Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending December 3rd

So last week I wrote about the dreadful weather we were having and the negative effect said weather might have on one’s psyche. I guess this raised a bit of an alarm with some of my faithful readers. So much so a couple of you wrote me to express your concerns for my well-being. That was very nice and thoughtful. This is my favorite sentence from an email (and maybe one of the best thoughts that have ever been conveyed to me) I received regarding the state of my being – “I’m writing with concern for your brains nueroplasticity and cognitive function.” Love it! Rest assured I am totally fine and have not been entertaining any thoughts other than skipping through a field of daises in the sunshine only stopping to pet a cat or give out free hugs to anyone who wants one. Sometimes I just get on a bit of a rant and and I must go with it until it reaches it’s logical or illogical conclusion. Or until I fight a hobo. Sorry if I caused anyone any undue distress. All is well in the kingdom.

This is what the inside of my brain looks like. Happy happy!

Remember to “like us on the Facebook “page”. Lot’s of fun stuff there and the odd contest for free rentals as well. We also do the tweeting thing.

New Releases for Tuesday November 27th

The Apparition – Lame looking horror number about some sort of evil ghost type thing ( I think I wrote a piece a while back wondering why ghosts in horror films are always assholes – knocking shit over, turning the lights off, making blood come out of the walls, decapitating people) who haunts a couple after being accidentally conjured during a university parapsychology experiment. Accidentally?” Whoops! How did that happen? Sorry about accidentally conjuring up a nasty spirit and unleashing it in your home. Gotta go now, good luck!” [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmzXVwLtH0[/youtube]

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide – Based on the book of the same name, this doc follows the authors and a bunch of famous woman advocates including America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union, and Olivia Wilde to ten countries: Cambodia, Kenya, India, Sierra Leone,Somaliland, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Liberia and the U.S. There they focus on women fighting against horrific realities such as sex trafficking, forced prostitution, maternal mortality, and gender-based violence that plague their homelands. Go women! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JbWA-6GDn4[/youtube]

Lawless – Tough looking “western” type deal about bootlegging and Johnny Law stepping in to try to end all this bootlegging. I love the word bootlegging. It’s just fun to say. Say it! I find it amusing and strange that there’s a place called “Leg and Boot Square” down off the seawall. Who named that place? Stars the bad guy from Batman and that Shia “The Beef” knob. Written by Nick Cave, so it has that going for it. Also on the Blu Ray. Might be late hitting the shelves. Red Band Trailer – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXq2xzSzphE[/youtube]

Men in Black III – Will Smith has to go back in time to save Tommy Lee Jones from being taken out by one of the Flight of the Conchords dudes who’s an nasty alien. Josh Brolin plays a young TLJ and just nails him to perfection. I mostly enjoyed this installment – much better than the abysmal MIB 2 – but my main complaint was too much Will Smith (he’s not much of an actor, he just walks around saying things, and he’s a knob IMHO – http://ow.ly/fAKo5) and not enough TLJ – he’s basically in it at the beginning and the end. Worth a view for a brainless night’s entertainment. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDPYq4BFHBI[/youtube]

Paranorman – Most excellent (from what I hear) stop-motion animated number that finds a guy who can chat with ghosts (maybe he can ask them why most ghosts are knobs) who has to save his town from the undead and other assorted ghouls and nasty beings. Can’t wait to terrify my kid with this film. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwSpajMw3s[/youtube]

Sparkle – Another one of those “young singers become famous and then find that they can’t handle fame and all that comes with it and then they fight, break up and probably die in some depressing way” type film. Stars Whitney Houston, presumably when she was still alive. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k49K3b4vuwE[/youtube]

Step Up: Revolution – Dance, motherf*^#er, dance! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdamC7jUrjs[/youtube]

Coming Next Week

Al Wei Wei: Never Sorry
Dark Knight Rises
Day
Decoy Bride
Hope Springs
Odd Life of Timothy Green
Silent Night
World Without End

Recently Viewed and Recommended

MIB 3
Queen if Versailles
Paranorman
Drive – watched it again on the weekend and it’s still great
Safety Not Guaranteed
Amazing Spider-Man
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise
Brave
Liverpool
Sound of My Voice
Bullhead
Woodmans

