I recently managed to crawl out of my hovel to take in a feature film at the local theatre (The Rio – love the Rio, my favorite movie house in town!). Thor in 3-D was the night’s offering. I must say that the 3-D was less than impressive. (The film wasn’t very good either) It was blurry and really didn’t enhance the viewing experience at all. I ended up taking my glasses off for chunks of the movie. I can honestly say that I’m not at all impressed with this new technology. I know that the film wasn’t shot in the 3-D but converted afterwards. It was dark, and washed out looking. And when the 3-D made itself noticeable, everything looked small and fake – like models from a 50’s sci-fi film. I’ve seen a few films shot in 3-D, Avatar comes to mind, and while impressive looking, I felt the same thing, the 3-D made it look unreal. I saw Avatar on a pretty big screen – The Park theatre and all I could think of was that it needed to be bigger as the 3-D rendered it smallish and freaky. I hope that 3-D is just a passing fad. When I was younger – in my teens in the 80’s – there was a slight resurgence in the 3-D films. I was excited for that way back then as I thought it great fun to get really high and watch Friday the 13th in 3-D. Nowadays I just find it gives me a headache.
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-26 17:50:262011-05-26 17:50:26To 3-D or not to 3-D, that is the question
Gus’ friend Max: “Hey Gus, what’s this for?” Gus: ” That’s what my mom uses to sharpen her fingernails”.
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-26 00:01:472011-05-26 00:01:47Mum’s nails
Alright, enough with the talk of businesses closing and what not. Time to welcome a few new shops to the hoods. On Cambie we have a fine (hopefully it’s fine – haven’t tried it yet) new little restaurant called Pronto which has opened up in the old Art’s Flowers local. Looks like a tasty sandwich place specializing in the the wonders of the pig – the magical animal. I also hear they have a liquor license which sweetens the pot a little. Over here on the Drive it’s goodbye Me and Julio’s (never was much of a fan to be honest) and hello Sorry Babushka which identifies themselves as a “Euro themed sports bar”. Make of that what you will. But the place that I’m most interested in, if it indeeds happens, is Liberty Wines opening in the old Wazubee space. It would be nice to have an alternative to the current liquor outlet with it’s sad, diabolical selection of wines and beers. Good luck to you all!
New Releases for Tuesday May 24th
All Good Things– The lovely Kirsten Dunst and the suave Ryan Gosling star in this unheard of drama/ thriller about a lovely New York couple who have the idyllic life. Or do they? It’s a movie so of course they don’t. She goes missing, he’s a suspect. What’s to happen? Based on a true tale.
Bedeviled – As if there haven’t been enough South Korean revenge thrillers! If you weren’t satiated by the awesome and awesomely violent I Saw the Devil, maybe you can wet your whistle on this puppy. A woman returns to the small island of her upbringing to visit a childhood friend. Apparently things aren’t going to well for the friend. Much nastiness and horror ensue. This one gets quite good ratings on the internets!
Blood Creek – Revenge, Nazis and the occult are on the plate in this tasty looking morsel. Upside – I like all the subject matter. Downside – it’s directed by Joel Schumacher. Make a good double bill with Blood River.
Down Terrace – The British specialize in family crime films (especially comedic family crime films) almost as much as the Koreans work in the revenge genre. This one looks pretty good as a British crime family tries to ferret out the informant in their midst who is making their lives uncomfortable. Comes with much acclaim and aplomb.
Found Footage Festival Vol. 5 – Saw this at the Rio the other night and it had me laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. Tears! Great party DVD. Invite some friends over, have a few pops and/or other stuff and enjoy. One of the highlights was a clip called Rent-A-Friend, about a guy who made a tape of himself pretending to have a conversation with you. It’s hilarious as he starts to delve into some dark secrets of his own family! It was so enjoyable that I also brought in the original Rent-A-Friend production. Trailer can be viewed below. Amazing!
Gnomeo and Juliet – Animated thing retelling the famed Shakespeare tragedy but in garden gnome form. Wonder if everyone dies at the end?
I Am Number Four – Pretty good (from what I hear) sci-fi thingy about a teen on the run who has some special abilities or something and is being chased by some bad guys with special abilities or something. Has the always good Timothy Olyphant so it has that going for it. Also on Blu Ray.
