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    The Force Entertains, but Does it Awaken Anything New?

    Spoilers Ahead Star Wars: The Force Awakens is pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be. It’s fun, well-produced, and has great visual effects and action scenes. Tonally, it feels reminiscent of the original trilogy but technologically compatible with today’s standards. It touts itself as a Star Wars for a new generation, and in that respect, it delivers admirably. But underneath its flashy veneer, does the movie have much in the way of substance? Its plot and themes are essentially a retread of those in the original trilogy. Like Lucas infamously said in one of his interviews about the prequels, “it’s like poetry, it rhymes.” No longer is…

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    The Best Lesser-Known International Cuisine in Toronto

    We’ve all had sushi, pizza, burritos, shawarmas, and various other well-known international fare. But in a city with as many nationalities represented as Toronto, an entire world of cuisine is at your fingertips, just waiting to be discovered. Many of these food items are delicious, underrated, and—to the average Canadian—unfamiliar. Any one of these could end up being your new favourite food item. Okonomiyaki Okonomi House Restaurant 23 Charles St. W., Toronto, On., M4Y 2R4 Okonomiyaki is colloquially known as the “Japanese pancake”, but it’s really unlike any pancake you’ve ever had before. As opposed to the more ubiquitous sushi and other typical Japanese fare, this dish, commonly eaten as…

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    Spectre (2015) is thrilling entertainment

    If you liked Skyfall, and want more of the same, then Spectre will not disappoint. Like Skyfall, it carries on with the more serious and semi-realistic tone of the Craig Bond movies, but with an appropriate injection of humour and nostalgic references to older Bond films. One particular throwback moment I enjoyed was a reprieve of the famous “hello, Pussy” line from Goldfinger. The film’s greatest strength lies in its action sequences, its humour, and its tone. It feels like classic Bond in many ways, and embodies a nice mixture of novelty and well-loved old tropes. The opening sequence, featuring a stunning tracking shot, atmospheric Mexican drums, costumes and architecture,…