That’s it for this week folks. I’ll leave you with this…

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending November 19th

Well I was going to comment on the US election and how that country seems to be progressing in the right direction and how it seems the opposite up here what with our slimy evil government taking us down a dark path and all, but then another story caught my eye…This dude who won the lottery in Terrace. He’s a pot activist (his last name is even Erb!) and by all accounts a good guy. He was on his way to his father’s funeral when he bought the winning ticket. What struck me was what he said he was going to do with a chunk of his dough; donate to homeless shelters, the food bank, family, friends and to furthering the fight for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana. Good on ya, Mr. Erb. I got me to thinking about all of those terrible lotto commercials where a bunch of horribly selfish douches win the lottery and how do they spend their winnings? They chase each other around in helicopters and speed boats, they have breakfast on top of a fucking mountain! Just once I’d like to see a lotto commercial where someone says their going to something good and unselfish with their winnings. Well that’s my Monday morning rant. Please carry on..

Speaking of the food bank, we are extending our food for late charges at the Commercial location until this Wednesday. The response has been entirely underwhelming and disappointing. So please, if you can, bring in a wheelbarrow full of food (doesn’t have to be a wheelbarrow) to the Commercial store and we’ll destroy all of your late charges right before your very eyes.

Also just another reminder that the Commercial store will be closing early – 8pm – this Thursday (the 15th) for a private function. So get in early and often to stock up for the night.

New Releases for Tuesday November 13th

2 Days in New York – Julie Delpy expands on her 2 Days in Paris with, well, 2 Days in NY. She directs and stars with Chris Rock in this comedy/drama or drama/comedy – you choose – about a couple, each with children from a previous relationship, who live in NY and talk about things and walk around and stuff. Heard good things. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kx1UK7ACmw[/youtube]

Brave – Animated Disney fare (limited copies available because, well, Disney are dicks) about a arrow wielding girl who fights a bear for some reason and fights to restore order to her kingdom or something like that. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHWDA_6e3M[/youtube]

Elles – Sexy sex number that has investigative journalist Juliette Binoche immersing herself in a prostitution ring run by some university students. With plot keywords such as Female Masturbation, Wine, Women Dancing Together, Oral Sex, Male Masturbation, Female Nudity, Vodka, Bare Breasts and Golden Shower, this is probably not a good film to watch with your parents. Probably also wouldn’t make a good double bill with Brave. Or maybe it would. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIWiNzszcAo[/youtube]

Heathens and Thieves – Western that finds a couple of heathens out to steal gold (they’re thieves as well) from a Chinese immigrant. I’ve heard that it’s better than this lame description makes it sound. For those of you who like yer westerns. Has the bonus of starring Don Swayze! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfWrXjDLeYQ[/youtube]

Liverpool – Festival fave finds a coat-check girl trying to return a coat left at the coat-check to the guy who coat-checked it. Criminal intrigue and love interests to follow. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqyYVsrxBgM[/youtube]

Pixar Short Films Collection Vol 2 – I believe that the title says it all. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmn4dAliDEk[/youtube]

Queen of Versailles – In what some are calling one of the best documentaries of the year, an insanely rich couple (bet they voted for Romney) set out to build a stupidly huge house (it would have been the largest single family home in the US!) modeled after Versailles but watch their world fall apart due to the devastating sub-prime mortgage collapse of a few years ago. For those of us who love to see the grotesquely ostentatious get their comeuppance. I also hear it’s hilarious. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJYzgJ4CwI[/youtube]

Savages – Oliver Stone’s latest finds a drug business threesome getting the high hard one from an encroaching Mexican drug lord (Selma Hayak!). Pretty good time waster (bad ending though) with some great violence and nice scenery. VHS film thief Benicio Del Toro steals the show as a nasty enforcer for the cartel and a balding John Travolta made me wince with his giant face and his insatiable scenery-chewing. Could have been better but it’s too long and the three sexy leads are not among this generations best actors. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC2zbOwbeEs[/youtube]

The Watch – Comedy heavy-weights Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill fall short in this tale of neighborhood watch imbeciles who try to thwart an alien invasion (the kind from outer space, not south of the American border, although maybe that’s a metaphor for the immigration issue that some think is plaguing the US. Probably not as this is just a silly comedy). Also on the Blu Ray. Red Band Trailer – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTZXgv6LSw[/youtube]

Old Stuff Just In

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour – DVD and Blu Ray

Coming Next Week

Ken Burn’s Dust Bowl
Expendables 2
The Invisible War
Lawrence Anyways
Peace Love and Misunderstanding
Source Des Femmes

Recently Viewed and Recommended

Queen of Versailles
Savages
Brave (even if it Disney)
Safety Not Guaranteed
Mad Men S 5
Homeland S 1
Fringe S 4
The Sound of My Voice
Bullhead
The Woodmans

That’s it for this week folks. If you are bringing in food for the food bank (I know you are) please bring in this….

