Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending August 1st

Why do people like camping? I understand the pack your stuff in to a remote area and rough it (although it is definitely not my bag of tea) can be fun and challenging and it’s nice to be away from people. But the drag everything out of your house or buy the same shit you have in your house, drive it to a campground and set it all up, live in a tent like you’re pretending to be homeless type of camping, what’s the point? We did just that last weekend – two nights at Otter Lake where it was so cold at night that I ended up sleeping in all my clothes (I like to sleep in the raw) and ended up with a case of “Damp Lung” as I like to call it which has now turned into a full blown cold. It rained everyday that we were away. It was loud – not just sea-do, dirt-bike, ATV loud (which it was) but nature loud. And nature likes to get up early. Damn birds.
So we moved on to Fintry park in the Okanagan. We rented a yurt. Great idea until we found out that it leaked, was full of blood-thirsty spiders (well one anyways) and the bed was too short for my lanky frame. On top of that we had a crazy hail storm (check a little snippet out here – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCgGca9wGZY&feature=share[/youtube]) that not only dented my car and BBQ but also damaged the yurt. The force of the hail dislodged hundreds of small flakes from the inside ceiling (yurt snow or yurt tears we called them) that landed everywhere including our skin which we had a great deal of trouble removing. In fact I believe that my body absorbed some of the ceiling through my skin. Our neighbors, who arrived the same day, consisted of two families who suspiciously looked like each other and shared between them anywhere between eight and thirty children. They were there for two weeks! I couldn’t imagine staying there that long. We noticed that on day two they had already been out to McDonald’s and were watching crappy music videos on their hand-held devices. Weird. That said, it was a pretty relaxing holiday and our 6-year-old had a blast. Next time? Gimme a cabin with a hot tub and we’ll talk.

New Releases for Tuesday July 26th

13 Assassins – The occasionally awesome Takeshi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) returns to his most awesome form in this samurai epic that, word has it, is a fantastic action, sword and butchery epic. I believe that final 45 minutes or so is a huge bloody battle! Can’t wait to see this! Can’t. Wait. Also on the blu ray.

American Grindhouse – Doc that lovingly looks into the hidden history of the wild and the wacky world of underground grindhouse films. Love me a good grindhouse effort. Hobo with a Shotgun anyone?

The Clink of Ice – Black comedy Canadian effort (from Quebec) about an alcoholic writer who’s visited by a guy who is in fact his cancer growing somewhere in his body. Trippy.

Cracks – The insanely lovely Eva Green (check out The Dreamers if you don’t believe me) stars as the teacher of an all-girls boarding school who takes a keen interest in one of her students with disastrous results. Sounds like this one could be fun!

Potiche – French comedy finds the lovely Catherine Deneuve as a trophy wife who takes over her dickish husband’s business when he’s taken hostage by his employees. I hope that none the the kids at the stores gets any funny ideas! From director François Ozon.

Source Code – Pretty solid sci-fi effort from David Bowie’s kid, Duncan Jones (Moon) finds Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier who wakes up in the body of some dude on a train that is about to explode (the train, not the dude). Then we have a kind of Groundhog Day thingy in which he keeps repeating the moments leading up to the blast as he tries to find the bomber. Well done, gripping and thought-provoking little number. I was a little confused by the ending but, then again, I’m always confused by these kind of things. I’d have to say it’s one of the better films that I’ve seen this year. Also on the blu ray.

Trigger – Molly Parker and Tracy Wright star in this music drama from Bruce McDonald that finds two women, who had a band before but broke up, reuniting for a benefit concert or something. Word has it that it’s a fine little production. Wright died shortly after the film was completed.

Trust – That guy with the mopey long face from Friends directs this heavy drama starring Clive Owen and Catherine Keener (two of my favorites) as parents of a girl who falls victim to an online predator. Owen then takes things into his own hands. Can’t imagine this ends good for anyone.

Winter in Wartime – A 14-year-old Dutch boy becomes involved in the resistance during WWII when he comes to the aid of a wounded British soldier. Looks a like a very good film. It was only released on the DVD/Blu Ray combo disk so don’t freak out when you get to the store and it looks as if we only have the blu ray.

