Eric Veillette
@veilletteinto.bsky.social
Arts writer & media producer | Globe & Mail, Spacing, Toronto Star, CBC Arts, Radio-Canada, Severin Films | Writing a book about going to the movies (ECW Press, 2027) | Editor: The Downtown Theatre | Franco-ontarien
What an incredible lineup of Roger Corman Edgar Allan Poe classics playing at the Imperial Theatre on Yonge Street, June 30, 1967. Which of these is your fave? I’ll always have a soft-spot for The Raven.
February 14, 2026 at 8:23 PM
What an incredible lineup of Roger Corman Edgar Allan Poe classics playing at the Imperial Theatre on Yonge Street, June 30, 1967. Which of these is your fave? I’ll always have a soft-spot for The Raven.
This right here.
Not the poster's fault, but may I suggest studios doing this is another reason why the theatrical experience is being devalued
***PREORDER***
#WutheringHeights (2026) on #4K is now available to preorder on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3OmtBWb
#BluRay #Ad #PhysicalMedia #BluRays #BoutiqueBluRay #CultMovies #DiscConnected
#WutheringHeights (2026) on #4K is now available to preorder on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3OmtBWb
#BluRay #Ad #PhysicalMedia #BluRays #BoutiqueBluRay #CultMovies #DiscConnected
February 13, 2026 at 4:02 PM
This right here.
Reposted by Eric Veillette
STARTREK/PREM1.GIF
February 12, 2026 at 4:20 AM
STARTREK/PREM1.GIF
For this week’s Downtown Theatre newsletter, a look at the legendary, very-missed Rio Theatre on Yonge Street, which includes a chat with Mark Ulster, heir to the Rio legacy. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-rio-th...
The Rio Theatre: Part One
The enduring legacy of a fascinating Yonge Street grind-house
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:24 PM
For this week’s Downtown Theatre newsletter, a look at the legendary, very-missed Rio Theatre on Yonge Street, which includes a chat with Mark Ulster, heir to the Rio legacy. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-rio-th...
UHF on opening weekend, July 1989, more so cause it was rated 14A in Ontario and I somehow got in.
Have asked this before and always like the responses. What are your biggest “I saw that in the first run cinema” flexes? Couple of mine:
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Office Space (1999)
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Office Space (1999)
February 12, 2026 at 2:28 PM
UHF on opening weekend, July 1989, more so cause it was rated 14A in Ontario and I somehow got in.
Reposted by Eric Veillette
Janus Films just announced they're releasing Sophy Romvari's BLUE HERON in the US in April, which is wonderful news and had better yield a proper Criterion edition with all of Sophy's short films.
February 11, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Janus Films just announced they're releasing Sophy Romvari's BLUE HERON in the US in April, which is wonderful news and had better yield a proper Criterion edition with all of Sophy's short films.
We’re quite privileged in Ontario re: liquor sales in cinemas — plenty of theatres in other provinces (like B.C.) are still trying to lobby the government to open that up
Gotta support the places you want to be able to visit for years to come, which is why I almost always get at least a beer or better yet, a shameful tiki cocktail. Feels like its only been a few years since we in Ontario were trusted to be adults and have booze in any theatre seat.
February 10, 2026 at 7:50 PM
We’re quite privileged in Ontario re: liquor sales in cinemas — plenty of theatres in other provinces (like B.C.) are still trying to lobby the government to open that up
I was running the Revue when it finally got a liquor license, and yup, the per-head revenues jumped significantly and made a big impact on 2018 & 2019 fiscal. Margins can be a little tough, but it did (and I’m assuming continues to do) especially well during special event screenings.
I wonder if the ability to serve alcohol has been key in making some independent cinemas profitable or if it's just been a decent but not earth-shaking bit of extra revenue. Clearly the Revue is in another class entirely taking advantage of the new rules with its custom cocktails.
February 10, 2026 at 7:49 PM
I was running the Revue when it finally got a liquor license, and yup, the per-head revenues jumped significantly and made a big impact on 2018 & 2019 fiscal. Margins can be a little tough, but it did (and I’m assuming continues to do) especially well during special event screenings.
For CBC Arts, I pop into the history of the cinema snack bar. Once protested —“We are sorry to see our favourite movie house so undignified after many pleasant years,” someone once wrote in the Toronto Star— popcorn has since become a lifeline for a precarious industry.
www.cbc.ca/arts/movie-s...
www.cbc.ca/arts/movie-s...
