Rob Ford Falling Video

10 videos worth re-watching from 2012

From the funny to the frightful, here are 10 videos from 2012 worth watching all over again

It's end of year review time, and what better way to start to wrap up 2012 than by watching Rob Ford fall, Batman scare people, and talking dogs protest the plastic bag ban? It wasn't necessarily a banner year for viral videos from Toronto, but there's good entertainment to be had from the selection below, which also includes some stunning timelapse sequences of the city. Enjoy! And let us know of any we missed so that we can add them to the post.

Rob Ford hits the astroturf
When people fall down it's often funny. Perhaps it shouldn't be, perhaps we should collectively express sympathy (even empathy) at the site of someone taking an embarrassing tumble, but, come on, it's almost impossible to do so. And when the subject in question is Rob Ford — hitting the deck while showing off his putative football prowess — well then you have the recipe for a so-called viral video.

Rob Ford says "subways" for 10 minutes
Subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways, subways. Rob Ford likes subways. But he hasn't got them yet.

City Rising and Planet Toronto (timelapses)
2012 saw its fair share of timelapse sequences featuring Toronto, but two stood heads and tails above the rest in terms of pure visual stimulation, Tom Ryaboi's "City Rising" and Ryan Emond's "Planet Toronto," the latter of which was shot for Toronto Tourism. Both videos feature gorgeous sequences of the city from atop our tallest buildings, but it's the little details (people milling about in their apartments, changing weather systems, etc.) that make them both more than the sum of their parts.

Toronto Batman
Yes, the whole schtick got a bit stale after the first video, but the sight of "Batman" riding the subway, scaring people and shouting "where are they?" was worth more than a few laughs the first time around. The lesson: quit while you're ahead — something that the caped crusader has always struggled with.

What happens after dark at TYPE Books
Who thought that after hours could be so interesting at a bookstore? Sean and Lisa Ohlenkamp's stop-motion sequence turns TYPE books into a veritable playground, and offers a subtle reminder that even if the author is dead, the text certainly is not.

Lemon Bucket Orkestra at Pearson
Flight delays suck, especially when you're stuck on the tarmac. That is unless the Lemon Bucket Orkestra happens to be on your plane bearing their instruments. In flight entertainment, indeed.

Pho fight!
Things fall apart. Especially on Halloween after all the drinks. No one's going to win any medals for representing the human race in this impromptu brawl at a pho restaurant, but it's hard not to watch the whole thing unfold. Oh, and the tough guy throwing plates was eventually arrested.

Dogs help to reverse the plastic bag ban
Dogs. Dogma. This one probably doesn't make the list if it wasn't for the fact that the bag ban was reversed. Canine power — believe in it, guys.

Jeff Harris's 14+ year photo project
This video slipped under the radar a bit, but it's a fascinating documentation of what Toronto-based photographer Jeff Harris has been up to for now almost 15 years. Beautiful images and a compelling story, this one is not to be missed.


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