Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 30th

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]

In case you were wondering who walked away with the hardware at Cannes, here’s a article featuring the winners and losers – http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-tree-of-life-and-kirsten-dunst-overcome-boos-a,56442/

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

And here’s a little trailer for Rent-A-Friend as promised. http://foundfootagefest.com/

Well, that’s all for this week, kids. Have a great 7 days, and remember, keep watching.

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 23rd

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/

The First Weekend Club would like you to know about a showing of the locally shot Repeaters this week… http://www.bigbluesafe.com/email/display.php?M=81692&C=b6cb8cd1b1f1e7648778570ec1f4d974&S=908&L=33&N=649

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]

Want to see something utterly ridiculous and offensive? Check out the size of Will Smith’s trailer (not what you’re thinking, perverts) It even has a name it’s so big… http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/monster_that_ate_soho_VdW5POGj4kk2YKCD1R0g6I?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dccda72952ab787%2C0

Thats it for today folks. Enjoy the hockey if that’s your bag but don’t forget about us! Keep watching.

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newletter for Week Ending May 16th

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/

Black Dog Video Newsletter for Week Ending May 9th

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.

Old Shite

Sweet Smell of Success – Criterion
Fish Tank – Criterion

Coming Next Week

  • The Illusionist
  • No Strings Attached
  • Black Death
  • That’s What I Am
  • Life with Murder
  • The Violent Kind
  • Concert
  • Blue Valentine
  • I Am You

Recently Viewed and Recommended

  • A Somewhat Gentle Man
  • Mad Men S 4
  • The Girl
  • The Green Hornet
  • Carlos The Jackal
  • Inside Job
  • Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
  • King’s Speech
  • Somewhere
  • Made in Dagenham
  • The Walking Dead S 1
  • Treme S 1
  • Alamar
  • Fair Game
  • Black Swan
  • Lemmy
  • Four Lions

Go Internets Go!

Here’s an amusing (if a little long) clip of Obama roasting The Donald. Pretty good jabs. What’s with Trump anyways? Is he just plain nuts? I really hope that he runs for President! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4[/youtube]
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]
And one more – Oscar Wilde meets the Jersey Shore – [youtube]http://ow.ly/4LwKh[/youtube]
That’s it for this week folks, remember, get out and vote today and also keep watching.

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending May 2nd

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/

And to sort of keep with that theme, hear’s a funny article from the Onion about odd movie jobs that we wish were real, especially in these hard economic times…
http://www.avclub.com/articles/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it-22-nichey-job-fields-w,55022/

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!

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending April 25th

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?

Couple of Old Gregory Peck Titles Just in

Coming Next Week
  1. Human Planet
  2. IP Man 2
  3. Chawz
  4. Resident
  5. Jolene
  6. Lucky
  7. Casino Jack
Recently Viewed and Recommended
  1. Somewhere
  2. King’s Speech
  3. Mad Men S 4
  4. Nurse Jackie S 2
  5. The Infidel
  6. Treme S 1
  7. Made in Dagenham
  8. Fair Game
  9. Lemmy
  10. Four Lions
  11. Carlos the Jackal
  12. The Walking Dead S 1
  13. Alamar
  14. The Girl
  15. Tron Legacy
You Go Internets!
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!
And this may be the funniest thing that you’ll see all day/week/month/year/life – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnT78ut9-k&feature=related
And for the Cambie Easter thingy

Black Dog Video Newsletter for Week Ending April 18th

Sorry for the late newsletter this week folks. I was hoping to have it out on Monday as usual but the world conspired against me. Again. I was swamped with stuff like kitchen renos, 2 beer lunch, attacked by wolverines, you know, life. Anyways…

As far as I can remember there has not been a week like this week for New Releases. And I don’t think that I mean that in a good way. For the first time, maybe ever, there isn’t a single film that I’m familiar with! I don’t understand why the powers that be that are in charge of releasing films would do something like this! Make no sense. So henceforth, this week shall be known by thee name, and thus name only, as the Tuesday of Motion Pictures Unbeknownst to All Who Gaze Upon their Shiny Unfamiliar Descriptive Casings. Next week will more than make up for this week’s weak offerings. Until then enjoy some great older titles, or some of the old hockey game (but not too much).