Movie snack stands were once protested. Now they’re keeping the lights on | CBC Arts
During the Great Depression, film exhibitors were desperate for sales and started selling ‘carnival snacks’ like popcorn. Concessions have since become integral to the culture — and commerce — of cine...
www.cbc.ca
February 10, 2026 at 5:49 PM
For CBC Arts, I pop into the history of the cinema snack bar. Once protested —“We are sorry to see our favourite movie house so undignified after many pleasant years,” someone once wrote in the Toronto Star— popcorn has since become a lifeline for a precarious industry.
www.cbc.ca/arts/movie-s...
www.cbc.ca/arts/movie-s...
Thanks Will!
R.I.P. Peggy Stefans Sarno, wife and muse of the great skinflick artiste Joe Sarno. The great @veilletteinto.bsky.social has this post about the Sarnos' exhibition history in Toronto to mark the passing.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/joe-sarno-...
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/joe-sarno-...
February 8, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Thanks Will!
Horrifying read. Anyone in Canada who took piano lessons as a kid likely remembers Boris Berlin’s books. Turns out he was a monster.
Lusiana Lukman: Boris Berlin sexually abused me during my piano lessons when I was 15 #Opinion
Lusiana Lukman: Boris Berlin sexually abused me during my piano lessons when I was 15
I was 14 when I came to Canada to study and barely spoke English. I didn’t see myself as vulnerable at the time
www.thestar.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Horrifying read. Anyone in Canada who took piano lessons as a kid likely remembers Boris Berlin’s books. Turns out he was a monster.
“Candy is dandy but eight cents ain’t handy.” In this week’s Downtown Theatre newsletter, we leave the movie theatre & step out onto the streets where 200 students protested the rising cost of candy bars on May Day in 1947. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-great-...
The great candy bar uprising of 1947
The day 200 students took to Bloor Street over the price of candy.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:12 PM
“Candy is dandy but eight cents ain’t handy.” In this week’s Downtown Theatre newsletter, we leave the movie theatre & step out onto the streets where 200 students protested the rising cost of candy bars on May Day in 1947. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-great-...
This week’s newsletter looks at how a now-lost horror film was the first all-talking film to play Toronto screens in late 1928! The Terror, a haunted-house whodunit, opened at the Tivoli Theatre, a major downtown showplace, on December 28, 1928. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/talkies-th...
Talkies the talk of Toronto
Toronto’s first all-talking picture was a now-lost horror film.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:03 PM
This week’s newsletter looks at how a now-lost horror film was the first all-talking film to play Toronto screens in late 1928! The Terror, a haunted-house whodunit, opened at the Tivoli Theatre, a major downtown showplace, on December 28, 1928. thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/talkies-th...
Reposted by Eric Veillette
If you press that button Francis Coppola drives to your home to watch with you.
January 24, 2026 at 8:25 AM
If you press that button Francis Coppola drives to your home to watch with you.
The Outlaw & The Blue Dahlia — this week’s newsletter looks at the Ontario Censor Board’s creation of the “Adult Entertainment” classification in 1946 & how an age restriction wasn’t enough for some conservative lobby organizations.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/curves-cus...
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/curves-cus...
Curves, cussing & beer: Ontario film censorship in the 1940s
The Outlaw, The Blue Dahlia & The Postman Always Rings Twice among first films designated as “adult entertainment.”
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:05 PM
The Outlaw & The Blue Dahlia — this week’s newsletter looks at the Ontario Censor Board’s creation of the “Adult Entertainment” classification in 1946 & how an age restriction wasn’t enough for some conservative lobby organizations.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/curves-cus...
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/curves-cus...
Reposted by Eric Veillette
How much does that job pay? Employers still failing to comply with new salary transparency laws
How much does that job pay? Employers still failing to comply with new salary transparency laws
As of Jan. 1, job postings by employers with 25 or more workers are required to include salary ranges within $50,000, and alert prospective employees if artificial intelligence is used
www.thestar.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:14 PM
How much does that job pay? Employers still failing to comply with new salary transparency laws
Honoured to be the recipient of a Recommender Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, on the recommendation of @ecwpress.bsky.social. My book on the social history of moviegoing in Toronto—with a focus on rep cinema from the 1960s to the present—is taking shape. I’m deeply grateful for this support.
January 12, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Honoured to be the recipient of a Recommender Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, on the recommendation of @ecwpress.bsky.social. My book on the social history of moviegoing in Toronto—with a focus on rep cinema from the 1960s to the present—is taking shape. I’m deeply grateful for this support.
A 16mm print of Singin’ in the Rain screens at U of T tonight, but here are some ads from its Toronto premiere in 1952.
Eric Veillette (@ericveillette1)
Singin’ in the Rain premiered in Toronto at the Loew’s on Yonge Street on May 22, 1952. A gorgeous 16mm print of the film screens tonight at U of T’s Pop Up Cinematheque, and is the subject of a story...
substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:06 PM
A 16mm print of Singin’ in the Rain screens at U of T tonight, but here are some ads from its Toronto premiere in 1952.