Oliver Sherman – Tense, drama dealy from the country known as Canada. Garret Dillahunt (one of my favorite actors going today) stars as a dude who invites himself to stay with an old army buddy and his wife (always swell Molly Parker). Things seem pleasant at first, but you know this guy’s going have something else going on that is not quite kosher with his hosts.
Public Speaking – Martin Scorsese directed doc about famed talker Fran Lebowitz. If you like her, I’m sure that you enjoy this doc. If you don’t like her I suggest you watch something else – Gnomeo and Juliet perhaps?
Red, White and Blue – Heavy drama set in Austin, Texas about a freewheeling girl ( she’ll sleep with anyone) who runs into various savory and unsavory characters. Supposed to be very good and dramatic in a heavy drama kinda way.
Coming Next Week
Biutiful Rock Steady Drive Angry The Shrine Rogue Kill Burning Palms True Blood Season 3 Kaboom Proie
Recently Viewed and Recommended
Found Footage Festival #5 I Saw the Devil (nasty, insane shit) enIp Man 1 and 2
Vanishing on 7th Street I Am You The Kids are Alright The Girl Marwencol Lemmy Rabbit Hole
Great Job Internets!
I’m sure (well not really all that sure) that you heard about Lars Von Trier’s weird Nazi lovin’ press conference at Cannes last week. Well here’s the clip of him babbling on and on. It’s great just to watch Kirsten Dunst seated next to him react to the nonsense he was saying – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayW8aq4GLw[/youtube]
And of course you all know that May is Zombie Awareness Month. Well the fine folks at the Centre for Disease control issued this guide on what to do in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. Just so ya know – http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-23 23:29:242011-05-23 23:29:24Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 30th
It’s really quite amazing – not the good kind of amazing unfortunately – to see what has transpired in the first five months of 2011 with regards to this business. Since the beginning of the year no less than ten DVD rental stores have either closed or will be closing in the very near future. And that’s not counting the Blockbusters and the Rogers. It shocks and saddens me to think that a town the size of Vancouver might be without any video stores. Bizarre. That said, rest assured that Black Dog is not going anywhere. At least that’s the plan. There will be a few changes in the future to the business; starting June 1st the Cambie store will be opening at 1pm Sunday to Thursday instead of the regular noon openings. Stay tuned.
New Releases for Tuesday May 17th
Autre Dumas – The round Gerard Depardieu stars in this period drama about the famous writer ( Dumas) and his uncredited writing partner who decides to pretend he’s Dumas to seduce a young Dumas groupie. Kind sounds like an episode of Three’s Company.
Daydream Nation – Locally shot number about a lovely big city gal who has to move to a small town for some reason and then becomes embroiled in a love triangle with her young handsome teacher and stoner classmate. Stars the lovely Kat Dennings and the lovely Josh Lucas. Lovely!
I Saw the Devil – Can’t wait to check this one out! Nobody does the revenge flicks like the South Koreans. When a psycho kills the pregnant wife of an “elite special agent” he gets more than he bargained for when the husband exacts his own brand of nasty-ass revenge. Word has it that it is crazy violent and crazy good. This one jumps to the top of my viewing que for sure.
The Mechanic – So-so action thingy about a hit man who takes on the son of one of his targets to teach him the trade. I was actually looking forward to this as I kinda like the Jason Statham (does he do anything else beside steely-eyed hit men roles?) but it’s pretty cliched (hello beautiful prostitute) and ridiculous with improbable action scenes that are edited too fast and pseudo stylized which all adds up to just another tired action flick. Also on the Blu Ray.
Modra – Canadian/ Slovakian production about a young girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend just before she leaves Toronto for a vacation abroad. So she invites a cute boy named Leco from her school to join her. Misunderstandings and some sort of self discovery hijinks, I presume, ensue.
The Rite – Sir Anthony Hopkins + exorcism horror film = well I hope that it equals something pretty good. But I’m not holding my breath. Also on the Blu Ray.
The Roommate – Another in the long line of “crazy hot roommate at college who looks a lot like you and who may end up killing your boyfriend and stealing your identity for some reason” films.