Coming Next Week

Soul Surfer
Bumrush
Ironclad
Untied States of Tara S 3
Outside the Law
Quarantine 2
Conqueror
Eastbound and Down S 2
Children’s Hospital S 1/2
Jackboots in Whitehall
Stakeland
Rio

Recently viewed and Recommended

Source Code
Limitless
Trigger
Life During Wartime
Rec 2
Rango
Hobo with a Shotgun
Barney’s Version
Cedar Rapids
Adjustment Bureau

Internets! What Say Thou?

Here’s a couple of trailers for some interesting looking films coming soon (in case you’re into interesting films)…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbYhofSkT-Y[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnQ9Vp4fV4I&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Any news of a new Charlie Kaufman movie is good news on my books! http://www.avclub.com/articles/nicolas-cage-jack-black-and-steve-carell-attached,59371/

George C. Scott watches the trailer for the new Adam Sandler comedy. I feel your pain, mister!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSAvNOIaNo [/youtube]

That’s it for this week, folks. Hopefully I’ll be able to shake this damp lung and cold thing soon and be able to enjoy the nice weather and get back to checking out some films. Keep watching.

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending July 18th

I’m old. I turned 46 today. Crazy. I had a few friends over last night for some food and libations and it general consensus was that I am now officially a crusty old man. The kind that says “Get off my lawn!” to punks and shakes his fist at things like birds and clouds. Not that I mind too much really. Turning 46, on the downward slide to 50 (fifty!), makes me yearn for younger days when things seemed simpler and easier although I’m not too sure that they were. There was definitely less technology invading our lives back then. When I was a kid we played outside a lot, watched a little TV and read books. Today my son, who’s 6, enjoys playing but he also really enjoys the TV and playing Angry Birds on my phone. Maybe too much. My point? I dunno, I’m just feeling a little nostalgic today I guess. Did I mention that I was old?

That said, it’s quite a good release week tomorrow! And don’t forget to come in and grab a $5 off coupon for lunch at Biercraft when you spend $10 at either Black Dog location. Enjoy.

Oh, and one other thing, there won’t be a newsletter next week. I need a bit of a break. Hope nobody freaks out.

New Releases for Tuesday July 12th

Arthur – From the unnecessary remake file comes Arthur, the lovable drunk. This time around we have somewhat funny guy Russell Brand in the Dudley Moore role and Helen Mirren (!) filling Sir John Gielgud’s shoes. Word has it that it’s not half bad. I just like the original a lot and don’t see the reason to update this. Maybe if Brand was a hilarious but lovable heroin addict or meth tweaker it might be worth updating.

Damages Season 3 – More feisty, nasty lawyer shit with the great Glenn Close and the way too skinny Rose Byrne. This season guest stars include Lily Tomlin, Campbell Scott and (shudder) Martin Short.

Deliver Us from Evil – From great Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal (Nightwatch, Not Just Another Love Story) comes this Straw Dogs type film filled with crazy revenge stuff and nasty characters. Can’t wait to check out this little number.

Entourage Season 7 – More Entourage. Still haven’t watched any of this. Still might.

Insidious – Pretty good little horror film finds a kid that looks like Justin Bieber being haunted by a demon guy who looks like Darth Maul. Some good scares, some lousy exposition, cool ending and good cast make this an above average scare fest. I always wondered why ghosts and poltergeists want to scare people? Were these ghosts jerks when they were alive and now their just a bunch of assholes in the afterlife? Why can’t ghosts be helpful? You know why can’t they help out around the house; wash the car, clean out the cat box, look after your kid, that kind of stuff? But no, they have to throw all the books off the bookcase, unmake your bed and sometimes murder people and pets. Lousy ghosts. Also on the Blu Ray.

The Lincoln Lawyer – Hunky Matthew McConaughey plays a lawyer who’s office is in the trunk of his car (not too sure if I’d be hiring this guy) who defends some snotty Beverly Hills client. Also stars the scrumptious Maris Tomei. On the Blu Ray as well.

