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Toronto vintage film expert denying child-pornography charges

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For nearly three decades, vintage film buffs in Toronto have filed into a makeshift theatre inside the Bathurst St. home of Reg Hartt to watch everything from uncensored Bugs Bunny cartoons to Nazi propaganda films.

Their host, an iconic film archivist, writer and alternative movie house operator with an international reputation, is now facing child pornography charges stemming from a police search of his computer in May. Hartt, who was released on bail after two days in jail last year, has continued showing films from his home as he awaits trial.

In an interview in his 17-seat home theatre Saturday, the 72-year-old denied the charges which include two counts of possessing child pornography, two counts of accessing child pornography and one count of “making available” child pornography.

“I don’t download kiddie porn,” he said.

Det.-Sgt. Paul Krawczyk, who heads Toronto Police’s child exploitation section, confirmed to the Star Saturday that Hartt’s charges followed an undercover search warrant investigation into alleged child exploitation.

Hartt says that two months before the charges were laid in May, a man he didn’t know came to one of his film screenings. He asked to use the Wi-Fi. Hartt says he provided him with access.

“That was March 18,” he says. “When the police came and charged me they said that’s when the images were downloaded. It wasn’t me doing it.”

Hartt’s lawyer, Mitch Engel, says his client has a strong defence.

“He shows movies from his home. It’s a situation where his computers are accessible to anyone who views his films.”

Police seized all the devices in Hartt’s house when they arrested him last May and found 250 images “that could be found in pornography museums around the world or reputable bookstores around the world,” Hartt says.

Hartt’s bail conditions say he cannot contact or communicate with anyone under 16 years of age unless accompanied by his “surety,” he cannot attend a public park or public swimming area, possess or use computers or devices with internet access unless for employment or seeking counsel and must not possess any images or videos of anyone under the age of 16.

It’s not the first time Hartt has had to defend himself from child pornography allegations.

A 2012, an anonymous poster campaign targeting Hartt claimed he had “possessed and displayed material of ‘children in sexual situations,’” and, in bold-type, read: “BOYS BEWARE.” Another poster alleged Hartt watched “local school kids walking home.”

Hartt told the Globe and Mail at the time that he, “acknowledges the danger he is in, noting that pedophilia is society’s great taboo.”

On Saturday, Hartt said those allegations — along with the current charges — are tied to a long-standing feud with a former housemate.

A 2014 police complaint report obtained by the Star details allegations from a man who used to live at Hartt’s home — the two men knew each other for 25 years — who moved out “after he began receiving information that Reg was recording video of young boys,” it alleges. The two men later came into conflict over competing businesses posting flyers in the city, leading to “serious allegations” between the two, the police report reads.

“I knew this day was coming,” Hartt said. “I’ve thought about shutting down. But I decided you got to man up or shut up. And I decided to man up.”

His cluttered first-floor parlour is dubbed Cineforum — a room where he screens alternative movies, holds poetry readings and cultural gatherings that have attracted Torontonians since the early 1990s. Set against a large screen and grey reclining chairs, the room is filled with classic movie posters and film memorabilia from Frankenstein’s mask to a statue of Daffy Duck.

Hartt claims a full library of films from Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers and Greta Garbo — a collection that draws an audience most nights of the week, he says.

It’s the place that has made Hartt a prominent, often polarizing cultural figure in the city, praised by many for his encyclopedic knowledge of film and targeted by city officials and critics for his unusual methods.

His candid writing on his website delves into his youth in New Brunswick (where he says he grew up “hating myself” as a gay person), his move to Toronto with his family as a teen, his deep spiritual faith and his life’s work as a film archivist.

In a 2016 post on his website, he defines Cineforum this way: “It is a combination of Plato’s Symposia (drinking parties where ideas were discussed often followed by sexual encounters between the participants who were male), First Century Christianity (which has none of the attitudes toward ordinary people and sex we find from 3rd Century on), the SALONS of the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century.”

Hartt’s movie-screening career actually dates back to the 1960s when he began showing films in a sequence of downtown Toronto venues that brought growing profile and attracted cultural luminaries such as the late urbanist Jane Jacobs. Over the years the sometimes combative impresario has had repeated run-ins with the city over this film showings and the ubiquitously-plastered posters advertising his events which prompted threats of shutdown.

“For the last twenty years the City Of Toronto seems to have been doing everything in its power to curtail my work,” reads a Jan. 17 post on Hartt’s website. “This despite the fact that that work has won and is winning praise from around the world … I’m beginning to see it is time I got the f— out of Toronto.”

The next court appearance to set a date for trial is scheduled for Feb. 15.

Robert Cribb can be reached at rcribb@thestar.ca or on Twitter @thecribby

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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