For those of you not interested in the Canucks drive for the Cup (I know that you’re out there), please don’t forget to take advantage of our swell deals – Wednesday – 5 old great films for a measly $8.00, Sunday to Thursday 2 films for $7.00 – one old one new or two old, two new for $10.00. $35.00 buys you a pre-paid punch card good for 10 films of your choosing (includes new releases and blu rays!) And the T-shirts! Have I mentioned the T-Shirts? Well they’re going fast so come on in and get yours soon!

New Releases for Tuesday April 12th

Country Strong – The box quote says “You don’t have to be country fan to love this movie” No, and you don’t have to have any fucking teeth to eat corn on the cob. Get what I’m saying? I think that I’d rather pour hot wax into my ears and gouge my eyes out with a warm spoon that watch and listen to Gwyneth Paltrow warble her way through this thing. But that’s me.

Farewell – This one I’ve never heard of but it looks pretty darn cool – if you like the spy capers. And I like the spy capers, gimme a good spy caper any day. And this one is reportedly based on a true story about a KGB dude who decides to secretly (all spies do things in secret) give intel to the “enemy”. And it has the great rubbery faced Willam Dafoe in it and, for some reason, a quote from Ronald Reagan on the box! Which is strange unless it’s from a critic by the same name. Who knows these days?

Let Him Be – Two dudes come across a brief video clip of what they think is an older John Lennon (guy from a band called The Beatles) playing some music. Of course they set out on an odyssey to discover the truth. Never heard of this one but I like the premise.

Looking for Pallidin – Have not heard of this film but it may be interesting to some as we follow a Hollywood agent who travels to Guatemala in search of actor Ben Gazzara. Seems to be one of those films about self-yawn-discovery.

Re-Cut – Never heard of this horror number but for us horror aficionados out there this one looks nice and grim. Looks a combination of Wicker Man, Last Exorcism, Eden Lake and any number of “crazy small town-folk hiding a nasty secret” type films.

Summer in Genoa – Not familiar with this number despite the excellent cast – Colin Firth, Catherine Keener, swell director Michael Winterbottom and the lovely Italian setting of, you guessed it, Genoa. Firth’s a dude who loses his wife and then moves his two daughters form the States to Italy to “start over”. Looks like it could be pretty good, even if I haven’t heard of it.

Summer Lover – I think that this one may be a bit of a lesbian romp in the sun. Not too sure as it is unfamiliar to me but the main character’s name is Sappho and she travels to the island of Lesbos for a “vacation” And the cover art kinda gives it away as well.

Vision: From the Life of Hildegard Von Bingen – I’ve been waiting my entire life for a bio-pic of famed 12th century nun Hildegard Von Bingen! Oh happy day! Kidding aside, this is supposed to be an excellent film directed by famed director Margarethe Von Trotta.

White Material – The awesomely great Isabelle Huppert plays a crazy entitled white woman living in South Africa who refuses to give up the family’s crumbling coffee plantation as civil war rages around the place. Directed by the greatly awesome Claire Denis. And it’s a Criterion release!

Releasing on Friday the 15th

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt 1 – Never heard of this Harold Potter fellow but I hear he’s quite popular amongst the youngings and the wizard and warlock crowd. Also on the blu ray.

Old Stuff

The Sins of Madame Bovray – If you know who Edwige Fenech is you may have seen this, if you haven’t I’m sure that you will want to. If you don’t know who she is well now’s your chance!

Coming Next Week

  • The King’s Speech
  • Guilliver’s Travels
  • Somewhere
  • Rabbit Hole
  • Goemon
  • I Love You Philip Morris
  • Colditz
  • Like Dandelion Dust
  • Street Kings 2

Recently Viewed and Recommended

  • Tron Legacy
  • Nurse Jackie S 2
  • The Infidel
  • Treme S 1
  • Made in Dagenham
  • Fair Game
  • Lemmy
  • Four Lions
  • Carlos the Jackal
  • The Walking Dead S 1
  • Alamar
  • The Girl

Internets! F@#K Ya!

