History UsefulNotes / Montreal

-->--''Bowser and Blue on the city's infamously poor road conditions.

* ''Film/TheJackal''

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's strong laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in which the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation--sometimes people like to give an extra twist of the knife by printing the English in harder to read grayscale italics). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. There are several enclaves of English speakers within the city: the predominantly Hasidic neighbourhood Outremont, the largely Jamaican and Iranian Notre Dame des Grace (NDG), Westmount, and parts of St. Henri. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia) as well as two French ones (Universite de Montreal and UQAM). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major North American cities.

Montreal is known for its epic music scene. Having been hailed as the most creative city in North America in the early 2000s, it has produced such bands as Music/ArcadeFire, Malajube, Young Galaxy (recent Polaris prize shortlisters), Stars, Coeur de Pirate, Wolf Parade, The Stills, and The Dears. As well it is home to music royalty Music/LeonardCohen and Music/RufusWainwright, among others. The yearly Montreal Jazz Festival is a huge event that draws in dozens of the biggest names in the genre. [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Surprisingly, there is also a very big]] TechnicalDeathMetal following; numerous big names in the genre (Music/{{Cryptopsy}}, Music/{{Neuraxis}}, Martyr, Augury, Beyond Creation, Quo Vadis, etc.) hail from either the city proper or surrounding locales, and touring acts in the genre are likely to experience sold-out crowds at Les Foufounes Electriques, the city's longstanding go-to venue for underground touring acts.

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's strong laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in which the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation--sometimes people like to give an extra twist of the knife by printing the English in harder to read grayscale italics). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major North American cities.

Tourists are advised to stay in the downtown area, cars and all; there's bars and restaurants everywhere and a strip club every other block on St. Catherine's (we're quite serious: St. Catherine's goes bar, restaurant, bar, strip club, interesting shops (''that'' kind and not), museum, bar, strip club, etc.). Also, the Montreal {{Gayborhood}} is centered on St. Catherine's just east of Downtown. Generally a good deal. Also, whatever you do, do ''not'' wear a Boston Bruins shirt. [[BerserkButton It will end very badly]]; "LES TABARNAK DE BRUINS!" is practically the city's motto.

* ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', doubling for UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}, and sections of the Pentagon scene are actually from the Arts Building at [=McGill=] University.

Montreal is known for its epic music scene. Having been hailed as the most creative city in North America in the early 2000s, it has produced such bands as ArcadeFire, Malajube, Young Galaxy (recent Polaris prize shortlisters), Stars, Coeur de Pirate, Wolf Parade, The Stills, and The Dears. As well it is home to music royalty LeonardCohen and RufusWainwright, among others. The yearly Montreal Jazz Festival is a huge event that draws in dozens of the biggest names in the genre. [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Surprisingly, there is also a very big]] TechnicalDeathMetal following; numerous big names in the genre (Music/{{Cryptopsy}}, Music/{{Neuraxis}}, Martyr, Augury, Beyond Creation, Quo Vadis, etc.) hail from either the city proper or surrounding locales, and touring acts in the genre are likely to experience sold-out crowds at Les Foufounes Electriques, the city's longstanding go-to venue for underground touring acts.

Montreal is known for its epic music scene. Having been hailed as the most creative city in North America in the early 2000s, it has produced such bands as ArcadeFire, Malajube, Young Galaxy (recent Polaris prize shortlisters), Stars, Coeur de Pirate, Wolf Parade, The Stills, and The Dears. As well it is home to music royalty LeonardCohen and RufusWainwright, among others. The yearly Montreal Jazz Festival is a huge event that draws in dozens of the biggest names in the genre.

Tourists are advised to stay in the downtown area, cars and all; there's bars and restaurants everywhere and a strip club every other block on St. Catherine's (we're quite serious: St. Catherine's goes bar, restaurant, bar, strip club, interesting shops (''that'' kind and not), museum, bar, strip club, etc.). Also, the Montreal {{Gayborhood}} is centered on St. Catherine's just east of Downtown. Generally a good deal.

