Eyesore Cinema is a new specialty DVD rental and sales shop on the second floor of 801 Queen St. W. where the Songbird Music used to be.

Not to be confused with the other eyesore cinema, Eyesore Cinema (the video store) has been open just under six weeks. Other than one wall covered with movie posters, the decor in the place still lives up to the store name. To their credit, they've already got a killer selection of over 3,300 videos.

"The manager Daniel Hanna used to manage the old Suspect Video store that burned down at 619 Queen Street West," says Justin Lourenco, the helpful fellow behind the counter.

"We're hoping to be the video store for people who love movies. You come here because you don't want to go into a Blockbuster store. We carry more of the strange films. Newer horror, stuff from Japan, exploitation cinema and old Italian Giallo thrillers from the '60s and '70s."

Sometimes when I'm choosing what films to write about for the upcoming week, I'm reminded that one of the beautiful things about film in Toronto is that we treat it as something more than simply popcorn entertainment.

The film medium has been used by activists and explorers, scholars and dictators throughout it's entire lifespan, and in this city we really know how to appreciate a compelling story with a dose of reality to it, or a documentary that will change your perspective on things and give you something to sink your teeth into.

These are the types of films I recommend this week. Well, that and a free suspense film, and some Japanese short films too.

Playing an active role and influencing the flow of the plot isn't something you can usually do as a film viewer. Tomorrow night, however, audience members at the NFB Mediatheque will be treated to a unique film experience when they participate in an interactive film screening of Late Fragment.

This special screening will also feature an informative panel discussion about the making of interactive film, and includes director Mateo Guez, producer Anita Lee, editor Roslyn Kalloo, and line producer Tina Santiago.

Want to go? blogTO has 10 pairs of free tickets to give away to readers eager to get in on the experience, and details about how you can buy tickets if you're not a winner today.

This October, there will be gardening, butchering, pop star idoling, porn star ogling and chainsaw maids a-chaining... basically a little bit of everything thanks to the Toronto Japanese Short Film Festival. Now in its 6th year of programming fantastic short selections from the land of the rising sun, the festival has screened over 130 films to over 5000 audience members with hopefully many more to come.

Divided into five programs, (all named after fruits!) the festival runs from October 7th-10th with every program screening twice, giving you more than enough chance to see all the films.

Harvey Lalonde, 46 years old. The South Annex.

Nuit Blanche, Summerworks, HotDocs, TIFF, Reel Asian, Toronto After Dark...what do all of these major Toronto festivals have in common?

Harvey Lalonde, volunteer God.

This week in film really kicks it up a notch, with yet another fantastic Free Friday Film, one last film screening under the stars, a documentary about who controls your food and what they do with it, a festival of films that are short and sweet, classic cinema offerings you have to see, for the first or dozenth time... and did I mention a funky forest?