MI-5 Season 9 – More British intelligence thrills. Still haven’t watched any of this. Still might.

Miral – Heavy drama about an orphaned Palestinian girl growing up in the wake of Arab-Israeli war who finds herself drawn into the conflict. Heavy.

Rango – Word has it that this is a fantastic animated dealy for kids of all ages (blech, can’t believe I just wrote that). Johnny Depp voices a lizard who inadvertently becomes the sheriff of some weird animal town in the desert. Hijinks and life lessons, I presume, ensue. Also on the Blu Ray.

Rec 2 – Great sequel to the amazing Spanish horror number from a few years ago picks up minutes after the first one ended as the SWAT team enters the contaminated building and more hell breaks loose. I haven’t seen this yet but some reliable sources tell me it’s most excellent. Can’t wait.

The Tempest – The great Christopher Plummer treads the boards in this filmed adaptation of Shake’s play.

Tetsuo: Bullet Man – If you’ve either of the pervious two Tetsuo movies, you pretty much know what you’re getting here. Guy transforms into a crazy machine and does some really crazy things. I was a pretty big fan of the other two so I’ll have to give this one a spin.

Wake Wood – Creepy things are afoot in the town of Wake Wood. When the parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter, they get a little more than they bargained for. No kidding. As if kids weren’t creepy enough, now we have little zombie children. Word has it that’s its a pretty good little horror flick from the famed Hammer Studios.

Old Stuff Just In

Madeline – You know you’ve been asking for it!

Coming Next Week

Limitless
Dumbstruck
A Film with Me In It
Life During Wartime
Largo Winch: Ultimatum
Peep World

Recently Viewed and Recommended

Insidious
Rec 2
Hobo with a Shotgun
Louie S 1
Adjustment Bureau
Cedar Rapids
Rubber

Internets, Hey Internets!

I’m sure that you’ve all heard about The News of the World paper in England and their recent troubles? Here’s the great Steve Coogan tearing a strip off a former editor for the rag. Good stuff if you like that kind of thing…http://ow.ly/5BRV3

Here’s a crazy story – a Michigan woman is being threatened with jail time for planting a garden! http://ow.ly/5BS7i

And on the lighter side, here’s a funny slideshow of ridiculous product warning labels..http://ow.ly/5BS4L

That’s it for this week folks, remember to put on lots of sunscreen when walking to the video store to grab a flick. Again, no newsletter next week. Be safe and keep watching.

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending July 11th

Sorry the newsletter is a bit tardy this week. My kid is out of school and I’m having a hard time adjusting. It’s quite difficult to get anything done (such as writing this newsletter) when a small human is constantly bothering you for things like food and water, and to watch TV. Not to mention (but I will) the constant questions and statements; “Dad, do you know it’s nighttime in Japan right now? Uh-huh. Dad, do you know that there are 10 planets? They just found a new one. My friend told me. Uh-huh. Dad, is it hard to put a refrigerator in a tree? Uh-huh. Dad are all vampire’s nocturnal? Uh-huh. But not me, (he thinks he’s a vampire) I’m a day walker. Great” And so it goes….

Just a reminder, if you’re looking for a good comedy at a good price we have Cedar Rapids available to rent for only $4.00 This outrageous price ends this Saturday so get on board! http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cedar_rapids_2010/

New Releases for Tuesday thee 5th of July

Adrift – Sexy Brazilian film finds a teenage girl undergoing her sexual awakening (I love a good sexual awakening) after finding out about her dad’s (the great Vincent Cassel) infidelities.

Ceremony – Romantic comedy starring Uma (Thurman if you didn’t know or may have gotten confused with all those other Uma’s) about a guy who crashes the wedding of a woman he fancies. Only in the movies does this kind of thing happen. Right?

The Company Men – Drama starring a bunch of men (Affleck, Jones, Costner, Cooper) who are downsized (at work that is) and must cope with the harsh realities if modern day America. Tis a silly place. Might be a good double bill with Inside Job.

