Item From the Past: Montreal Movie Marquee 2002

May 27. The day was devoted largely to the Olympic Park (or Parc Olympique, as Baron de Coubertin might call it), which has a number of worthwhile attractions. The complex was built for the ’76 Games in a monumental concrete style common in the ’60s and ’70s. Perhaps at the time it was the look of the future, but now — in the actual future — it just looks like old concrete. Still, the vast Centre Aquatique, its pools now open to the public, was fun.

In the vicinity of the park is the StarCité Montréal, a multiplex. Not sure if there was any Canadian content among the featured attractions (does there have to be?). Star Wars II: L'Attaque Des Clones was prominently advertised. We felt zero urge to see any movies, even one that might benefit from dubbing in a language we don't understand.

[I checked the StarCité Montréal's web site today, May 23, 2010, and found that at least Le journal d'Aurélie Laflamme (which seems to be a Québécois movie) is playing, along with Millenium 3: La reine dans le palais des courants d'airs or The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, which is Danish. Also playing today: Alice au pays des merveilles; Dragons; Iron Man 2; Le plan B (would the L'Académie française approve of that title? Do the Québécoise care?); Les griffes de la nuit (Nightmare on Elm Street); Lettres à Juliette; Océans; Petite vengeance poilue (which stars Brendan Fraser, who is technically Canadian); Robin des bois and Shrek 4 Il était une fin.]

We also visited the nearby Biodôme, a kind of indoor botanic garden and zoo featuring all manner of leafy plants and small animals in distinct habitats. Among other creatures, it had a remarkable array of little poison frogs, exactly as colorful as on brochures for ecotours. The Olympic Park is also home to a famous inclined tower overlooking the Olympic Stadium — now as emblematic of Montreal as the Tower of the Americas is to San Antonio or the Space Needle to Seattle. The thing to do there is ride a funicular to the top and see greater Montreal. And so we did.