Toronto

A Festivus for the Rest of Us! Movie Mavens Hit Manhattan

Twinkling lights and Chinese lanterns festooned the trees at Tavern on the Green’s New York Film  read more »

A Festivus for the Rest of Us! Movie Mavens Hit Manhattan

Reigning over the rest: Helen Mirren arrives at the New York Film Festival premiere of <i>The Queen</i>.
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Reigning over the rest: Helen Mirren arrives at the New York Film Festival premiere of The Queen.

Twinkling lights and Chinese lanterns  festooned the trees at Tavern on the Green’s New Y  read more »

A Star Is Borat

Dustin Hoffman is a fan: Sacha Baron Cohen, a.k.a. Borat, arrives at his movie premiere in Toronto.
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Dustin Hoffman is a fan: Sacha Baron Cohen, a.k.a. Borat, arrives at his movie premiere in Toronto.

Late last Thursday night, the clock ticking toward midnight under a full Canadian moon, a line made  read more »

A Gift for Hillary

The American Prospect quotes a foreign banker with U.S. clients who said tickets to the former president's 60th birthday party in Toronto this weekend were sold with the possible future president in mind.

"Senator Clinton has no connection to her husband's philanthropic operation. "But the message was pretty clear," says an executive with a foreign-owned bank that does not operate in the U.S., but has clients in America. "If we wanted some access to Senator Clinton, the foundation would be a good way to facilitate some access for our issues."

-- Azi Paybarah

Toronto Film Festival: Michael Moore Can't Save 'Borat' Breakdown; Crowd Flips

Sara Vilkomerson reports from a madhouse up in Toronto:
borat.jpg
Such an entrance. Photo: Getty Images.

Paulo Costanzo--of Road Trip, Joey and Canadian birth--was freaking out. "This is the best fucking night of my life," he screamed from his seat at last night's midnight screening of Borat. Agent and limousine liberal Ari Emmanuel lurked up in the teeming balcony.

Sasha Baron Cohen had arrived for the Borat premiere on a cart pulled by six women and a tiny pony, each of them in yokes, the women all in shtetl chic. Isla Fisher, Mr. Cohen's tiny gorgeous fiance, in a glittery tank and low-slung jeans, hid behind a nearby tree.

Inside the theater, to introduce the show, Mr. Cohen brought out the flags of Canada and Kazakhstan and kissed them both.

The film began. The first 20 minutes of Borat are the funniest thing you could ever hope to see on film. The audience was in hysterics. Then the projector broke.

Forty minutes passed; apologies from the stage. The Fox publicity staff looked positively green. The restless crowd began to chant "Michael Moore! Michael Moore!"

Mr. Cohen did some shtick and introduced "Larry Charles and some fat man." Mr. Charles—co-creator of Seinfeld and exec producer of Entourage—and Michael Moore came to the stage. Mr. Moore had been the one trying to fix the projector. This was all like some insane dream sequence. Mr. Charles was dressed in a sort of Hasidic costume. Was Mr. Moore tired, someone wanted to know? "You can't sleep these days if you are an American," he said.  read more »

Later, Mr. Moore said that he'd be making out with John Travolta in the lobby. Mr. Charles signed a kid's tardy note for the next day's school. Mr. Charles had not yet seen Snakes on a Plane—but Mr. Moore had.

By 1:40 a.m., it became clear that the remainder of Borat would not be shown. The screening was postponed for Friday night. Everyone went desperately looking for a drink. Sara Vilkomerson

Wonders of Night

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND—The quality of play at the Financial Icehockey World Cup, or the World Financia  read more »

Wonders of Night

They bank. They score.
Sai Okabayashi
They bank. They score.

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND—The quality of play at the Financial Icehockey World Cup, or the World Fina  read more »

Pillow Fights in Union Square— Isn’t There a War On or Something?

Up with pillows! The Union Square fight.
Up with pillows! The Union Square fight.

On a Saturday in late February, 120 citizens gathered in Union Square for the purpose of battering e  read more »

An L.A. Miracle ‘Penetrated’: From Über-Dork to Super Stud

The irresistible Neil Strauss, former music critic for <i>The New York Times,</i> and one of the very slickest pickup artists.
Fernando Allende
The irresistible Neil Strauss, former music critic for The New York Times, and one of the very slickest pickup artists.

As I read Neil Strauss’ The Game, I found it impossible not to think of a dear old friend&mdas  read more »

In Cold Capote

The masterful Philip Seymour Hoffman <i>is</i> Capote.
Sony Pictures Classics
The masterful Philip Seymour Hoffman is Capote.

Film festivals are like funerals: As soon as one door closes, another one opens.  read more »

In Cold Capote

Film festivals are like funerals: As soon as one door closes, another one opens.  read more »

TIFF: Thank God It’s Toronto!

Boys Will Be Cowboys: Heath Ledger (above) and Jake Gyllenhaal in Ang Lee
Focus Features
Boys Will Be Cowboys: Heath Ledger (above) and Jake Gyllenhaal in Ang Lee

Gay cowboys, a 60-foot rubber lobster, a pair of Siamese twins who play guitars and become pop stars  read more »

TIFF: Thank God It's Toronto!

Gay cowboys, a 60-foot rubber lobster, a pair of Siamese twins who play guitars and become pop stars  read more »

The Last Picture Show

For a time there, between the invasion of the Republicans and vapid Fashion Week, one couldn’t be  read more »

Grim Flicks Creep Out Toronto

Near the end of the 29th Toronto International Film Festival, after the unveiling of 328 movies in 1  read more »

Biopics Take Over Toronto!Author: Rex Reed

On the dour anniversary of 9/11, lights flashed. Sirens roared. Cell phones rang.  read more »

Crime Blotter

No Diplomatic ImmunityFor UES Flower Picker  read more »

Twist Is-They Turn Tricks

Catching up with all of the new movies may not be worth the effort.  read more »

Sayonara Toronto! Thanks-I Think

Heading into last week's homestretch at the 28th Toronto International Film Festival, I began to rea  read more »

Trapped in Dogville

Nicole Kidman is in the hotel lobby, talking about sex.  read more »

Suffering House of Fools

In the postwar lull between Iraq and tax extensions, people are understandably searching for pleasan  read more »

Toronto Ends With a Bang

The Toronto International Film Festival, which just ended, rounded the midway point with a collage o  read more »

Toronto Festival: Post-9/11 Cinema

Suit up and plunge: The 27th Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, and diversity is  read more »

In Toronto, It's Hooray, Hollywood!

If the point of a film festival is to preview the look of the future, then the wall-to-wall smiles a  read more »

Top-Tier Toronto: 15 Films to See

The Toronto International Film Festival reminds me of what Red Skelton said at Harry Cohn's overcrow  read more »

Blame Canada (or Me), But See Set Me Free

Léa Pool's Set Me Free , from a screenplay by Ms. Pool with Nancy Huston and Monique H.  read more »

Watching Books Become Movies

Cannes has beaches, Venice has gondolas, New York has bagels.  read more »