The Standing Short Festival

For an entrance fee of $10 at Club Absinthe (38 King William Street), you can check out Hamilton’s half-stand up comedy, half-comedic short festival on Aug. 4. Barbecue on the patio all day and after party to follow. Burgers, music and lols? Worth it.

Starlite Drive-in

There comes a moment every summer (usually halfway through my hundredth Godfather marathon) that the reality of my laziness finally hits me and I realize I need to stop watching movies on my laptop in bed. But I don’t exactly feel up to blowing 15+ bucks on a movie I may or may not like. Piling into a car with my friends and going to a drive-in is always fun and refreshing.

It must also be a perfect date spot – not that I would know (that’s a longer list for another time). If you’re in the area, Stoney Creek’s Starlite Drive-In sounds like a great spot.

Westdale Movie Theatre

If you aren’t feeling especially adventurous and you’re in the mood for a limited-release film in an old-school theatre, Westdale is the place to go.

Now playing: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

FYI

Youngblood, X-men, How to Deal, Against the Ropes, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Cinderella Man, Four Brothers, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Silent Hill, Away from Her, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, Hairspray and The Time Traveler’s Wife were all filmed in Hamilton, at least in part. Who Knew? (Wikipedia, apparently.)

Reviews in 50 words or less

I have yet to see The Avengers, but judging by the number of box office records it’s broken and the billions of dollars it represents, I’m sure I’ll feel “mind = blown” afterwards and able to  quickly shake off the nagging knowledge that it’s based almost solely on commercial interests.

The most important character in Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love is Rome itself, and we can forgive the lackluster dialogue and familiar storyline thanks to the loveliness of the Eternal City.