Black Dog Newsletter for Week of July 27th to August 2nd “Soggy Pants Edition”

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Wasn’t that great, all that wonderful rain? I’m probably one of the few folks in the city who loves it when it rains on the weekends in the summer. For obvious reasons. Unfortunately I didn’t check the forecast and left my hockey gear outside to dry after my game on Thursday night. By the time I got up on Friday it was totally soaked. Ever wonder what totally wet hockey gear smells like? It’s not springtime at Versailles, I can tell you that. The change in temperature was welcome as well. I got to wear pants! I love pants. But the rain we definitely welcome. Let’s have some more this weekend!

New Releases

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5 to 7 – Romantic dramady (that’s drama and comedy all wrapped up in one nice little word although it would have been easier to just write drama/comedy than this long-winded explanation) about a young writer who has an affair with a married, older woman. Think something along the lines of The Graduate but with less Dustin Hoffman and more Anton Yelchin.

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Adventure time Season 5 – My 10 year-old and I love this show so hard! Finn the human and Jake the dog continue their wacky adventures in the land of Ooo. You don’t have to be or have kids to get in on the action.

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Clouds of Sils Maria – Very well reviewed flick starring the always lovely Juliette Binoche as a veteran actress who agrees to take part in a play that launched her career 20 years earlier. There she is confronted by a younger version herself played by sparkly vampire lover Kristen Stewart (K-Stew as she’s known amongst the young-ins).

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Corbo – Excellent Canadian flick about a guy who starts off as an activist and ends up helping to found the FLQ in Quebec. See, Canadian history and politics isn’t always as boring as a dog’s ass.

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Cymbeline – Lesser known Shakespeare hoohaw is updated to the times of now as we find a war between some outlaw biker types (Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich and others) pitted against some dirty cops (Ethan Hawke and others). Doesn’t sound like there too many good guys in this one. Oh Shakes (that’s what the kids call the Bard these days).

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Hard to be a God – Crazy, grimy, gloomy Russian (go figure) sci-fi epic that wants to throw you in the mud and kick you in the head with an iron boot. A group of scientists are sent to another planet to observe their grotesque and filthy, deranged medieval ways. Observe but not interfere. You may want to shower, bath or sand off your skin with a cheese grater after watching this one.

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Home – Cute alien from another planet is on the run and comes to earth where he makes friends with a cute hamster or weasel or something and they go on some adventures. Fine family fare.

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Justice League: Gods and Monsters – Animated superhero stuff (again with the superheroes) that is set in an alternate universe where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (go ahead, make your three-way jokes now please) are framed for murder. Murder!

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Kung Fu Killer – The awesome Donnie Yen is back to deliver some two-handed blows to your solar plexus and a roundhouse kick to your teeth! Plot doesn’t really matter. What does matter are the sounds of bones breaking and flesh smacking at the hands of the master, Donnie Yen!

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The Water Diviner – Russell Crowe (all bearded-up) directs and stars in this serious drama about a guy who goes to Turkey (mmm turkey) after the Battle of Gallipoli to find his three missing sons. Expect lots of manly acting, melodrama and, hopefully, some water gets divined at some point.

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White God – Odd-sounding Hungarian film about a girl who sets out to find her dog that, for some reason, her dad let loose on the streets. Unbeknownst to her, the dog has taken up a leadership role in a large pack of wild dogs. I don’t think that they’re talking dogs though, so hopefully you weren’t expecting that. Anyways, I’ve heard many a good thing about this film. We only have the Blu Ray at the moment but the DVDs should be here in a few days.

Coming Next Week

Adult Beginners

The Affair Season 1

Child 44

The Comeback

Far From the Madding Crowd

The Nightmare

Recently Viewed and You should Too

It Follows

Ex Machina

What We Do in the Shadows

Slow West

Adventure Time Season 5

Welcome to Me

The Story of Film

Timbuktu

Decline of Western Civilization

Li’l Quinquin

Wild Tales

Have a great week, Vancouver. Stay away from the fireworks, they’re bad for you. Rent some fine entertainment instead! You know what to do.

Copyright © 2015 Black Dog Video, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Black Dog Video
Cambie Street and/or Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

Black Dog Newsletter for Week July 20th to 27th “Damn Hot Edition”

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Glad this fan blows.

Is anyone else out there starting to get worried that this damn hot weather might be the norm rather than just an abnormally long, dry stretch? Is this what the future holds? Is that new documentary, Mad Max: Fury Road, what we have to look forward to? Are we doomed? Best to stay inside with some cool  flicks.

New Releases


5 Flights Up
 – Comedy/drama that finds elderly couple Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton getting the boot from their apartment and having to find new digs elsewhere. Moving sucks. Moving when you’re old sucks even harder.


Girlhood – Excellent drama about a girl who joins a gang. Is the thug life all it’s cracked up to be or does she become disillusioned and want something better for herself? Watch and find out! At Commercial, soon to Cambie.


