Harry Belafonte - the singer, the activist and the man - feted at Black film fest It's not every day that you get the chance to meet a show business legend live in the flesh. So when I heard that legendary singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte was coming to Montreal for two occasions at the 8th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival, I knew this was something I could not pass up. The first occasion was on the festival's opening night on September 19. Belafonte, ac- Stuart Nulman Grapevine companied by his wife Pamela and festival president Fabienne Colas, came to the Imperial Theatre for the screening of the biopic "Winnie" to accept the festival's Humanitarian Prize for his more than 50 years' dedication in service to the Civil Rights Movement, as well as a score of charities and non-profit community organizations. When the 85-year-old Belafonte arrived at the Imperial and took his seat in the theatre's front row,he was immediately surrounded by photographers (myself included) as they wanted to get good close up shots of him, in which he graciously and compliantly posed for. Then it came time for Belafonte to accept his award from Colas and festival spokesperson Sonia Benezra. He humbly accepted the honour, and then shared with the audience how much Montreal has meant to him, as well as the first time he performed here during the 1940s, in a venue that was actually a burlesque house. "I accept this award with great satisfaction. It's an overture of validation of what I have done and it means a lot to me," he said. "The late singer/activist Paul Robeson once told me that artists are the gatekeepers of truth.And the world is in need of artists for what they can do. I have enjoyed the world of celebrity, because it made me understand the power it has and what good it can do to inspire people." The following night at the Hall Building of Concordia University, at a screening of the documentary about his life and career called "Sing Your Song", it made me fully understand why he was given this award. Told in Belafonte's own words (as well as colleagues and contemporaries such as Sidney Poitier and Desmond Tutu,to name a few) as well as plenty of rare film and TV footage, this is an excellent documentary that chronicles an impressive career in entertainment (in which he popularized calypso music in North America with such songs as "Day-O"), as well as using his celebrity status towards the many charitable and humanitarian causes that were close to his heart. It's amazing to see what he has accomplished in this respect.He was one of the organizers of the famed March on Washington in 1963; he helped organize a fundraising concert on the final night of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965; he was one of the architects of USA forAfrica,the celebrity group that recorded the megahit song "We Are the World" to benefit the victims of the Ethiopian famine in 1985; and he is still involved with several organizations that help at risk teens in Los Angeles towards a better future. After the screening, Belafonte spent another hour in conversation with Sonia Benezra and answered questions from a very eager and understandably star-struck audience. He pa- tiently answered each question with his trademark soft, husky voice and fired off several humorous replies. One of my favorite replies was "If Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were still alive and things worked out,all of North America would be Canadian!" He also had this to say about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney: "I get up every day and thank God for the presence of Mitt Romney, because the Republicans are delightfully burying themselves every day. So I encourage Romney to keep on talking!" The Montreal International Black Film Festival wraps up tomorrow (September 30) with the screening of the documentary "The Central Park Five" at the Imperial Theatre starting at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.montrealblackfilm.com Harry Belafonte surrounded by fans following the screening of the documentary "Sing Your Song" * * * While I was at the midnight party during the final Friday of the Just For Laughs festival this summer, I had a chance encounter with Nicola, an engaging young lady from Australia who was working backstage at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier during the galas. What she was doing was manning one of the booths at the gift lounge, in which all of the gala performers were given a wide range of luxurious gifts. Nicola was there on behalf of Sonomax,a Montreal-based firm that manufactured an item called "eers", a pair of high end,technologically innovative earphones that offer unprecedented sound quality and clarity.The main feature of the eers device that makes it stand above the rest is that they're customized to fit the contours of the owner's ear canal. The performers were willing to sit down wearing the headset with the earpieces attached for five minutes, as the headset moulded the earpieces to their respective specifications.The end result was a customized pair of earphones for their iPods, MP3 players or smart phones that not only sounded great, but were also perfectly fitted for comfort and guaranteed never to fall out. continued on page 20 * SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 11

