November 2010 - Black Dog Video

What happened? I leave town for a short spell and I come back to find the place in a deep freeze! I feel like a parent who left their kid at home alone for the weekend only to come home and find the place trashed. Oh well, the trip down yonder (Mexico) was quite enjoyable and much needed. I’ll have all the details, the ups and downs and craziness in my blog that, I hope, is almost ready to go. Right, Larry?

On a sadder note, the end of an era is fast approaching…the one and only Melinda at the Cambie store is leaving the nest for bigger and brighter (spell check for bigger came up with beige which I though was funny) things. She has been with us for almost eleven years and her last day will be next Tuesday. Next week’s newsletter will be a roast, if you will, a eulogy for a friend. I imagine that many of you have gotten to know her over the years and if you’d like to contribute a story or whatever, send me an email and we’ll include it, if it’s in good taste, next week. Until then, drop in and say hello/goodbye. I’m pretty sure that she will be open to accept gifts. Flowers, booze, foot rubs, job offers are just some examples of things she likes.

On another sad note, Art’s Flowers on Cambie is closing their doors after 18 years in that location. I believe that they are having a blowout sale which might actually end today. The strip sure has changed since we opened up almost 15 years ago. We are amongst the longest serving businesses on Cambie now. Let’s hope we can remain for a while to come.

Oh and also we just received a fresh shipment of new films for sale at the Cambie Store – Good deal – One for $6 or two for $10 plus HST. And I promise there are better titles than the last batch. Come on in and buy some films, it will make you feel better!

New Releases for Tuesday November 23rd

Chaser – Crazy sounding, and very well received, Korean thriller about a former detective, who is now a pimp, (hey everyone at some point may be facing a career change, ahem) who has a couple of his girls go missing and has to track them down. Sounds coolio.

Countdown to Zero – Fun doc about the escalating nuclear arms race. Wait a minute, I thought that after the Soviet Union collapsed that the nuclear issue wasn’t really an issue anymore. Don’t we have enough to worry about with climate change, economic depression, peak oil, dwindling water, over population, poison monkeys, hobos with shotguns, the internets and all of that without the stupid nuclear dealy rearing its ugly head again? Sheesh, why do we bother?

Eat Pray Love – Man, the title of this film just gives me the shivers and the creeps. I guess there is some eating and praying and living going on. After that I don’t know much, or care, what this is about but I think it has Julia Roberts and all of her ample teeth in it.

Exit Through the Gift Shop – One of the best titles of the year hits the DVD shelves! Its about some guys trying to locate elusive street artist Banksy only to have Bansky make a film about them or something along those lines. Supposed to be brilliant and I can’t wait to see it.

The Expendables – I will admit having a bit of a soft spot for the 80’s action films. That’s why I’m looking forward to seeing the stars of those films – Stallone, Lundgren, Willis, Rourke, Jet Li and a bunch of other guys in all of their geriatric glory blow a lot of shit up and shoot a lot of dudes. Guilty pleasure? What’s to be guilty about if you really enjoy it? And what, they couldn’t get Segal? Also on Blu-Ray (it’s – the blu-ray – a bit late so hopefully sometime this week)

Flipped – Rob (Hey remember me? I directed Spinal Tap!) Reiner directs this tender (yech! can’t believe I just said tender without referring to meat) coming of age story based on a book written by an author. Word has it that its actually supposed to be pretty good.

I’m Still Here – Here’s the infamous fake doc (or is it fake? Hmm! Hmm?) about Joaquin Phoenix’s “breakdown” where he claims to have forgone acting to pursue his real love – becoming a famous rap star. Remember the David Letterman appearance last year? Looks like another good one to check out this week.

Liberte – Another gypsy film from Tony Gatliff about a band of gypsies (told you!) who travel around France during WWII and are followed by a young boy whose parents never returned home.

Winnebago Man – Here’s the one I want to see the most this week (so much catching up to do!). Its a doc about the infamous dude whose rants and swearing as he was doing commercials for his Winnebago business became the stuff of legends (internet legends that is). Check out this clip from the you-tubes if you’re not familiar with him or even if you are...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gTKL3opdlw

The Winning Season – The great Sam Rockwell stars in this sports comedy about a washed up dude given a chance for redemption when offered to coach a girls high school basket team. Ann no, its not what you think, perverts.

Stuff from last week that didn’t get a mention…(sorry no time to review/mock/praise these titles)

Avatar – Special edition (Commercial St only for now) Blu Ray and DVD
Robogeisha
Aaah! Zombies
Four Faced Liar
Sherlock Season 1
Lottery Ticket
The Kids are Alright
The Extra Man
Cats and Dogs 2
Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Coming Next Week

Valhalla Rising
Going the Distance
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Knight and Day
Vampire’s Suck
Cargo
Trash Humpers
Cat Dancers
Jean Michel Basquiat:Radiant Child

And the Internets says!

So I just returned from Mexico – great place to visit but I have to say getting there and coming home is quite the ordeal. We had a connection flight both ways in Phoenix. The airline – US Air is just dreadful – basically shoe-horned into my seat which was broken and wouldn’t recline. It was hot and stuffy, no food to even buy! They are so hurting/cheap that you have to pay for checked luggage, pay for a fucking pillow if you wanted one and everything else in-between . I ordered a beer – $7 US dollars and it was only 11.2 ounces! Anyways amidst all my griping and complaining (which I like to do – wait for the blog!) I got to thinking of this great Louis CK clip I saw from a couple of years back. Check it out – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

We are going to be selling tickets for an upcoming film at the great DOXA film fest that looks pretty amazing. Check it out here… http://www.doxafestival.ca/news/film_series.html

Here’s the November newsletter for our friends over at the First Weekend Club… http://www.bigbluesafe.com/email/display.php?M=81692&C=b6cb8cd1b1f1e7648778570ec1f4d974&S=769&L=33&N=527

If you want to buy the latest Adrien Brody film (which one?) you may have trouble as he’s still owed some dough and a judge has banned the selling of it. Its that new Dario Argento film Giallo (yes, you can rent it at Black Dog). Here’s what The Onion had to say about it – The ruling contends that Brody is is “suffering, and will continue to suffer, immediate and irreparable harm” until the injunction is put into effect. Meanwhile, Giallo is still temporarily available for sale through Amazon for only $19.49, (and for rent at BD as mentioned) in case “making Adrien Brody suffer” is on your own Christmas wish list. Buy it now before the “Special Court-Ordered Edition” is released, with a black box covering Brody’s face and all of his lines dubbed by Cheech Marin.

Thanks everyone for reading and remember that next week its all Melinda, all the time!

Black Dog Video

News at Black Dog Video

Video Store on Commercial Drive

Memberships are here!

Where To?

Search

Archive for month: November, 2010