Maggie – Ah-nold dials is down a few notches to play the anguished dad of a young girl who is slowly turning into a cannibalistic zombie (those are the worst kind of zombies). It’s tough being a parent, dealing with teenagers and brain eating and all that.


Noir – Fine Canadian effort that revolves around a bunch of immigrants trying to make a go of it in Montreal. I think that there may be a gun involved. 


Timbuktu – Excellent film about a cattle herder and his family chilling in Timbuktu (that place actually exists!) whose lives are upended by some nasty Jihadists. Nominated for an Oscar.


Welcome to Me – Kristin Wiig wins the lottery, goes off her meds and buys a talk show. Much hilarity ensues. At Commercial, soon to Cambie.


Wyrmwood – Fun-sounding zombie apocalypse movie that finds a talented mechanic trying to save his sister from a mad doctor amongst hordes of flesh eating monsters in the wasteland known as Australia. I can get behind that. 

Coming Next Week


5 to 7
Kung Fu Killer
Clouds of Sils Maria
Corbo
Cymbeline
Home
Water Diviner
White God

Recently Viewed and Recommended


Welcome to Me
Timbuktu
What we Do in the Shadows
It Follows
Ex Machina
Slow West
Inherent Vice
Mommy
Wild Tales


That’s it for this week, folks. Stay hydrated and wear a big hat.

Black Dog Newsletter for Week July 13th to 19th “Rain or Shine Edition”

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“Geeargh!”

That was a nice little tease now wasn’t it? That lovely smattering of rain? Appropriate that it rained on Saturday as I hit the big 5-0 that day. Not that I’m sad or confused or anything as it’s just a number. You’re only as old as you feel, right? Or so they tell me. But it seems like 50 is a major one. The big one. I’m officially sliding into old man territory. Time to tie an onion to my belt and start yelling at clouds.

New Releases

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A Chef’s Life Season 1 – TV show from PBS (so it must be good, right?!) follows chef Vivian Howard as she makes the move from a high end NY restaurant to something a little smaller in North Carolina. For those of you who like to eat and watch others eat.

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Ex Machina – Rich computer guy makes a female robot. Complications ensue. Excellent, mesmerizing sci-fi. One of the best of the year.

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It Follows – My eyes are burning to see this film as I’ve heard it’s, like, the best horror film of the past 100 years (give or take a year). 19 year-old Jay gets it on with some dude but is then plagued by the sense that someone, or something is following her. Don’t know much more than that and I don’t want to as it is at the very top of my list of films to see! RJ says it’s one of the best, most original horror flicks in ages.

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Last Days in Vietnam – Excellent doc that chronicles the end of the Vietnam War (or the War of American Aggression as it’s known in some parts of the world) as the communist forces overrun Saigon and the American stragglers struggle to escape.

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The Longest Ride – The latest Nicolas Sparks romantic sap-fest with a bunch of pretty people with very nice teeth falling in and out and in love and riding bulls and wearing over-sized cowboy hats.

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Riot Club – British film about some spoiled rich jerks who aim to succeed by doing things and joining something called the Riot Club. The box says, “A British cousin to Wolf of Wall Street”. I guess it’s not close enough to be a brother, sister or step-dad.

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Salt of the Earth – Most excellent doc by Wim Wenders that looks a the photographer Sebastiao Salgado (ya, me neither) and his amazing photographs.

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Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – More sexy shenanigans from those frisky seniors that finds Richard Gere joining in the fun!

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The Story of Film – Huge 15-part documentary (it’s even called “An Othat tells you everything you’ve everything you needed or wanted or needed to know about film from 1895 to 2000! Top Notch stuff!

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Survivor – Milla Jovovich is wrongly accused of some terrorist shenanigans and then must go on the lam to escape nasty, but still sexy, Pierce Brosnan! Exciting!

On the Shelves Next Week

Maggie

Kung Fu Killer

Five Flights Up

Noir

Adventure Time Season 5

Recently Viewed and Recommend

It Follows

Ex Machina

Inherent Vice

The Drop

Story of Film

Mommy

Girl Walks Alone at Night

The One I Love

Interstellar

Nightcrawler

That’s it for this week folks. Stay safe. Pray for more rain.

Copyright © 2015 Black Dog Video, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Black Dog Video
Cambie Street and/or Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

Black Dog Newsletter July 6th to 12th – Apocalypse Edition!

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Run for your lives!

So with the fires raging in the countryside, the sun blotted out from the sky and no rain for several years, Vancouver feels like it’s under assault from the four horseman of the apocalypse. What were they’re names again? Alan – the fire, smoke and black-lung guy, Brenda – bringer of pestilence, war and bad haircuts, Gary – destroyer of worlds and driving etiquette and Rolando – advisor to Christy Clark? Or something like that. Anyhoo, there is no better time or way to save yourselves and loved ones than by getting your butts into Black Dog and stocking up on some great entertainment! Do it! If not for yourselves but do it for the children (oh I forgot I should mention that all our 7-day rental kids films are only $3 all summer long)!

