera narrative to stitch the concert together, I knew it was time to see them live.

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All Hail The Metal Messiah! Vividly Restored to 4K, at Fantasia Film Festival and Coming to Home Video Too!

Canadian International Pictures screened the 4K restoration of Tibor Takács’ Metal Messiah at Fantasia Film Festival, and if you missed it, fret not. A Blu-ray release is expected to be announced later this year.

Metal Messiah 1978 Movie Poster
Played at Fantasia Film Festival on July 25, 2026 at the Salle J.A. De Sève

Because I wasn’t born in time and be of the right age to witness Metal Messiah back in 1977, whether in theatres, if it ever reached Victoria’s Roxy or Vic Theatre, or later on VHS, discovering it now feels surreal. With it’s recent 4k remaster, some scenes only look that much more cosmic when considering the how well it’s been colour balanced. Although some video artifacts remain, this movie would not be what it is, a product of the times. Even today, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a story so deeply rooted in an era still firmly rooted in The Cold War.

Today, it’s a cult film that embodies the raw spirit of Toronto’s early punk movement. And when looking back at my own discovery of the stylings of Iggy Pop and Ziggy Stardust, I’m sure either would’ve appreciated what writer-director Tibor Takács (The Gate, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) accomplished here. What he made feels like hard-boiled detective fiction colliding with This Is Spinal Tap, only with a far more philosophical edge.

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Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie: No, This Film Is Not About Teen Spirit

Time-hopping musicians, a DeLorean-style RV, and a desperate quest for a discontinued drink fuel this proudly Canadian mockumentary. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie thrives on balancing between nostalgia and improvisation to make it a must-see.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the MovieElevation Pictures

Once a certain word drops in any summary about where the time travel device is housed in
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, this film instantly reveals itself as the perfect tribute to an old pop sound. Part The Beatles, part loving nod to a certain Robert Zemeckis classic from decades past, there’s a lot to like.

If you don’t want to know too much, here’s the abridged take: This Canadian mockumentary, directed by Matt Johnson,
delivers plenty of fun-filled moments and wears its cinematic tribute proudly. The script was co-written by Jay McCarrol, and together they play fictionalized versions of themselves as two musicians trying to land a bar gig despite never having recorded anything together. It’s a concept fuelled by nostalgia and awkward, self-aware laughs.

Rather than riffing on The Blues Brothers, what’s presented here is Canadiana through and through. Shot around Toronto, Ontario, the locations are real, the energy is grounded, and the familiarity adds to the charm. It is best not to know more before the spoiler wall, so consider this your courteous pause point.

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The Deets on Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. coming to Canada Nov 20th!

The Yorkdale Shopping Centre will host the multi-room exhibition and Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. retail store.

AvengersPaquin Entertainment Group, Victory Hill Exhibitions and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre are proud to announce the CANADIAN PREMIERE of Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.: The Experience.

The award-winning immersive exhibition will thrill the City of Toronto for a limited engagement, running from Nov 20, 2020 until Jan 31, 2021.

Guests at Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., the Scientific Training And Tactical Intelligence Operative Network, journey through an advanced, multi-room training facility, where they receive unprecedented access to the most sensitive intelligence and cutting-edge science behind the Avengers. After completing their training, they become integral members of the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

“The Avengers movies were game changers, and this exhibition will give everyone a chance to extend and personalize their experience with this iconic franchise” says Gilles Paquin, CEO of Paquin Entertainment Group. “With our 25,000 square foot venue, you will be able to safely explore the exhibit in a socially-distanced setting.”

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Doxa Docs in Review, Part Two

doxa film festival logo* Playing from June 18 to 26. Tickets to an online screening can be purchased here. For information, please visit their faq.

The Doxa Documentary Film Festival continues to stream direct to your home, and in part two, I look beyond the Pacific Northwest. This time, I’m travelling East to get a taste of what living in Toronto was once like, when a person of my namesake helped change the scene long ago. But home is where the heart is, no matter where you live. This includes finding love in a digital age.

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There’s a Full Moon Coming to … or Howling at Toronto!

AvengersBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Anyone looking for a howling good time with a highly anticipated cult movie sequel can see Another Wolfcop on Saturday, September 2 at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. This carnage comes courtesy of The Coup Company working with Fan Expo Canada and its multiple sponsors. This movie has screened at a few festivals with nothing but praise. Interestingly, no announcements were made if it will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival which is take place in this city a week later. Some nerds get all the luck instead of cinephiles.

People missing out may get another chance with Fan Expo Vancouver coming in November 10-12. No official word has been made yet, but for this fan, I’m hoping!

A limited number tickets will most likely be available during the Toronto show, and at the venue. For more information, please visit www.wolfcop.com

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