Thor: Tales of Asgard (Animated) – Word has it that this animated Thor feature (coincidence that it hits DVD the same time that the non-animated one hits the theatres?) is actually pretty darn good. For all you nerds out there who like this sort of thing.
Three Idiots – Wacky (don’t believe me? Look at the box art) comedy from India about a couple of friends who embark on a journey to find a long lost buddy. And they do it without pants!
Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job! Season 5 – More of the insane, hilarious and insane skits and what-not from these jokesters.
Vanishing on 7th Street – Everyone in Detroit has mysteriously disappeared (insert Detroit joke here) leaving behind nothing but a pile of clothes (whoo-hoo! free clothes!). What is in the dark that is doing this? Is it some sort of evil? Is it the Rapture? A small band of survivors must figure it out before it’s too late. From Brad Anderson (Session 9, Transsiberian) one of the most under-rated directors working (in my not-so-humble opinion) today.
The Way Back – Peter Weir finally returns to the director’s chair in this trueish tale about a bunch of prisoners who escape a Gulag in Siberia and trek ten million miles to India. I read the book, which was quite interesting and exciting but I seem to recall there was a Yeti sighting in it. Wonder if that will make it onto the screen. Hope so. Also on the Blu Ray.
Coming Next Week
Oliver Sherman
Blood Creek
Bedeviled
Public Speaking
All Good Things
Gnomeo and Juliet
I am Number Four
Recently Viewed and Recommended
The Illusionist Blue Valentine Rabbit Hole A Somewhat Gentle Man The Girl
Inside Job
Somewhere
King’s Speech Marwencol
Great Job Internets!
Ever wonder what a Turkish tailgate party might look like? Of course you have. Now here’s your chance![youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUzC78VNnB0[/youtube]
Looks like Jim Jaramuch is going to venture into the tired and well trodden vampire flick genre. At least it will probably be a lot more interesting than the Twilight stuff. It will star Tilda Swinton who already looks like a vampire so it’s got that going for it. http://www.avclub.com/articles/even-jim-jarmusch-is-making-a-vampire-movie,56118/
Another thing I was thinking of has been made true because of the internets! Great Job. Why in romantic comedies do woman fall down all the time? Here’s a bunch of evidence. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH2Bpl42WXo&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-17 03:42:452011-05-17 03:42:45Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 23rd
Well it’s been quite the week I must say – the incredibly disappointing election (really? there’s that many people who think Harper is doing that good a job?!), I got burned on Craigslist – details to follow, and Videomatica announced that they are closing. I’ve just completed an essay on my thoughts of this and just what is happening to the DVD rental industry and the possible grim future it has. Check it out on the blog portion of the site if you wish…
Have you ever been burned by some loser, ass-face on Craigslist? Up until this week I have had nothing but relatively positive experiences. I arranged to by a box set of seasons 1-3 of Deadwood from some guy on Craigslist. Seemed like a pretty good deal. He even dropped them off at the Cambie store. I wasn’t there for the transaction but when I came in a few days later I noticed that the it was a cheap bootleg. I contacted him about this and he said he had no idea it was a bootleg (he even claimed he didn’t know what a bootleg was) and that he’d be willing to refund my money. We made arrangements. He never showed. I emailed him a few times and he finally responded saying that he wasn’t going to give me a refund. Buyer beware he said. I was shocked and pissed. I sent him a stern but reasonable email asking what had happened and why he wasn’t going to give me a refund. His response was filled with insults and mockery; “get over it Darren. U act like you never got the raw end of a deal. I never lied to you. The fact is, you should have not left this transaction to your untrained employee. And as far as your business is concerned, did you really think the video business was going to pay your bills? You are the fool. The movie business has changed, ever heard of Netflix? How about LimeWire? I am surprised you actually thought a complete stranger was going to give you a refund! HAHAHAH You’re a sucker. One born every minute….too much fun. I hope everytime you hear the word Deadwood, you think of me and how gullable you are. Civilize this…. Fuck you.” Needless to say I was entirely infuriated. Crimson anger. After one more email he returned with this; “Maybe u want to buy some more bootleg shit from me? Haha sucker. I make my living off suckers like u. It’s an entire industry. Sucker.” So not only is he a tool, a thief, and a sociopath, he’s also not very bright (seems to like the word sucker). His signs his name Andy and his email is Sandy Watters <> – His phone number is 604-727-7671. Just in case you run across him on Craigslist or want to drop him a line.