Among the many restaurants and eateries on downtown's Crescent Street, one stands out: Mr. L's. The sandwich shop opened in May, 2012 and distinguishes itself with delicious John Symon Special food,soda drinks mixed before customers' eyes, affordable prices, fast service for eat-in or take-out, interesting décor, and expansive hours. "We borrowed the concept from Wilensky's [a classic Montreal sandwich shop on Fairmount Street that has been around since 1932]," chuckles Mr. L co-owner Khal Hammoudi. "But we offer more menu choices here.At Mr. L's, you can eat a different sandwich everyday of the week." "Our spiciest sandwich is the Hungarian," explains Leslie who works at the counter. "After that, we have The Spicy Italian, The Italian, The Mr. L's and Double Mr. L's. Our mildest sandwich isThe Greek. We also offer The Garlic and The Photo: ©John Symon Enjoy a Mr L salami sandwich together with a cherry coke at Mr L's Mr. L's on Crescent Street Classic sandwiches & sodas Cheese and a hot dog, The Top." When The Times visited, Leslie mixed and served a cherry coke soda in 45 seconds. "Where else in town can you have a tasty cherry coke mixed in front of your eyes?" asks Hammoudi."Sodas mixed on the spot were popular in the 1920s, but have since become hard to find; I had to drive down to North Carolina to pick up the soda fountains." Other sodas offered include cola, diet cola, lemon lime, orange soda, and root beer, all for a reasonable $2.50. Other prices are also quite competitive at Mr. L's with food items (karnatzel, cheese, or pickle) starting at $1. The most basic sandwich (Mr. L's) starts at $5 while the most expensive item on the menu (a Double Mr. L's) sells for $8. And a nice surprise: taxes are included with all menu items. "It takes us perhaps three minutes to make a sandwich," explains Hammoudi."So we can handle the crowds. In- side, there is seating for 15 and for another 12 on our terrace.There is also a lot of room for standup dining or customers can leave with their orders." The restaurant employs a staff of five and, despite looking small, has 2,400 square feet of surface area. But speedy service does not compromise quality at Mr. L's. The soda syrups are homemade as is the coleslaw, and as is the cannoli offered for dessert ($2.50 each). And cappuccino coffees here ($3.50) are made with premium Illy coffee beans. They are also sprinkled with chocolate powder unless the customer specifically asks otherwise. Lattes ($3.50), espressos ($3.00), and hot chocolates ($3.00) are also on the menu. This reporter gives his approval to the Mr. L's, cherry coke, karnatzel, and cappuccino; all of which costs only $12. Discounts of up to $2 are available to those visiting Mr.L's Facebook page. Students are also eligible for a 15% discount upon presentation of I.D.; some conditions apply. The décor at Mr. L's includes brass ceiling plates imported from Cyprus, sandwich grills imported from Italy,and solid wood walls and columns. The look of the place, with its bar stools and sports photos, recalls the glory days of the Montreal Canadiens' hockey team. And you're not mistaken if you think there are ghostly images in the place; the faces of Maurice Richard, Gilles Villeneuve, and Jacques Villeneuve are airbrushed onto a stone wall. But perhaps Mr. L's biggest draw is that it is available for the "after" crowd on Friday and Saturday nights. After the bars have closed that is...Where can you get something to eat at 4 a.m. downtown? While there is much competition among restaurants and eateries for the lunch hour crowd, most nearby restaurants close their kitchens at midnight.Mr.L opens at 11 a.m., seven days a week. Currently, it closes at 4 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings and midnight on the other evenings, but as demand grows, the restaurant plans to expand its hours. Mr. L's 1464 Rue Crescent Montréal, QC H3G 2B2 (514) 439-6165 Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca 12 SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 *

No t o r i o u s l y slow at writing music and known for being off more than on, in the sense that the band spends more time on hiatus than they do being a musical group, Portishead have spent the second half of the year touring Europe and Kieron Yates Special are about to kick off on an American and Canadian tour that will take them into next year. Formed in 1991, this English trio stormed to the forefront of the 90's Trip Hop scene, releasing two astounding records before embarking on a gigantic touring spree, part of which was recorded and issued as a live album. But the year and a half the group spent on the road would almost tear them apart and once they returned home to Bristol, the trio barely spoke or saw one another. In fact, it would be seven years before they performed live again, as part of a Tsunami benefit concert, where Geoff Barrow announced that a third album was in the writing stage.That album wouldn't see the light of day for another three years. The first single off the aptly titled album, "Third", was a track named "Machine Gun"; just the second Portishead track to break in the UK charts and the first in a decade. Portishead Since then, there have been numerous mentions of a new album,yet the group has managed to release just one track in that time, a 12" single named "Chase the Tear". Claiming that a creative block had kept the band from putting another together, Barrow told The Guardian newspaper that he had a conversation with Radiohead front man, Thom Yorke, and when Yorke had mentioned his band's new album, he told him ", in the time you've done another record we can't find two notes that we like that we can put together." Still, talk of a fourth record seems to be snowballing; "We've been getting together recently and talking about lots of stuff," Barrow said. "There's definitely going to be another record, we're just going to get on it as soon as my studio gets working." In an interview with Rolling Stone, he is quoted as saying "we'll release it when it feels like we've got something to say.I think most probably any one of us would prefer to go and take up some van driving job than release an album that we didn't feel comfortable about." Perhaps touring the world this time around will yield the opposite result it produced the first time, and become an inspirational experience. In the meantime, the trio have a barrage of side-projects they've kept themselves busy with over the years - most notably Massive Attack and Tricky, but a pair of lesser known projects are more than worth taking time to look into, those being Beak and a Judge Dredd inspired project named Drokk. Portishead will be playing on the Jaques Cartier Pier October 7th, and given the group's prior history, it could be quite some time before they come back around. Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca * SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 13

