Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending June 20th

I must apologize for the lateness of this week’s edition of the newsletter. I hope that I didn’t ruin anyone’s day or was the cause of stress or sleeplessness. I was on a little holiday to visit the family in the grim hell scape that is southern Ontario. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Toronto and all, but the surrounding area where I grew up is just bleak and hideous now. I spent 30 years in what used to be a lot of farmland, rolling hills and dirt roads about fifty KM east of the big smoke. Driving that area just made me sad as its been transformed into an endless morass of strip malls, big box nightmares, fake Irish pubs and row upon row of ugly, obscenely huge homes that all resemble one another. Really made me yearn for lovely Vancouver.

What I wasn’t expecting when I returned was the damn hockey team to still be playing. That said I’ll be watching the game tonight (maybe followed by a flick) with anticipation. Even if they lose it’s been quite the ride these past couple of months and it is still quite the feat to make it to game seven of the finals. Good Job!

Just a reminder to all of you non-hockey fans out there that, a) thank you all for being non-hockey fans, and b) it’s five old films for $8.00 today. Enjoy no matter what you do.

Oh and another reminder, it’s car free day this Sunday on the Drive. So get out and enjoy!

Today’s newsletter will be a bit abbreviated only to return in its full glory next week.

New Releases for Yesterday the 14th of June

Battle: Los Angeles – Aliens from another world decide to invade Los Angeles for some reason. Big budget special effects thing plays out like a poor man’s Black Hawk Down and even poorer man’s District 9 had a threesome with a skanky Independance Day. Lots of running around, plenty of things blowin’ up real good and a barrage of cliches make this, well, somewhat passable entertainment for those of you who like this kind of thing. I usually do but I’d like to see an alien invasion flick where the aliens don’t always look like confusing, tentacled slime creatures. On the DVD and the Blu Ray.

Hall Pass – Remember when the Farrelly brother’s used to make good films? Or what passed for good films for them? Something About Mary? Kingpin? Well here’s what there up to today. Still doing the raunchy comedy thing, but are they any good? You tell me. Don’t know much about this one except that it stars Owen Wilson (just work with Wes Anderson please) and some other guy who get free passes from their wives to knock boots (love that expression) with other women for some reason. On DVD and the Blu Ray.

Kill the Irishman – Pretty good true crime tale of an Irish mobbish kind of guy in Cleveland in the 70’s whose enemies keep trying to kill him and blow him up and stuff. Great cast, Ray Stevenson and a wig that should be nominated for something, maybe a Razzie, Christopher Walken, Vincent D’Onofrio and a whole bunch of Sopranos. Worth a look.

The Other Woman – Heavy sounding drama about a guy who has an affair with Natalie Portman. Poor bastard. Complications ensue when there’s a pregnancy involved. Damn kids, ruin everything!

Red Riding Hood – Take on the Red Riding Hood tale (can’t you tell by the title?) starring the lovely Amanda Seyfried who gets into trouble with some werewolves on her way to grandma’s house. John Hurt is along for the ride to chew scenery and embarrass himself. On the Blu Ray as well.

Scenesters – Some hip LA hipsters try to catch a serial killer who’s offing young hip LA hipsters. Supposed to be OK but don’t hold me to that.

Sweet Karma – Trashy looking exploitation fare has a mute Russian girl in her underwear (just look at the box if you don’t believe me) who infiltrates the Toronto underground sex trade to avenge her sister or find her sister or something like that. Sounds like my kind of filth.

Undertow – A married fisherman struggles with his identity and his devotion to his gay lover in this ghostly tale set in a small Peruvian fishing village. Didn’t think I was going to say that did you? Word has it that this is an excellent little ditty.

On the Shelves Nest Week

Film Socialism
Funkytown
Happythankyoumoreplease
Bedways
West is West
Day of the Triffids
Cedar Rapids
Unknown
The Butcher’s Son
Adjustment Bureau
Time that Remains
Louie Season 1
The Eagle
Legend of the Fist

Recently Viewed and Recommended

True Grit
Kill the Irishman
Breaking Bad S. 3
Rubber
Another Year
Biutiful
True Blood Season 3
Kisses
Found Footage Festival #5
Down Terrace

So it seems that not too many of you were all that interested in the last contest that we had. So I’ll give you one more chance. I have three films to give away, Passion Play, Kaboom and The Prey or Proie. (You can look them up on the IDMB if you so choose). All you have to do is come into the store and say “Arby’s” if you want a Passion Play (that’s because it stars Mickey Rourke and I think that after all of his bad surgery he kind of looks like an Arby’s sandwich), “Kaboom!” if you want a copy of Kaboom and “Killer Pig” if you want a copy of The Prey. Let’s see how that goes.

That’s it for this week folks. Enjoy the hockey. Two teams, one cup! And don’t forget about us.

Black Dog Video