New Releases for Tuesday May 10th
Black Death – Middling sword and knight affair set in the 13th century that follows some inquisitive knights led by Sean Bean as they search for witches to torture and a place in the country to relax that the Black Plague has not ravaged. I was hoping for more blood and torture and gore (just the mood I was in), picturing Sandy Watters being drawn and quartered. Still not a bad watch for those of you who like this sort of thing, I just think that it could have been better.
Blue Valentine – Heavy duty relationship drama starring the always smartly dressed Ryan Gosling and the former Mrs. Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams. Word has it that its gritty, sexily sexy and very good. Also on the Blu Ray.
Concert – Uplifting French drama about a dude, Andrei Simoniovich Filipov, (there’s a mouthful) the renowned conductor of the Bolshoi orchestra, who was fired 30 years ago for hiring Jewish musicians. Now he’s a janitor, or custodial engineer as I like to refer to that profession, at the Bolshoi. Then he sees a chance for a way back in. Drama and enjoyment ensue.
I Am You – Very well received drama, mystery, thriller from down under (Australia) about a family who’s 15 year-old daughter goes missing. Who could be responsible? The loving dad? The loving boyfriend? The psychotic babysitter? Sandy Watters? Who knows? Great cast – Guy Pearce, Miranda Otto, Sam Neill. Looks like one to check out. I must say the quality thrillers coming out of Australia as of late has been quite craggy! ( I think that means impressive) Also known as In Her Skin.
The Illusionist – Amazing animated French film from the cats who brought you the wonderful Triplets of Belleville a few years back. From an original screenplay by Jacques Tati. Nominated for best animated feature at this years Oscars. Also on the Blu Ray.
Life with Murder – Great doc about an Ontario girl murdered in her home. All evidence points to her brother. Or Sandy Watters. Word has it that it’s an amazing story and fine piece of work. Love me a good doc!
No Strings Attached – Oh Natalie Portman, what have ye done? Where have you gone? From winning an Oscar in the excellent Black Swan to starring in a romantic comedy about friends with benefits with Ashton Kutchner. I guess ya got to pay those Harvard bills. On the Blu Ray as well.
The Violent Kind – From auteurs The Butcher Brothers comes this tale of a small group of hardened young bikers and their girlfriends are tormented when one of the girls becomes savagely possessed and a gang of “Rockabillies” seemingly from the 1950’s descends upon them to collect what is growing inside her. I think it may be a documentary?
Coming Next Week
Modra Down Terrace The Way Back Thor: Tales of Asgard (Animated) The Mechanic The Rite Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job Season 5 Vanishing on 7th Street Daydream Nation The Roommate Autre Dumas
Recently Viewed and Recommended
Blue Valentine Rabbit Hole Mad Men S. 4 A Somewhat Gentle Man The Girl Inside Job Lemmy The King’s Speech Somewhere Made in Dagenham Fair Game Four Lions
Great Job Internets!
Sorry it’s a day late but here is Mr. T telling you about his mother (just in almost time for Mother’s Day) …http://foundfootagefest.com/videos/mr-ts-mother
And from local filmmaker and friend of Black Dog, Mina Shum comes a little short (little short?!) film for all you hip-hop mom’s out there…www.hiphopmomfilm.com
Here’s a fine column to catch up on a bunch of movie news including Tarantino’s next flick and a movie about the hunt for some guy named Bin Laden … http://ow.ly/4QDLZ
Star Wars by way of existentialist, Jean- Paul Sartre. Brilliant! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-uQWNd540I
Well that’s all for this week kids. I hope that you had a chance to read my blog regarding the state of the DVD rental biz and also to stay clear of any douche bags on the Craigslist. You know who I’m talking about.