* ''LaPetiteVie''

* ''LaPetiteVie''

* ''BeingHumanRemake'', doubling for UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}

-->--''BowserAndBlue on the city's infamously poor road conditions.

* ''Film/18toLife''

!!Films and TV Series set in Montreal

Close proximity to Quebec has another interesting effect on Vermont and far northern New York. As they sit right next to a French-speaking area that has far more people than they do (and which sends a lot of tourists their way), it is one of the few regions of the country where French, not Spanish, is the default second language. Road signage on parts of the Adirondack Northway is in English and French while I-89 in Vermont has signs with distances in kilometers, the tourist guides at Fort Ticonderoga (or Fort Carillon, the French name for it) are printed in both languages, and it's not uncommon to hear people on the street speaking in French.

* ''18toLife''
* ''TheJackal''

* ''TheWholeNineYards''

* ''TakingLives'' (which they clearly showed with the establishing shots of the Château Frontenac, [[ArtisticLicenseGeography the most famous landmark in Quebec City]])
* ''{{Blades of Glory}}''
* ''BonCopBadCop''

* ''{{The Fly}}'' and its sequel, ''Return Of The Fly''
* ''JacobTwoTwo'' (the 2000's animated series)

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's strong laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in which the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation--sometimes people like to give an extra twist of the knife by printing the English in harder to read grayscale italics). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major north american cities.

Montreal is Canada's second-largest city. It is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world (after, of course, UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}).[[note]]A few argue that [[UsefulNotes/DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo Kinshasa]] and [[UsefulNotes/IvoryCoast Abidjan]] come between Paris and Montreal, but those cities being in Africa, the locals only speak French as a language of administration, education, and sometimes trade, with the language of home and much if not most business being local; in Montreal, French is unquestionably dominant, although English has a secondary role in government, business, and education.[[/note]] Its most famous structure, the Olympic Stadium, was home to the Expos baseball team until they [[strike:got a timeshare in Puerto Rico]] became the Washington Nationals. The Bell Centre (formerly the Molson Centre) is the home of the Montreal Canadiens (who previously called the storied Montreal Forum home), the oldest hockey team in the NHL and the team that has won the most Stanley Cups (24 in all, one of which predates the NHL -- though they haven't been doing so well in the last two decades). While not as big a filming centre as UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, quite a few movies are still filmed in Montreal. Its wide range of architecture allows the city to act as a cheap stand-in for many European cities. Montreal is also the home of a few VideoGame design studios: Creator/{{Ubisoft}} Montreal (''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'' series and ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''); Creator/ElectronicArts Montreal (''ArmyOfTwo''); [[Creator/SquareEnix Eidos Montreal]] (''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'') and the late Creator/{{THQ}} Montreal. The annual Just for Laughs Comedy Festival is the largest comedy festival in the world.

* ''{{Big Wolf on Campus}}''

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's strong laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in which the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation--sometimes people like to give an extra twist of the knife by printing the English in harder to read grayscale italics). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major Canadian cities.

Tourists are advised to stay in the downtown area, cars and all; not only is English widely accepted downtown but there's bars and restaurants everywhere and a strip club every other block on St. Catherine's (we're quite serious: St. Catherine's goes bar, restaurant, bar, strip club, interesting shops (''that'' kind and not), museum, bar, strip club, etc.). Also, the Montreal {{Gayborhood}} is centered on St. Catherine's just east of Downtown. Generally a good deal.

Montreal is known for its epic music scene. Having been hailed as the most creative city in North America in the early 2000s, it has produced such bands as ArcadeFire, Malajube, Young Galaxy (recent Polaris prize shortlisters), Stars, Coeur de Pirate, Wolf Parade, The Stills, and The Dears. As well it is home to music royalty LeonardCohen and RufusWainwright, among others.

* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash'', though everyone involved would rather just forget.

