kate here. speaking with a certain joe swanberg i know tonight reminded me of the montreal world film festival in september 2005. the prostitutes/"tudies" we saw, the hotel we slept in, and the cheap, cheap pizza places.

welcome to canada, everything's in french, and every single corner hosts a 99 cent pizza place! we were at the festival with "kissing on the mouth". the hotel was barely paying for us (us being the cast/crew of KOTM) to stay in it, and we were broke. enter rock 'n roll pizza.

i believe the first time we stopped in this establishment was the first night we were in montreal. it was late, and nothing much was open. except for rnr. i didn't enjoy a slice that first night, i believe it was kris and/or joe who first enjoyed it. but i do know we went back many, many times. 99 cents for a slice the size you get at any chicago pizza place? booyah.

it was around the corner, off of a very main street near our hotel (which was a really classy, not our style hotel, by the way). neon sign, greasy counter, and the lamest/coolest owner. i couldn't tell, due to the high counter, whether he was tall or not. but picture any typical pizza place owner with graying hair, 60ish, bad accent, and cheap pizza, and you've nailed this guy. i went in one night, probably around 3 in the morning, with laura. while we were waiting for our slices, the owner's back turned, she whispered to me how she was nervous to be in here. the previous night (i told you we went there always) the owner hit on her. going so far as pleading with her to meet him for a drink after the shop closed. she politely declined, took her cheese pizza, and left.

but she was back. we had to go back! everything was in french! we were broke! the only language we understood was 99 cent rock 'n roll pizza. granted, there were hundreds of other 99cent places, but rnr was honestly opened until like dawn or something crazy like that.

ah montreal. how i miss your "tudies," your girlie clubs on every corner, your condom stores, you gourmet gelato/chocolate shop, the poutine, and the way i felt illiterate from reading french signs for a week. i'll never forget the lord of the rings inspired store, complete with life-sized statues of gandolf and ... elijah wood out front.

but mostly, i'll never forget you, rock 'n roll pizza.

reminiscing/condescending, kate

rock 'n roll pizza
...
montreal, quebec
canada