Black Dog Video https://www.blackdogvideo.ca/
Black Dog Video https://www.blackdogvideo.ca/
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-09 23:48:212011-05-09 23:48:21Black Dog Newletter for Week Ending May 16th
So much is going on at the moment, it’s hard to keep everything straight! We’ve got the royal wedding between Osama Bin Laden and Kate Middlebrow, Obama finally got have Trump’s douche, er I mean birth certificate released, the US finally were able to hunt down the evil Price William and kill him in his “mansion” on the hill in Pakistan (I thought he was supposed to be living in a cave in Afghanistan?), the Canucks are playing really boring hockey in the playoffs, and we have a real chance of getting President Harper out of office. Crazy times! I hope that everyone gets out today to vote – remember friends don’t let friends vote Conservative. Or as my friend Robert says; “Today is the day where you can either vote for a Harper Government or a Canadian Government”. So get our, vote early and vote often and then pop by the shop to treat yourself to a fine flick for the evening.
New Releases for Tuesday May 3rd
Curious George Plays Ball – A monkey playing baseball?! Well I never. You’ll have to watch this documentary to find out, sorry, what’s that? It’s not a documentary? It’s an animated kids show? Well, OK then.
Curling – I’ve never tried to curl before but it does look like it may be fun to try (more fun than watching I have to assume) as I do enjoy sweaters, sweeping and drinking. As for this film, I’m not to sure if it has much to do with curling. It seems like a somewhat sombre Canadian piece about a strange, off-beat relationship between a dad and his daughter set somewhere in a remote part of the countryside. How Canadian does that sound?
The Dilemma – The real dilemma here is how Vince Vaughn still gets work. Like come on, does he do anything but these lame comedies and cheer for the Blackhawks? At least this film has comic genius Kevin James (Mall Cop) to carry it. (Can you sense the sarcasm dripping from my keyboard?) So the story goes as this – man discovers his best friend’s wife is having an affair. Let the comedy begin. Anyone else getting a little tired of fat, ugly dudes who have drop dead gorgeous wives in the movies and on the TV?
Eleanor’s Secret – Excellent animated feature about a little guy who discovers that the books in the library in his grandma’s house are full of lively characters that need his protection. Or something like that. Fun for the whole family!
The Godfathers of Ganja – From the guys who brought you Cocaine Cowboys comes this tale of Miami’s pot smuggling scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history. For some reason this film is also called Square Grouper.
Green Hornet – Oh look, here comes another “superhero comic book movie”. Seth Rogan and Jay Chou team up to fight crime and comedy in this popcorn flick. I imagine that Bruce Lee and Van Williams are rolling over in their respective graves (that is a strange expression). Also on the Blu Rays.
Marwencol – Fascinating looking doc about a dude who gets badly beaten up, ends up with brain damage and then for some reason decides to build a 1/6th scale recreation of WWII in his backyard. Brains are weird. Unless you’re a zombie, then they’re tasty.
A Somewhat Gentle Man – Stellan Skarsgård plays a dude fresh out of prison who has to deal with this old gang, his ex, an impending wedding and losing his hair in this dark comedy that, word on the street has it, is quite excellent.
The Two Escobars – Riveting doc about Escobar, the most famous soccer player in Columbia and Escobar, the biggest most powerful drug king-pin in the world (and Columbia). One thing learned from this film – don’t score on your own goal in soccer and don’t become a big drug kingpin. I guess that’s two things.
With the new Fast and Furious film raking in the dough, here’s a nice interview with the screen writer…[youtube]http://ow.ly/4LvQA[/youtube]
If you’ve been watching the great series Human Planet, here’s a piece that was cut form the final cut; The Douche – [youtube]http://ow.ly/4LwAp[/youtube]
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-05-02 22:45:592011-05-02 22:45:59Black Dog Video Newsletter for Week Ending May 9th
With so much happening right now – impending election (remember, friends don’t let friends vote Conservative!), the impending implosion of the Canucks (I kid, I want them to win as much as the next fan) – when is one going to find time to watch some quality films? I guess it’s not a bad thing that it’s a sub-par week for releases? I take that back it is always a bad thing when pickings are slim. It really has been feast of famine over the past few and next couple of weeks with regards to new films hitting the shelves. Good thing that we have such a swell collection of older titles for everyone to catch up on.