I don’t usually throw political like stuff in here but I feel the need to include this humorous, but spot on, piece. Anything I can do to help unseat Harper. Man, I hate that guy! There’s a few F-Bombs sprinkled in hear, just so ya know..
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItqs4HO6hc&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/youtube]

I know there’s a couple of you out there you are interested in Canadian film and what not. If you are check out the First Weekend Club as they are all knowing, all seeing in the realms of Canadian cinema – http://www.firstweekendclub.ca/

When I first saw this website I thought it was real. Real creepy! http://chickswithstevebuscemeyes.tumblr.com/

And speaking of creepy. I’m not too sure why I put this in here. Maybe just for the WTF factor? Enjoy…[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etU_wtP5Pck[/youtube]

Have a great week folk! Go Canucks but also go movies!

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending April 11th

So it seems that a few of you out there have been wondering what ever happened to the online catalogue portion of our website. Well, I’ll tell you what happened…way back in the day we were working towards having our entire inventory online. It was a huge undertaking (from my point of view) with having to manually add each title, year it was made, country of origin, director and a featured actor. We printed out a copy of the inventory and then took turns entering the data. We made it about half way through until one of our staff (no names mentioned here) lost the copy of the inventory. It was then that we put the kibosh on the entire affair. Enter the new site. Since we only had maybe 50% of the catalogue online, I decided to scrap that portion of the website. That said I am contemplating redoing it. I would like to find a better method than individually entering each of the 10,000 titles we have as I think I’ll probably be in my grave before it’s completed. Stay tuned.

And another reminder of our fabulous deals; Sunday to Thursday – 2 films (one old, one new or two old) for $7.00 or two New flicks for $10.00. Wednesday you can grab 5 old titles for a paltry $8.00. And don’t forget our great deal pre-paid punch cards – you get 10 films (new or old) for only $35.00! Holy hotdogs!

New Releases for Tuesday April 5th

Crime D-Amour – Sexy French corporate thriller finds sexy boss Kristen Scott Thomas making life difficult for her sexy underling Ludivine Sagnier (remember her from the sexy Swimming Pool?) French + sexy = well, you decide.

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader – I guess this is the second film in the trilogy about a talking lion and a witch and maybe some sort of magical wardrobe? Not too sure, haven’t seen the films or read the books but if you know about this dreadfully titled ditty then have at it. Also on Blu Ray.

La Nostra Vida – Great Italian film about a family and their struggles to live in modern day Rome. When the dad discovers a body on the construction site that he works, he doesn’t report it for fear of the work coming to a halt. Complications (of course) ensue.

Little Fockers – Oh why do these things exist and why must I bring this kind of dreck into the store? Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro and the rest of the cast should be made to go to everyone’s house a give them a foot massage as penance for making this film. Actually if you want to read an interesting article written by another video store owner about this type of dilemma and just the general state of this business check out this article…http://thefilmbuff.com/grown-ups-and-little-fockers-2010
My favorite line – Little Fockers is about half as funny as Joseph Vilsmaier’s Stalingrad (1993) and twice as depressing. And no, I did not get the blu ray.

Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie – Whew, that’s good because I’m getting a little tired of all of the Bigfoot movies inundating the screens nowadays. Actually I can’t think of one Bigfoot film. So, in reality, I could be pleased with a typical Bigfoot movie. But I digress…While yes the is some Bigfoot hunting in this film, it’s really about the friendship forged between a couple of dudes in a small, dying Ohio steel town. Looks pretty cool. Not your typical documentary.

The Taqawacores – Interesting sounding little film about a Muslim dude growing up in Buffalo NY (poor bastard) where he meets other Muslims who are into Taqawacore – a hardcore, Muslim punk rock scene that only exists out west. Drama, hilarity, punk rock partying and such, presumably, ensue.