14 SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 * ʼ

$ 895 * SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 15

Smile of the week! Kimberly gave us this great smile this week. Please send in your photo along with a caption to: info@westendtimes.ca ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR 9 weeks for only $ 795(plus taxes/total for 9 weeks) Limited space available! Call now! 514-457-7656 info@westendtimes.ca 16 SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 *

Food Review - By Christine Latremoille Barbie's Restaurant The way to start your day If you're looking for a reason to stop in at this popular Dorval restaurant,I can give you dozens! It takes a combination of good food,good service and great value to make it in the food business. Barbie's has been there for over 20 years. I think I know why. By: Christine Latremoille Special Conveniently located in Dorval just a few blocks from highway 20 on Bouchard Avenue, access and parking are not a problem. Welcoming and friendly - Barbie's seats 180 plus more seats on their nice sunny terrace. Help yourself popcorn when you walk in sets the tone. The casual atmosphere suits families and sports fans alike and there is no shortage of options on their menu. If you arrive famished,munch away on the free nacho platter that comes with any order of a pitcher of Sangria or beer - not just at happy hour but at all times. In fact the number of specials is dazzling - free refills of soft drinks,daily specials,nightly specials, wings for just .35 cents each, kids eat free on Sunday nights after 4 (one child per adult),online coupons, newspaper coupons,senior Mondays - this isn't even all of them! Their breakfasts are legend - eggs, omelets, crepes, pancakes, French toast. All egg dishes are served with potatoes, seasonal fresh fruit salad, toast and coffee. Pricing on average is $11 for a plate that will satisfy your hunger all day! The lunch menu is so much more than burgers (although there are 9 kinds and 10oz of beef) and fries although you'd better like French fries - these are some of the best in town - golden and soft and full of flavour. Smoked meat features in not just their well known sandwiches but in a deli roll and in a Caesar salad or combined with wings or ribs. What I enjoyed the most was the Greek Style Chicken Brochette. Authentically Greek - (and I know this because I was just there!), the tender chicken breast cubes were charred perfectly, well seasoned and served on a bed of delicious rice, Greek salad with a tasty slice of feta, fries and tzatziki - all for $16.95 and easily enough for 2 to share. The dinner menu features such appetizer favorites as escargot, onion soup,breaded mushrooms and more - all very reasonably priced. Main course options such as steak (filet mignon) or a surf andTurf or ribs or a combo of all these comes in at under $25.00! And there's more - seafood - all kinds of scampi, langoustine, filet of sole, shrimp and even a seafood casserole - most dishes are under $20 and served with rice, Caesar salad on the side, garlic butter and "Monte Carlo" potato - a stuffed baked potato with cheese and seasonings....yum! And I'm not done .....there's pizza, sandwiches (5 kinds of club sandwich for heaven's sake), delicious soups - try the lentil vegetable soup - pasta dishes - salads - truly a wide variety of generous, heaping portions to suit everyone. It's nice to know that owner George Georgakis is also involved in fund raising. On September 29th,he will host a fund raiser called "Have Breakfast with Us". For $10 per adult and just $5 per child, you will have a choice of 3 different breakfast plates, unlimited coffee and door prizes. 100% of the proceeds go to the expansion and modernization of the Lachine Hospital. A great and very local cause. Barbie's Resto Bar Grill 15 Boulevard Bouchard, Dorval 514-631-2233 www.barbiesrestaurant.com Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca READ US ON-LINE westendtimes.ca * SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 17