And catch up on you shall with all of our swell deals! Sunday to Thursday 2 flicks for $7.00. Eight dollar madness on Wednesdays – 5 oldies for 8 bones! Don’t forget the $35 pre-paid card. Get them while they last! And the fabulous Black Dog T-shirts are still available. See ya’ll soon.
New Releases for Tuesday April 26th
Casino Jack – Jack Abramoff plays political criminal douche bag Kevin Spacey (or is it the other way around?) in this docudrama that charts the uprise and downfall of the famed evil Washington lobbyist.
Chawz – Is anyone else getting a little tired of the South Korean giant killer pig movies? Raise your hand. I see you! If you’re not, then here you are. Go crazy. Do it!
Human Planet – The Complete Series – Compelling, beautifully shot doc that looks at human’s relationship with nature or something. Word has it that it’s quite awesome and that we’re not really nice to the planet (surprise!) and some critters especially the little monkeys. Also on stunning blu ray.
IP Man 2 – For those of you who couldn’t get enough IP Man! Supposed to be quite awesome in a kick you in the face and then the throat kind of way. Also on the most kung-fuiest of Blu Rays.
Jolene – A teenage orphan travels across the land seeking out adventure, finding love and sex, experiencing heartbreak and solving crimes (maybe not the solving crimes part) in this interesting looking drama type thing.
Lucky – Doc that checks in on lottery winners to see how winning piles of dough has affected their lives – for the good and the bad. Word has it that it’s quite an excellent little number – it’s from the fine folks who brought you Spellbound. I’m always amazed to hear how many people factor in winning the lottery as part of their retirement plans. Good luck!
Wasteland – Most popular film at last year’s film fest! Doc about people who use garbage (it’s set in a huge land fill just outside Rio) to make art. “I don’t know much about art, but I knows what I likes!”
Older titles
Capone – Cool 70’s retelling of the story of the famed mobster. Stars Ben Gazzara, Sly Stallone, John Cassavettes and Susan Blakely.
Coming Next Week
Curling
A Somewhat Gentle Man
The Green Hornet
Bloomington
The Dilemma
The Godfathers of Ganja
Recently Viewed and Recommended
Inside Job – Why aren’t people storming Wall St. with pitchforks and torches?! Those bastards.
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
King’s Speech
Somewhere
Mad Men S 4
Made in Dagenham
The Walking Dead S 1
Treme S 1
Alamar
The Girl
Fair Game
Black Swan
Lemmy
Four Lions
Go, Internets, Go!
Here’s a good rant for those of you (us) that feel that maybe TV is ruining everyone’s life. And it’s funny! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2iEQwApm8[/youtube]
This has always been one of my pet peeves in films – good to see someone articulate it for me (although it was in my hopper to rant on about on my blog soon – dang!). It’s a funny article about speech giving in films – like in Braveheart when Mad Mel is riding along his enormous legion of troops shouting out some sort of inspirational speech. Who the hell can hear him except maybe the first couple of rows – and that’s if he stands still, not riding up and down the ranks? I picture myself in the army there leaning over to a fellow soldier, “What’d he say? We’re doing what?!” Or shouting “Speak up!” http://livvyjams.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/strange-cinema-conventions-the-pre-battle-horseback-pep-talk-minus-megaphone/
Alright, ya’ll that’s it for today/this week. Enjoy the hockey game, keep the rioting to a minimum if they lose, get out there and vote next Monday and remember to keep watching!
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-04-28 23:43:442011-04-28 23:43:44Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 2nd
Gus: “Dad, can I have a chocolate sandwich?” Me: “A chocolate sandwich? What’s that?” Gus: “Well, you get two pieces of square bread, well they’re more of a rectangle than square, you get the soft chocolate – it’s not warm chocolate – and you get a knife and put it in the chocolate. Then you take it and rape it on the bread and viola! A chocolate sandwich!”
What a difference a week makes. It’s starting to warm up (trust me it is) ever so slightly, the Canucks are on the verge of a sweep and moving onto the second round (I’m hoping for a sweep of all the series – no problem, right?), there’s a nice full moon to admire and we have a great week of quality DVD and Blu Ray releases! Oh joy!
