Happy "Friday Jr." — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕
Off The Top: Robert Downey Jr. showed off his fully shaved head on the red carpet of the Motion Picture Academy's Governor Awards earlier this week, drawing comparisons to other hairless white guys, from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to Superman foe Lex Luthor. For actual follicly challenged guys out there, however, RDJ's bald appropriation is nothing more than stolen valour.
In Case You Missed It
1. Toronto's Simu Liu Takes Aim At Tarantino Over Who Gets To Be A Hollywood Star
In perhaps the least expected celebrity beef of the week, Canadian Marvel star Simu Liu took serious umbrage with some recent comments made by director Quentin Tarantino about the state of Hollywood cinema. After the Pulp Fiction auteur opined on a podcast that the "Marvel-ization" of the film industry had changed the nature of modern movie stardom, Liu countered that the old standards of Hollywood wouldn't have enabled him to star in a major blockbuster release like 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Confused? Sarah Rohoman helps explain the philosophical divide.
- In His Words, Pt. 1: "You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters — but they’re not movie stars, right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. [...] It’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star," Tarantino said.
- In His Words, Pt. 2: "No movie studio is or ever will be perfect, but I'm proud to work with one (Marvel) that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere," Liu wrote.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
2. A New Ranking Of Toronto's Best & Worst Neighbourhoods Just Dropped
A rental housing company believes they've figured out the exact ranking of Toronto's neighbourhoods, Mira Nabulsi reports. Rentola scored 140 distinct areas in a variety of categories — "crime, environment, education, housing & living, labour & business, economy and health" — to determine their list. Interestingly, the top spot ended up going to northeast Scarborough's Rouge, the largest but least developed hood in the city thanks to its proximity to the Rouge National Urban Park. The rest of the top can be found spread out across Toronto's other boroughs.
- Go Deeper: In terms of methodology, it seems like the publishers of the report strived to keep it objective, relying on data from "several national statistics databases like StatCan, Open Data Toronto and OCHPP (Ontario Community Health Profiles Partnership)."
- My Take: I happen to live in what has been deemed Toronto's 100th-best hood, a place where I've always felt happy and safe. For your own sanity, take these rankings with a grain of salt.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
3. If You Had A Mortgage With One Particular Bank, They Might Owe You Some Cash
No, this isn't an infomercial for a sleazy strip mall law firm.* Still, if you had a mortgage with CIBC from 2005 onward and had to pay a prepayment charge, you might be entitled to a cash payout from a long-gestating class action lawsuit. Apparently, the bank miscalculated certain fees... for years and years. Which is why, Tristan Wheeler reports, you could be eligible for up to $224 — depending on how many claimants look to tap into the $7.5 million settlement pool.
- Due Date: Aggrieved parties have until May 21, 2023, to file their official claim.
- *Footnote: Though "Better Call Potter" does have a ring to it.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
What Else You Need To Know Today
📺 COMING SOON
Netflix Canada just dropped its list of new arrivals and departures for the month of December. Some of the highlights include a whole whack of holiday-themed movies and shows — though gear heads will lament that Fast & Furious saga films will come off the platform on December 2, Megan Johnson writes.
✈️ LOUNGE LIZARDS
It doesn't take much to feel like an elite traveller. For example, it only costs about $60 to access the Plaza Premium Lounge at the Vancouver International Airport. However, according to the recent review from Narcity's own Morgan Leet, the lounge life isn't going to be for everyone. Here's why she couldn't rate the experience five stars.
🏨 SWELL HOTEL
Contrary to Morgan's airport lounge experience, Megan Johnson writes that Ottawa's Fairmont Château Laurier unequivocally lives up to the hype. From the wonderful staff to the wide range of in-house and nearby dining options, there's a lot to love about the castle-like accommodations. Read the full review of our capital's signature hotel here.
🚆 TRAINING DAY
As soon as next July, Montrealers 65 and over will be able to ride the STM for free, Mayor Valérie Plante announced. However, as MTL Blog's Willa Holt notes, it's not clear if the complementary transit service will expand beyond Montreal Island or to non-STM services. Here's what you need to know.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Modern Family's Sarah Hyland turns 32 years old today. Bearded ex-NFL journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick is 40. Former Grey's Anatomy standout Katherine Heigl turns 44. Colin Hanks (the less problematic of Tom's progeny) is 45. Comedy legend Sir Billy Connolly hits the big 8-0. Original Beatles drummer Pete Best is 81. "The Big O" Oscar Robertson is triple-doubling his way to 84.
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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter that's like Reservoir Dogs meets Doctor Strange.
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