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's strong laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in with the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation--sometimes people like to give an extra twist of the knife by printing the English in harder to read grayscale italics). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major Canadian cities.

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city despite the province's fierce laws protecting its French heritage (which most obviously manifests itself in the rules regarding public signage in with the French words must be printed in bigger letters and more prominently than the English translation). Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major Canadian cities.

Montreal is Canada's second-largest city. It is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world (after, of course, UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}).[[note]]A few argue that [[UsefulNotes/DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo Kinshasa]] and [[UsefulNotes/IvoryCoast Abidjan]] come between Paris and Montreal, but those cities being in Africa, the locals only speak French as a language of administration, education, and sometimes trade, with the language of home and much if not most business being local; in Montreal, French is unquestionably dominant, although English has a secondary role in government, business, and education.[[/note]] Its most famous structure, the Olympic Stadium, was home to the Expos baseball team until they [[strike:got a timeshare in Puerto Rico]] became the Washington Nationals. The Bell Centre (formerly the Molson Centre) is the home of the Montreal Canadiens (who previously called the storied Montreal Forum home), the oldest hockey team in the NHL and the team that has won the most Stanley Cups (24 in all, one of which predates the NHL -- though they haven't been doing so well in the last two decades). While not as big a filming centre as UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, quite a few movies are still filmed in Montreal. Its wide range of architecture allows the city to act as a cheap stand-in for many European cities. Montreal is also the home of a few VideoGame design studios: Creator/{{Ubisoft}} Montreal (''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'' series and ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''); Creator/ElectronicArts Montreal (''ArmyOfTwo''); [[Creator/SquareEnix Eidos Montreal]] (''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'') and the late Creator/{{THQ}} Montreal.

Montreal is not an unequivocally French city. Especially in the downtown area around Ste. Catherine Street even more so when approaching the largely English suburb of Westmount, quite a few of its inhabitants are native English-speakers (often [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Jewish]]), who often adopt a culture closer to American/English Canadian culture than their French compatriots. The city also plays host to two predominantly English universities ([=McGill=] and Concordia). On top of all this, the city attracts quite a few immigrants; overall, it's a cultural mosaic similar to other major Canadian cities.

Montreal is known for its epic music scene. Having been hailed as the most creative city in North America in the early 2000s it has produced such bands as ArcadeFire, Malajube, Young Galaxy (recent Polaris prize shortlisters), Stars, Coeur de Pirate, Wolf Parade, The Stills, and The Dears. As well it is home to music royalty LeonardCohen and RufusWainwright, among others.

* ''Le Declin de l'Empire Américain'' (''{{The Decline of the American Empire}}'') and its sequel ''Les Invasions Barbares'' (''Film/TheBarbarianInvasions'', winner of an Oscar for Best Foreign Picture). ''L'Age Des Ténèbres'' (''{{The Age of Ignorance}}'', by the same director) also took place in Montreal.
* ''IKilledMyMother''

* ''{{Confessions of a Dangerous Mind}}''

* ''Film/The AdventuresOfPlutoNash''

* ''DeathRace3000''

* ''TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor''

* ''Film/{{The Adventures of Pluto Nash}}''

* ''Film/{{The Art of War}}''
* ''{{Blades of Glory}}''

* ''HighlanderIIITheSorcerer''
* ''JohnQ''

* ''TheTerminal'' (exterior shots; interior shots were filmed on a purpose-built set in L.A.)

However, United States custom officers on the US-Canada border often have a reputation of being overreacting, trigger-happy insulting {{jerkass}}es who don't bother learning French and get angry when you address them in French. This may or may not be true, but this a widely-believed myth. Even officials believe it -- for example, after a string of illegal immigrant getting caught crossing the US-Canada border in a Quebec border town, the local Member of Parliament declared that something had to be done before the Americans took the matters into their own hands, because they don't care for the population very much when they decide to do so.

* ''TakingLives'' (which they clearly showed with the establishing shots of the Château Frontenac, [[YouFailGeographyForever the most famous landmark in Quebec City]])