A couple of things to let you know about; there’s some sort of Easter celebration, egg hunt (I never really got the Easter egg hunt thing – like the symbol for Easter, besides a dude nailed to a cross, is a bunny – bunnies don’t lay eggs. Where’s the Easter chicken?) happening in the Cambie hood this Saturday (the 23rd). Details in the You Go Internets section down below.
Also we have a sweet contest to win a pair of tickets to bat-shit crazy Randy and Evi Quaid’s “film” Star Whackers this Friday the 22nd at the Rio Theatre. Just announced – Randy’s band The Fugitives will be performing as well. Should make for a strange evening. Again, details down below.
New Releases for Tuesday April 19th
Colditz – WWII “escape from the POW camp so you can return to London before the other guy not in a POW camp steals your fiance” type film. Stars Tom Hardy (Bronson, The Take) and Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers). Drama and escaping’, I presume, ensue.
Goemon – Cool looking Robin Hood type, martial arts CGI extravaganza from the Japanese director of Casshern. Also on the Blu Ray. Action, weirdness ans swords, I assume, ensue.
Gulliver’s Travels – Jack Black craps in your eyes for an hour and a half in this half-baked, lame attempt at the famed story of Gulliver – a lout who ends up on the island of Liliput – an island populated by tiny, tiny people. Hilarity, was supposed to, ensue.
Highwater – My description – Surf movie. IMDB description – Real life drama, humor, death-defying waves, rivalries, parties, heart-break, romance, injuries, and humanity all collide during a nearly two month surfing competition on Hawaii’s “7 Mile Miracle”.
I Love You Philip Morris – Jim Carrey embraces his inner gay man, tries to pull some cons and frauds, lands up in jail where he meets Ewan McGregor. Romance, I presume, ensues. For those of you who never thought you’d get to see Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor make out.
The King’s Speech – Tale of King George VI of Britain, as portrayed by unknown actor Colin Firth, and his unfortunate speech impediment. This won some kind of award or something a while back. For whatever reason this film holds little or no interest for me but I’ve been told by reliable sources that it is quite good. Stuttering, stammering and hilarity, I presume, ensue. Also on the Blu Ray.
Like Dandelion Dust – Heavy duty drama starring Barry Pepper and Mira Sorvino as parents of a young boy caught in a custody battle with good parents vs bad parents or something like that. Lots of acting and crying and yelling, I presume, ensue.
Rabbit Hole – Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star in the director of Shortbus and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, comedy (yes comedy – I’ve been told anyways) slash drama about a couple who lose their son in a car accident. I imagine that crying, laughs, and lots of acting ensue. Make a nice double bill with the above film, don’t you think? Also on the Blu Ray.
Shawn the Sheep– Big Sheep Chase – Shawn the sheep stars in this sheep chase type film. Sheep and chasing, I presume, ensue.
Somewhere – Sofia Coppola makes another sweet film about nothing in particular. This time out it’s Stephen Dorff sitting around examining his live when his 11 year old daughter comes for a visit. Word has it that it’s quite good. This is first in my que for the week. Also on the Blu Ray.
Street Kings 2: Motor City – Because we were all dying for a sequel to Street Kings 1. (Not called one at the time I expect). Ray Liotta replace Canoe Reeves. Don’t hold your breath thinking it will be as “great” as the first one.
The Temptation of St. Tony – From Estonia! A mid-level manager who develops an aversion to being “good” finds himself confronting the mysteries of middle-age and morality as he loses grasp of what was once his quiet life. The plot keywords on the IMDB include murder, chainsaw, cannibalism and surrealism so how bad can it be?
As promised here’s the skill testing question to win a pair of tickets to the crazy night at the Rio starring the Quaids in all there nutty glory. What film did Randy Quaid and Charlie Shen (see a theme here?) star in together. First one to post it on the Black Dog Facebook wall or send me a reply gets the tickets!
https://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.png00Darrenhttps://blackdogvideo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Black-Dog-logo2-300x80.pngDarren2011-04-18 21:04:032011-04-18 21:04:03Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending April 25th