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending November 12th

Well that seven years just flew by now didn’t it? What am I on about this time, you ask? Black Dog on Commercial just turned 7 years-old. I now have two bratty, petulant seven year-olds. To celebrate we’re doing our annual late charge amnesty week. Bring in a nice non-perishable donation for the food bank and we’ll wave any late charges you might have accrued anytime before today. This fabulous offer will run all week until next Sunday. So let’s do a good job and get a huge pile of food for those less fortunate than ourselves. And if you have a substantial late charge, be nice and bring in more than just a can of jellied grass.

And please bring in things that people will actually want to eat. I don’t want to see any of the following show up in the store this week…

    

 

Also Black Dog on Commercial will be closing early on Thursday November 15th for a private function. If yer planning on renting that day please be advised that we will only be open until 8pm. I hope this doesn’t inconvenience anyone too much.

New Releases for Tuesday November 6th

360 – Where did this come from?! The director of City of God has Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz among others cavorting around in this drama that has a bunch of stories intersecting each other. The film weaves it’s way through Vienna, Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix for some reason, exploring love and drama, phone calls, moustaches and other stuff. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLF2VgeYxg[/youtube]

Arthur Christmas – British animated holiday fare finds Santa’s son stealing the keys to his dad’s muscle sleigh for some hijinks that, I imagine, include saving Christmas. Maybe from those holiday-hating Democrats who are always seemingly waging war on Christmas. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tk-WZSqIGQ[/youtube]

Chained – Bob, a serial killing cab driver, raises the son of one of his victims to take over the family business in this nasty piece of business from Jennifer Lynch, Dave’s daughter. Seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Also on the Blu Ray. Red Band Trailer – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls591uCDLqA[/youtube]

Dinotasia – Doc kind of thing that follows some dinosaurs as they grow up and eat each other. Narrated by the great Werner Herzog which is, for me, enough reason to check this out. [youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbpdeI0ugGc[/youtube]

Even the Rain – A director and his crew shoot a controversial film about Christopher Columbus in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while the locals rise up against plans to privatize the water supply. Drama and politics, I presume, ensue. Stars that handsome guy from that razor blade commercial, Gael García Bernal. You thought I was going to say Adrian Brody, didn’t you? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbpdeI0ugGc[/youtube]

The Amazing Spiderman – Yes because we needed another version of Spiderman and his spidery origins. Andrew Garfield subs in for Tobey Maguire this time around. I hear it’s pretty good – that’s what my 7 year-old says. He’s seen it. I haven’t. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpKPiHYJc54[/youtube]

Trishna – Tess of the D’Urbervilles in India. Traditions and class conspire to keep too lovers from different social standings apart. Humans are weird an stupid. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wireluqDFuM[/youtube]

Your Sister’s Sister – Indie comedy/drama finds Mark Duplass (guy’s in everything right now) sleeping with his best friend’s sister. Complications and revealing conversations about relationships, death, siblings, betrayal, unrequited love, honesty, fears, forgiveness and poison monkeys abound (not 100% sure about the poison monkeys). Heard good things about this one – not from my 7 year-old though. Also on the Blu Ray. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlbKcGn9M1M[/youtube]

Coming Next Week

2 Days in NY
Brave
Elles
Half the Sky
Heathen and Thieves
Liverpool
Queen of Versailles
Savages
They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain
The Watch

Recently Watched and Recommended

Safety Not Guaranteed
Homeland S 1
Fringe S 4
Moonrise Kingdom
Sound of My Voice
The Avengers
Bullhead
Michael
The Woodmans
Bernie

That’s it for this week. Remember, if yer interested, check us out on our Facebook “Page” – I post stuff there throughout the week. Same with the twitter @blackdogvideo.

Black Dog Video