We’re also working on some future things that will be amazing and fun and amazing for everyone including customer appreciation day, a reworking of our special deals, a new fancy website, and some interactive productions that everyone can get in on and enjoy. Stay tuned here and make sure that you get on our facebook, twitter and our upcoming Instagram social media platforms! You will miss out if and be sad if you don’t!

New Releases!

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Decline of Western Civilization 1 – 3 – Just arrived at Commercial, already at Cambie, this amazing series of documentaries, that nobody thought would ever see the light of DVD, features amazing footage and interviews from various Punk Icons, Metal Glam Dudes and what is described as the gutter punk lifestyles of some homeless kids. Well worth your time!

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Danny Collins – Old man rock star (Al Pacino) can’t give up his old man rock star, hard-partying ways until he finds a letter that John Lennon wrote to him back in the day. Will Al continue to giv’er or will he try to reconnect with family and friends and maybe even find, gasp!, true love?

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Face of an Angel – Latest from Michael Winterbottom finds a journalist and a documentary filmmaker hot on the trail of murder! A murder most foul.

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House of Cards Season 3 – Silver-tongue Kevin Spacey is back as the wonderfully evil and slick Frank Underwood as he ascends to the highest power in the land. Who’s he going to murder this season? Good stuff (even if it is from Netflix).

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Infini – OK looking sci-fi number finds an elite search and rescue team traveling to another planet to save a guy who’s the lone survivor of a biological outbreak of some sorts? I imagine everything goes quite smoothly and they rescue him and everyone returns home safely.

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Kill Me Three Times – (Great now I’ve got that damn song “Killing me Softy” in my stupid head) Professional hitman Simon Pegg (yes, you read that right) botches his latest assignment and finds himself embroiled in 3 tales of murder, blackmail and revenge. I imagine that this might be a comedy?

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Merchants of Doubt – Fine documentary that might boil your blood (remember my apocalypse warning!) about spin doctors and how they use their oily techniques to manipulate the truth (I mean lie) about such topics as climate change, big pharmaceuticals, fracking and jazz.

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Slow West – Excellent (from what I’ve been told) western that finds a young Scottish lad traveling across America in pursuit of the woman he loves. Stars the always great Michael Fassbender.

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Woman in Gold – Helen Mirren takes on the Austrian, or Australian (I can ever tell those two apart), government to try to get back her family’s artwork she says the Nazi’s took during WWII. Damn Nazis.

Coming Next Week

A Chef’s Life
Ex Machina
It Follows
Longest Ride
Maggie
Riot Club Salt of the Earth
Survivor
Poldark

What you Should Watch!

What We Do in the Shadows

Inherent Vice
Interstellar
They Came Together
Inside Amy Schumer
Kroll Show
Broad City
Veep
Slow West
Merchants of Doubt
House of Cards Season 3
Decline of Western Civilization

Stay safe, cool and breathe carefully, Vancouver!

Copyright © 2015 Black Dog Video, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Black Dog Video
Cambie Street and/or Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

Black Dog Newsletter for Week June 29th to July 5th

 

Well it’s definitely summer!

Which means there are packs of wild children roaming the streets with nothing to keep them entertained. Fear not! All 7-day kid’s movies are now just $3 each! You can show your kids all your favourite movies from when you were their age and they can roll their eyes at you and then pick up their iPads talk to their pen pals on the moon. Kids these days!

New Releases

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While We’re Young
Noah Baumbach teams up with Ben Stiller again for this comedy about a middle-aged couple who desperately try to cling to youth by befriending a young couple in their 20’s. Sounds simultaneously hilarious and depressing – just like all Noah Baumbach movies!

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Get Hard
Will Farrell plays a rich white man about to serve jail time who hires a black man (Kevin Hart) to teach him how to act in prison. This is a comedy. I wonder if this is more or less racist than The Interview.

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The Gunman
Sean Penn, Idris Elba and Javier Bardem star in this spy thriller about a GUNMAN who is haunted by figures from his past. He’s left his GUNMANNING behind him but can he ever really escape? Well, he seems to be holding a really big gun in the poster so it seems like once a GUN MAN always a GUNMAN.

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Last Knights
Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman play a couple of knights (maybe the last!) out for knightly vengeance.

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Li’l Quinquin
A French mini-series about an existential murder mystery set in a small town. Oh France you’re so weird. Word has it that it’s quite excellent!

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The Bridge – Season 2
Everyone’s favourite Scandinavian mysterious crime thriller series about crimes that take place on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden is back! Rent it while you can because it is POPULAR! People love bleak Scandinavian TV shows a lot.

Coming Soon

Woman in Gold
Survivor
Infini
Slow West
Danny Collins
Merchants of Doubt
Poldark
Kill Me Three Times
Face of an Angel
House of Cards – Season 3
Jinx: The Life and Death of Robert Durst

Recently Viewed and Recommended

What We Do in the Shadows
Inherent Vice
Interstellar
They Came Together
Inside Amy Schumer
Kroll Show
Broad City
Veep

Have a good week and wear sun protection!

Copyright © 2015 Black Dog Video, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Black Dog Video
Cambie Street and/or Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC