Hollywood North

My first clue that something unusual was happening on my walk to work last week was the trucks and trailers full of equipment. Once I saw the overturned cars (including some that were cut in half, surrounded by block-shaped debris), it became obvious: I was on a film set! It turns out that the movie being filmed was Pixels, starring Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage and Ashley Benson, all of whom were spotted on campus near the Huron Street set. It's apparently about a group of video gamers charged with fending off an 8-bit alien attack, which makes the giant blocks/pixels make a lot more sense! It was great to talk about the set with you all on the Life @ U of T Facebook and Twitter pages, especially when some of you got to meet the stars of the film. The timing was perfect, since the week before I asked you on social media about your favourite movies and TV shows filmed at U of T (I’m not psychic, I swear!). Since my movie-related excitement hasn’t yet died down, I thought I’d share my own personal favourite on-screen U of T sightings.

5. The Incredible Hulk (2008) I've never actually seen this one, but the screenshot that @UofTGradRoom shared with me on Twitter was too good not to include! The film features the destruction of beautiful Knox College, and apparently also a military invasion of the Koffler Building.

4. Fringe (pilot, 2008) The pilot of the science fiction show also features Knox College (understandable, it's gorgeous there!), as well as UC and King's College Circle. I remember crowding into a common room with friends in first year to watch this episode, solely to spot our new campus home. 3. One Week (2008) I loved this movie about a cross-country journey in search of meaning when I was in high school. But since I was about to move to Toronto to go to U of T, the most exciting part was definitely the montage at the end, when the main character returns to the city. I can't find a picture of it, but there were shots of both Trinity College and the statue in Queen's Park!

2. Mean Girls (2004) You saw this coming, right? Mean Girls is pretty much a classic. In case you saw it back before you were familiar with U of T, the mathletes competition towards the end was filmed in our very own Convocation Hall!

1. Orphan Black (2013-present) Orphan Black is seriously one of the best things on TV right now. If you haven't seen the science fiction thriller yet, your homework is to watch the first episode tonight! Tatiana Maslany plays a group of clones, and the range of their personalities and mannerisms is astounding. One of the clones is a graduate student studying evolutionary developmental biology, so she spends a fair amount of time at collegiate locations like the above St. Michael's College. What are your favourite movies or TV shows filmed on campus, U of T?