Elektra Luxx – Kind of a sequel to a film nobody saw called Women in Trouble finds a former porn star who finds herself pregnant by her dead rock star boyfriend trying to go legit by teaching sex classes to bored housewives. There’s a lot of jokes to be made about this synopsis. A lot.

Essential Killing – Weirdo Vincent Gallo plays a Taliban guy (that pesky war still going on?) who’s captured and transferred somewhere only to escape his captors. A really big chase ensues. Word has it this flick, directed by famed Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski, is quite excellent. Also on the Blu Ray.

Hobo with a Shotgun – Alright, the Citizen Kane of Grindhouse films finally hits the shelves! Loved this when I saw it in the the theatre with some friends and some beers (recommended viewing accoutrements). The great Rutger Hauer plays, well, a hobo with a shotgun in this colourful, blood laced, carnage strewn ridiculous exploitation explosion. And it’s a Canadian film to boot, eh. It may make you want to get a camera and some friends and make your own piece of trash. Best Canadian film ever? Also on the Blu Ray.

Of Gods and Men – A bunch of Trappist monks (are they the monks who make that great beer?) in a monastery somewhere in a muslim country come under threat of some fundamentalist goofs and must decide whether to stay or to go (cue the Clash tune). Won some award at some film fest called Cannes for all it’s good monk on monk action.

Mega Python vs Gateroid – Yes it’s a monster movie but maybe for not the reason you’re thinking of. It might also be titled Tiffany vs Debbie Gibson for that is the star power that this thing attracted. I love that these films all involve mutants created by an evil scientist. The world would be a bit more of a boring place without evil scientists, I must say. Gotta hand it to these type of films (think Sharktopus) for keeping the bad monster movie genre alive (for good or for bad).

Shelter – Confusing sounding horror film starring Julianne Moore who play a forensic psychiatrist who discovers that all of one of her patient’s multiple personalities are murder victims. Huh? I’ve read that three times and it still doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s hurting my mind. I should go lie down in a dark room for a bit.

3 Backyards – Three people share, I believe it may be 3, backyards in this drama about things happening to people and them coping with these things. Stars Nurse Jackie and some other people.

Vanishing of the Bees – I was predicting the end of the world a couple of years ago when it was announced that all the bees were disappearing and soon we would be as well. But nobody listened did they? Nooo! They thought I was crazy when I built that ark in my backyard with room for my family and a bunch of bees! Who’s laughing now?

The Warrior’s Way – Weird hybrid of western and kung-fu flick finds a martial arts guy hiding out with a baby (not too sure why, maybe his (unlikely), maybe he likes babies (somewhat likely) in some jerkwater town in the old west. Stars Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston and Dong-gun Jang. Also on the Blu Ray.

Coming Next Week, Yo!

MI-5 Season 9
Damages Season 3
Rio Sex Comedy
Rango
The Tempest
Rec 2
The Lincoln Lawyer
Entourage Season 7

Recently Viewed and Recommended

Louie S 1
Louis C.K. – “Hilarious”
Lord of the Rings Extended Edition on the Blu Ray
The Adjustment Bureau
Unknown
Another Year
True Blood S 3
Treme S 1
Biutiful
I Saw the Devil
Rubber
True Grit
Kisses

Internets F@#k ya!

The First Weekend Club would like you to know about this cool Canadian film playing at the Vancity Theatre…http://www.bigbluesafe.com/email/display.php?M=81692&C=b6cb8cd1b1f1e7648778570ec1f4d974&S=959&L=33&N=699

Check out this trailer – looks pretty cool (at least to my geeky eyes) http://www.chud.com/57152/detention-youll-soon-be-able-to-see-one-of-my-favorite-movies-of-the-year/

Weird movie news story of the week; hack Michael Bay accused of plagiarizing hack Michael Bay. I guess if you’re going to steal, you might as well steal from the best (in Bay’s humble opinion) http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/07/04/transformers-michael-bay-the-island-stealing-footage-video/?_r=true

That’s it for this week, folks. Get out of the sun, it’s killing us!

Black Dog Video