Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending January 23rd

What a weekend. I managed to get out of town for a 4 day hockey tournament up on top of Apex mountain. Great fun indeed – outdoor hockey, hot tub, way too many beers, great food, great friends. Too bad it took such a toll on my poor old body – I have a cold, haven’t slept much, my face skin (does that sound weird?) is so dry I may have to wear a balaclava layered with vaseline and moisturizer for a while (don’t freak out if you see a guy wearing a vaseline soaked balaclava working behind the desk this weekend).

I just noticed that the fames Sala Thai restaurant on Cambie is no more. They were my first introduction to Thai food when I moved here 17 years ago and I loved it. Sad to see them go. Looks like another Thai place will be opening up in that location. I can’t remember the name – Me and I Thai? Thai Me Down? Itchy Thai? Something like that. Have to give them a try when they open.

Pretty mixed bag of flicks hitting the shelves this week, a couple of really good ones, a couple of really awful ones and some anime. There ya go.

New Releases for Tuesday January 17th

Abduction – That plastic waxy looking werewolf guy from the Twilight films attempts to become a plastic waxy looking leading action figure in this crappy looking thriller. Don’t know what it’s about (I’m guessing someone gets abducted and the Ken-doll has to rescue them) and I don’t really care. Abduction checks in with an impressive 4% on the Rotten Tomatometer. Also on the Blu Ray. I imagine that this will be near the top of people’s worst of lists. Right behind our next film.

Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star – If you like to read people’s worst of the year picks, I will bet the farm that this abomination will be among the top contenders on many a list. It’s the painfully unfunny (hey look the painfully unfunny Adam Sandler was one of the writers!) tale of some loser who wants to be a porn star. Let the laughs begin. We have two copies at each store which is probably two too many. Comes in with an impressive 0% on the Rotten Tomatometer!

Dirty Girl – Juno Temple (who?) stars in this comedy drama as a high school “dirty girl” (not too sure what that means, but I can guess) who decides to go on a road trip with a fat gay guy named Clarke and a bag of flour named Joan. That’s about all I can tell you about this except that it has graphic nudity in it. I’m not even exactly sure what graphic nudity consists of – naked ladies? loads of penis? Who knows?

First Squad – Cool sounding anime set during WWII that finds some Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities who have to fight an SS officer attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause. Say that without taking a breath!

Ides of March – Topical political thriller starring The Clooney who also writes and directs (show off). Also has the ubiquitous The Gosling and The Giamatti. Supposed to be quite a good little flick. I’m a sucker for the political thriller so I have high hopes for this one. Also on the Blu Ray.

Killing Bono – A fantasy to some maybe…but this is a serious comedy/drama based on real events about a couple of dudes who form a band in Ireland the same time as some band called U2 was getting going. Jealousy abounds, I presume.

Poetry – A sixty-something woman, faced with the discovery of a heinous family crime and in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class. Holy moly does this sound like something I’d never want to see. But that’s just me. I hear it’s actually pretty good. Just not for me. But you may like it. I doubt that I would. You should check it out.

Redline – The other anime released today deals with some sort of deadly racing tournament. Love those! Looks like my car has been in a few deadly racing tournaments.

Thorne: Sleepyhead – Don’t know a lot about this except that it’s supposed to be a very good thriller about a detective after a serial killer. Could be any of a thousand flicks. I think it’s based on a book or something written by someone.

Coming Next Week

50/50
The Whistleblower
Hell and Back Again
Real Steel
Restless
Paranormal Activity 3
French Immersion
Happy Happy
Shut Up Little Man

Recently viewed and Recommended

Boardwalk Empire
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret Season 1
Tuesday After Christmas
Fish Story
Mildred Pierce
Moneyball
The Guard
An Idiot Abroad
Primeval Season 3

That’s it for this we folks, stay warm, eat well, drink lots (you don’t actually have to drink lots) and keep watching…

Black Dog Video