Time travelling, an old obsession with science-fiction writers, scientists, and yes, with the mob as well, is at the centre of this film directed by Rian Johnson and set in Sergio Martinez Special the year 2042. The technology allowing time travel has been made possible by 2072, but it is illegal and the only ones using it are mysterious individuals linked to organized crime who employ professional killers to kill those who are sent from the future. Joe (Joseph Gordon- Levitt) is one of those hired guns, young, successful in his career,and becoming rich by collecting the gold that each of the victims bring with them. That until an incident involving a friend of his will change the perception he had about himself. In a bizarre turn of events his own self comes back from the future and with that an interesting game of cat and mouse starts between the two. Never mind some of the absurd premises of the story, the truth is that this thriller will keep your attention all the time (if you don't, you may get lost in the many intricacies and moves back and forth in time peri- Movie Review by Sergio Martinez LOOPER - Vengeance from the future ods). Old Joe (BruceWillis) after many years working as a professional killer has finally moved to China where he is living a happy life.That until his former boss decides to get rid of him. Like some of the previous victims that he himself put down before, he is supposed to be sent back in time to be killed,Instead he voluntarily takes the trip Bruce Willis as old Joe Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young Joe Emily Blunt as farmer Sara to take care of a situation that has very deeply affected his life and which he thought could only be fixed by finding the culprit and getting rid of him, thus changing the course of events. Now then, both Joes who are interacting in the same time period are being chased by the police and the mob. Young Joe finds refuge in a farm where Sara (Emily Blunt) lives alone with her son.Suspecting this 10-year old boy is the key individual from the future that old Joe is looking for, he would eventually enter into a confrontation with his own self,represented by old Joe, who comes from the future but who has come with only one objective in mind, an objective that young Joe could not understand nor is he interested in learning about, even though it is in the end his own future. To sum up, "Looper" is a thriller with some science-fiction elements, with a story at times quite complex but very engaging. There is a good dramatic construction and even though the premise of time travel, and especially the implications in terms of changing events for the future is somewhat farfetched, in the end there are also some moral questions that the protagonists, present and future, are facing, and the resolution of that conflict makes indeed for a very interesting ending. There is some violence but it is well justified in the context of the plot. Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca 18 SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 *

31/10/2012 31/10/2012 ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR ADVERTISE IN COLOUR 9 weeks for only $ 795(plus taxes/total for 9 weeks) Limited space available! Call now! 514-457-7656 info@westendtimes.ca * SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 19

Chef Peter Webster - Bouquet Garni Chili - Quick & zesty There are all sorts of chili dishes and there are no rules on how to make it. Use whatever you have on hand and experiment. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. Here is a quick recipe below- use it as a base to create something different! * 500 g's lean ground beef * 1 onion, peeled and diced * 2 carrots, diced * 500 grams mushrooms, chopped * 2 gloves of garlic, smashed and chopped * 1 green pepper, diced * 1 can of red kidney beans (can use black beans, chick peas etc) * 1 can of niblets corn * 1 large can of diced tomatoes * 1 cup salsa * 2 tsp chili powder or to taste. Salt and pepper In a large frying pan, cook beef until no longer pink. Put beef in a sieve over a bowl to drain off the drippings. Let the fat settle to the top, skim it off and discard. Save the bottom juices to add flavor to the chili. In a little oil, sauté onions, carrots and garlic until softened and fragrant. Add in green pepper. Stir in rest of ingredients including beef and the reserved juices. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let simmer at least 30 minutes. Can be served over cooked noodles or just with French bread and butter. Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca Print a colour recipe from our website: www.westendtimes.ca Karen & Peter Webster Chefs 7 Collège, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec H9X 1W9 514-457-"BRIE" (2743) www.BouquetGarni.com / info@BouquetGarni.com 31/10/12 continued from page 11 However, according to Nick Laperle,Sonomax's President and CEO, the eers device, which was introduced on the market nearly nine months ago, is more than just an innovative piece of hearing technology, but is also part of Sonomax's crusade to combat hearing loss, which is now affecting more teenagers these days. "Hearing loss is the number one occupational disease, which costs billions of dollars to manage because hearing aids are expensive and the whole process is difficult," said Laperle in an interview with the Grapevine."It used to be a heavy industry problem, and now it doesn't discriminate anymore. Today, about 20% of teenagers have hearing loss and MP3 players are the biggest culprit. It's important to listen more smartly and pay attention to the amount of volume you pump into your ears." Realizing that the process of making a hearing aid can cost between $900 and $4000 and take up to four weeks, Laperle and Sonomax decided in 2009 to go into research and development for an "elegant solution" to this chronic hearing loss problem that would take less time and be more affordable.The end result was the eers device. "Eers is part of the self-fit revolution. Ears are more distinctive than fingerprints and that's why eers have to be a customized product," said Laperle. "It offers comfort and retention during vigorous activity. But the real benefit is once the ear is properly occluded, you're not competing with the outside world." The idea of having the eers device as a gift to the performers at Just For Laughs was developed by festival president and CEO Andy Nulman, who was a friend of Laperle's and sat on Sonomax's board. He suggested that eers be offered as a unique gift to all the gala performers. "The response to eers was excellent, because it helped to validate the fact that people of that caliber were willing to be secure about putting the headset on for five minutes and go through the customization process and end up being satisfied with the result," he said. Laperle also noted that comedian Wayne Brady was so impressed with the eers device,that he wants to do some of his own follow-up,because he also works with several organizations that deal with young people. Eers is currently available in select retail outlets in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has sold several thousands units since its introduction. However, Laperle says that Sonomax is continuing its crusade to combat hearing loss amongst the youth through a grassroots outreach campaign to schools and non-profit organizations."We're going to launch a university tour program, and go into all of the music schools too. We're going to build ourselves an 'Ear Army' and have people go out there to say it's important to protect your hearing," he said.As well, Sonomax plans to research the development of a bionic ear device, in conjunction with the auditory research centre at Montreal's l'Ecole Technologie Superieure. "Using Sonomax's innovative technology,everything related to hearing and noise will allow you to control it and hear it just the way you want to hear it," said Laperle. For more information about Sonomax and its eers device, check out its website at www.myeers.com . * * * Robin Williams is coming back to Montreal on December 5. But he's not going to perform his manic,energy-filled solo stand up comedy show. Instead, he will sit down for a conversation with veteran Canadian comic/actor/director David Steinberg in a show called, plainly enough, "An Evening of Sit Down with Robin Williams and David Steinberg" at SalleWilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts. Many know Williams for his stand-up work, of course his late 70s starring vehicle "Mork and Mindy" that made him an overnight star,and his stellar performances in "Good Morning Vietnam", "Dead Poets Society" and "Good Will Hunting", for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1998. Also, his many talk show appearances are just as memorable. Not known for staying seated for long periods of time, Williams' talk show appearances are just as manic and entertaining as his stand-up performances (case in point, his appearance as one of the final guests of "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in 1992). What promises to be an insightful, unpredictable and laughfilled evening, Williams will discuss with Steinberg his long career in comedy and show business, his personal life,the movies and TV shows that have made him a star, plenty of Hollywood behind-the-scenes stories and plenty of spontaneous,intelligent and astute observations about today's society and the current political scene; basically, it's the world according to Robin Williams. Tickets for this unique evening into the exploration of the mind of a comic genius cost $129.50, $99.50 and $69.50, with special Meet & Greet and VIP packages that are also available.They go on sale as of today (September 29) and can be purchased by calling 514-842-2112 or online at: www.laplacedesarts.com . * * * Although the baseball regular season is now winding down and softball leagues in suburbs across Montreal have concluded their seasons, Cote St. Luc's legendary Slo Pitch Association softball league, which operated for over 40 years, is holding a reunion banquet on October 17, 6 p.m., at the Cote St. Luc Aquatic and Community Centre, located at 5794 Parkhaven Avenue.Tickets are $30 each, which includes a dairy buffet supper. Organized by former Slo Pitch Association players Mish Granik, Roy Salomon, Harold Laxer, Ken Saxe and Lionel Segal, the reunion hopes to gather many former players, executives, officials and umpires as possible who have been involved with the league during the 50s,60s and up to and including 1972. So if you spent your summers playing for the Slo Pitch Association on Cote St. Luc's field of dreams such as the park opposite the Beth Zion Congregation or Wentworth/Kirwan Park, then register before October 10 with Lionel Segal at lionelsegal@hotmail.ca or Harold Cammy at hcammy@cotesaintluc.org. * * * If you have an event that you want publicized in the Grapevine, please send the information to my attention at: bookbanter@hotmail.com . Comment on this article at: www.westendtimes.ca 20 SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 *