Always happy to shed light on the very invisible labour in the archive world. If you attended a rare 35mm screening in a rep cinema or just watched a new boutique bluray, someone like Christina or Rachel made that all possible.
Thank you to @veilletteinto.bsky.social & Lance McMillan for the wonderful article, beautiful pictures & video in @thestar.com!! We are delighted about the wonderful warm light they have focused on our collections and Pop-Up Cinematheque! can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
These Toronto archivists are preserving rare and classic films for generations to come: ‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’
Christina Stewart and Rachel Beattie help maintain the University of Toronto's film library. The school's Pop-Up Cinematheque will be screening a 16-mm print of 'Singin' in the Rain' on Jan.
can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Always happy to shed light on the very invisible labour in the archive world. If you attended a rare 35mm screening in a rep cinema or just watched a new boutique bluray, someone like Christina or Rachel made that all possible.
Reposted by Eric Veillette
A great article on the efforts of the U of T Film Archive and their Pop-Up Cinémathèque. I'm still working on convincing them to make the Feb 9 screening of Zéro de conduite a back to back screening of the film (since it's only 41 minutes). ZdCX2!
“‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’ In today’s Toronto Star, I chat with the film archivists responsible for the Pop Up Cinematheque series at U of T www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
These Toronto archivists are preserving rare and classic films for generations to come: ‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’
Christina Stewart and Rachel Beattie help maintain the University of Toronto's film library. The school's Pop-Up Cinematheque will be screening a 16-mm print of 'Singin' in the Rain' on Jan.
www.thestar.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:12 PM
A great article on the efforts of the U of T Film Archive and their Pop-Up Cinémathèque. I'm still working on convincing them to make the Feb 9 screening of Zéro de conduite a back to back screening of the film (since it's only 41 minutes). ZdCX2!
“‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’ In today’s Toronto Star, I chat with the film archivists responsible for the Pop Up Cinematheque series at U of T www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
These Toronto archivists are preserving rare and classic films for generations to come: ‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’
Christina Stewart and Rachel Beattie help maintain the University of Toronto's film library. The school's Pop-Up Cinematheque will be screening a 16-mm print of 'Singin' in the Rain' on Jan.
www.thestar.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:09 PM
“‘Why do all the work if nobody gets to see it?’ In today’s Toronto Star, I chat with the film archivists responsible for the Pop Up Cinematheque series at U of T www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
For the first Downtown Theatre column of the year, a fascinating look back at a 1923 popularity contest pitting Harold Lloyd against Charlie Chaplin. The results may surprise you! thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-great-...
The Great Harold Lloyd & Charlie Chaplin Popularity Contest of 1923
How a Toronto vote reframes modern ideas about silent comedy stardom.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:55 PM
For the first Downtown Theatre column of the year, a fascinating look back at a 1923 popularity contest pitting Harold Lloyd against Charlie Chaplin. The results may surprise you! thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/the-great-...
Reposted by Eric Veillette
![[A fist strangling a snake with swastika eyes.]
NO
MERCY
FOR FASCISM](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:eppsmw5nfmdzhfeymtzd3xbe/bafkreidkc2oyqccejtcpmi7qsax2yvvf6qraxfgdqyaxoyunnlzw3defpe@jpeg)
Reposted by Eric Veillette
We mourn the loss of Amos Poe. A fixture of the '70s New York art scene that produced legends in every medium, he made several films before getting a chance at the relative "big time" with ALPHABET CITY. We were so proud to launch FCE with AC and to have Amos be a part of it. ❤️ to his loved ones.
December 27, 2025 at 1:45 AM
We mourn the loss of Amos Poe. A fixture of the '70s New York art scene that produced legends in every medium, he made several films before getting a chance at the relative "big time" with ALPHABET CITY. We were so proud to launch FCE with AC and to have Amos be a part of it. ❤️ to his loved ones.
It’s March, 1970. A Yonge St cinema circumvents the Ontario censor board, ends up on trial for showing Russ Meyer’s Vixen & prompts a debate on the future of film censorship in the provincial legislature. This is the wild story of Cinema 2000.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/cinema-200...
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/cinema-200...
Cinema 2000: Part One
How a Yonge Street theatre beat the Ontario Censor Board.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
It’s March, 1970. A Yonge St cinema circumvents the Ontario censor board, ends up on trial for showing Russ Meyer’s Vixen & prompts a debate on the future of film censorship in the provincial legislature. This is the wild story of Cinema 2000.
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/cinema-200...
thedowntowntheatre.substack.com/p/cinema-200...