Sandbox World

Pop Culture Pix

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On its third anniversary, the “new” Moishes has indeed arrived as one of the city’s top steakhouses

Moishes Steakhouse has enjoyed a special place in my palate ever since I can remember. Come back with me to the days when this iconic restaurant was located on St. Laurent Blvd.  It was situated at the second level of an industrial building noted for its large parking lot, where the attendant remembered the owner of each vehicle and spotted them coming a block ahead. The coat check fellow was…

On its third anniversary, the “new” Moishes has indeed arrived as one of the city’s top steakhouses

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The Night Nick Auf der Maur Met Jack Kerouac

What began as a meeting between a young Montreal journalist and one of America’s most celebrated writers became an unforgettable encounter that revealed the complicated relationship between genius, identity and the myths we build around our heroes. On Friday, August 14, 1987, Nick Auf der Maur looked back on a night that had begun with poetry, laughter and spirited conversation before ending in…

The Night Nick Auf der Maur Met Jack Kerouac

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Last Summer (1969): Rediscovering a Forgotten Masterpiece

My wife always laughs because she knows exactly where she’ll find me when the television is on. Nine times out of ten, it’s Turner Classic Movies. Every week, I record at least five films, convinced I’ve already worked my way through most of the classics worth watching. Somehow, the good folks at TCM always prove me wrong, introducing me to another forgotten gem that slipped past me over the…

Last Summer (1969): Rediscovering a Forgotten Masterpiece

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From the Ashes of War to the Moon: The Dream Before Apollo

When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon on July 20, 1969, history celebrated one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Nearly 650 million people watched as he took those first careful steps across the lunar surface, proving that what generations had only imagined had finally become reality. Apollo 11 has become the defining image of the Space Age, yet the older I get, the more I wonder if…

From the Ashes of War to the Moon: The Dream Before Apollo

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Peter Sellers: The Man Who Became Everyone Except Himself

Peter Sellers spent his entire career pretending to be someone else. The strange part is that he wasn’t entirely sure who he was when the cameras stopped rolling. That contradiction produced some of the funniest performances ever put on film, but it also created one of cinema’s most fascinating actors. Few performers have ever hidden themselves so completely behind their characters, and even…

Peter Sellers: The Man Who Became Everyone Except Himself

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The Catcher in the Rye at 75: When the Myth Became Bigger Than the Book

Here’s a theory I’ve had for a long time. Most people know The Catcher in the Rye. Far fewer actually know The Catcher in the Rye. That probably sounds ridiculous until you stop and think about it. Millions of people know the novel was controversial. They know Holden Caulfield hates “phonies.” They know J.D. Salinger became one of the most famous reclusive authors in literary history. They know…

The Catcher in the Rye at 75: When the Myth Became Bigger Than the Book

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The Secret Lives We Live in Our Cars

Part One: How the Automobile Became Our Second Home Have you ever pulled into your driveway, turned off the engine, and then just… stayed there for a while? Maybe it was only a minute. Maybe it was ten. The radio was off, your phone could wait, and nobody was expecting anything from you. You just sat there, looking through the windshield, thinking about absolutely nothing or perhaps everything…

The Secret Lives We Live in Our Cars

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How Montreal Quietly Shaped One of Alternative Rock's Most Remarkable Artists

Long before she joined Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Auf der Maur was shaped by Montreal’s clubs, classrooms and creative spirit. Her new book, My ’90s Rock Photographs, reminds us why the city’s musical legacy and its last great analog decade still matter today. When people talk about the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s, cities like Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles usually…

How Montreal Quietly Shaped One of Alternative Rock's Most Remarkable Artists

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Declaration / Emancipation Illustrated Review: Robert Sikoryak Makes History Fun

Most parody exists to make us laugh. Robert “R.” Sikoryak certainly does that, but the laughter is only the beginning. Beneath every visual joke is another purpose entirely. His parody invites readers to engage with literature, history, and ideas they might never have explored otherwise, and that’s what makes his work so remarkable. His latest release, Declaration / Emancipation Illustrated from…

Declaration / Emancipation Illustrated Review: Robert Sikoryak Makes History Fun

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Betty Boop: The Flapper Who Never Went Out of Style

The best cartoons don’t just make us laugh. They accidentally preserve history. Animated characters weren’t created in a vacuum. They reflected the fashions, music, slang, and attitudes of the people who first watched them. Long before television became the dominant form of entertainment, cartoon characters were capturing the spirit of the times. Betty Boop wasn’t simply invented as a funny…

Betty Boop: The Flapper Who Never Went Out of Style

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Why Every Cat Thinks Your TV is a Window

Screen Grab – 4K As a cat owner who recently celebrated my cat Marble’s first birthday, I couldn’t help but relate to Simon’s Cat’s latest encounter with television. Marble has become completely fascinated with YouTube bird feeder videos. I’ll put one on and watch him stare at the screen as birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and every other hungry visitor gather around what looks like an endless…

Why Every Cat Thinks Your TV is a Window

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Batman's Greatest Superpower Isn't Money. It's Accounting.

Part One of a three-part Sandbox World series exploring the practical questions comic books never stop to ask. The Business of Batman Ask almost anyone what Batman’s greatest superpower is, and you’ll probably hear the same answer. It isn’t his detective skills, his discipline, or his willingness to fight criminals who are stronger than he is. Most people point to Bruce Wayne’s fortune because…

Batman's Greatest Superpower Isn't Money. It's Accounting.

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Star Trek Turns 60: Was This the Anniversary Fans Were Waiting For?

Like many fans of my generation, I didn’t discover Star Trek: The Original Series during its original run. I found it in afternoon reruns, and as a kid, I couldn’t wait for the next episode. Every week, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and the crew of the Enterprise took me somewhere new. The stories were exciting, the characters were unforgettable, and the idea that humanity could put aside…

Star Trek Turns 60: Was This the Anniversary Fans Were Waiting For?

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Montreal's Film Noir: Why the Lachine Canal Was Made for Classic Cinema

Can a city have a film genre? It’s a strange question, but it first occurred to me after attending Film Noir au Canal last summer. Sitting beside the Lachine Canal while watching The Third Man, I suddenly realized that every great city has its own personality. New York often feels like a crime thriller. Paris naturally lends itself to romance. Los Angeles practically invented the modern…

Montreal's Film Noir: Why the Lachine Canal Was Made for Classic Cinema

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Why Question Mark and the Mysterians Still Matter Today

Now and then, a news story reminds me why I fell in love with music in the first place. That was exactly my reaction when I heard Question Mark and the Mysterians would reunite for a free outdoor anniversary concert celebrating “96 Tears.” My first thought wasn’t about the concert itself. It was about a record I played over and over again during my days as a college radio DJ. Every time that…

Why Question Mark and the Mysterians Still Matter Today

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Why Do Comic Book Villains Always Wear Green and Purple?

One of the things my daughter and I have always bonded over is comic books. We can lose an entire evening talking about superheroes, arguing over which movie finally got a character right, or debating questions that most people probably never stop to ask. That’s half the fun of being comic book geeks. One innocent observation almost always leads to another, and before you know it, we’re both…

Why Do Comic Book Villains Always Wear Green and Purple?

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The Forgotten Movie Behind Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night

Every famous song has a beginning. Few begin with a movie almost everyone has forgotten. Sometimes pop culture works in mysterious ways. A blockbuster movie can disappear from memory while a song it inspired lives on forever. That is exactly what happened with A Man Could Get Killed, a 1966 spy comedy starring James Garner, Sandra Dee, Melina Mercouri, Tony Franciosa, and Robert Coote. Ask…

The Forgotten Movie Behind Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night