Tron – The new Tron subtitled Legacy or Destiny or Overindulgent or Heritage or Reckoning or Vs Predator or something. What it has going for it – it’s very cool looking with a fantastic soundtrack by Daft Punk but that’s about it. A couple of Jeff Bridges – one current – looks kinda like the dude but with nicer, more futuristic clothes, and one computer generated Jeff Bridges trying to make him look 25 years younger – he looks really creepy and waxy, star in this sequel to the mediocre sci-fi film from years gone by. I don’t really understand what these films were about and they try hard at the exposition but it’s all silly. And why do they have to fill the roles of the handsome young guy with all of these cookie-cutter jarhead type of guys that all look and act the same and everyone will forget five minutes after watching the film? Anyways that’s kinda my two cents – looks cool but evaporates from the brain as soon as the credits role. On the blu-ray as well.

Coming Next Week

  • Highwater
  • I Am You
  • Let Him Be
  • Looking for Palladin
  • Re-Cut
  • Summer in Genoa
  • Summer Lover
  • Vision: From the Life of Hildegard Von Bingen
  • Affaire Farewell

Recently Viewed and Recommended

  • Black Swan
  • La Nostra Vida
  • Little Fockers – Ha! Just kidding.
  • Nurse Jackie S 2
  • Californication S 3
  • Mad Men S 4
  • Treme S 1
  • Meserine
  • Jackass 3
  • The Fighter

Internets, Great Job!

Here’s a fine article from the Onion (of course) about their favorite scenes from films from the 80’s. Yeah, Oldboy! Are there any of your favorites that they left out? For me there’s the scene from There Will Be Blood where the oil rig explodes and has that great music from the guy from Radiohead, the getaway scene from Children of Men, the opening and actually many scenes from City of Godhttp://www.avclub.com/articles/our-favorite-film-scenes-of-the-00s,35888/2/

If you have and iPhone and have ever been confounded by the auto correct on the text portion of the phone you will probably find these very funny… http://damnyouautocorrect.com/

From the First Weekend Club comes some passes to check out Daydream Nation and other news about Canadian films – http://www.bigbluesafe.com/email/display.php?M=81692&C=b6cb8cd1b1f1e7648778570ec1f4d974&S=869&L=33&N=611

And speaking of bland run-of-the-mill looking dudes getting sweet roles…A film series that I’m looking forward to – The Hunger Games Trilogy – took a step forward by announcing that Jennifer Lawrence will play the lead Katniss but then took two steps backward by giving the two male leads to these dudes…http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/the-hunger-games-movie-hutcherson-hemsworth_n_844554.html

Anyways that’s it for this week. Enjoy the rain and the great movies to be found at your local video store (hope that it’s Black Dog!)

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Video Newsletter for Week Ending April 4th

Did anyone read the article in last week’s Westender titled “Internet Killed the Video Store”? I don’t think that I need to go into detail as the title pretty much says it all. As you all know it’s been tough times for our business as of late and it seems that things are not getting any easier. There are just too many options for people to get their entertainment nowadays. Since that article ran, the fine shop Happy Bats on Main St. has closed its doors and I know of three other stores that will be shutting down operations between now and the end of the summer. I am pleased that we are still able to keep going but as mentioned, business is just not what it used to be even a scant 2 years ago. I love this business and just about everything about it – the films, the employees, our great customers and their dogs and just about everything in between and we will keep going as long as you keep coming. I put myself in my customers shoes – where would I go to get the fine selection of films provided by friendly knowledgeable staff if there are no more video stores? We have had such great support throughout the years and I hope that this support can keep us going and enable us to bring quality films to the people.

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week as that’s the day that the new films hit the shelves and when we have a great week like this week, I get excited to get these films into your hands. It is easily the best week of the year so far and I hope that you all can find some quality entertainment to brighten up your days.

Oh and one other note – there will be a slight increase in the price of the New Release TV stuff – $4.00 per disk, up from $3.50. I hope that you all can handle that. If you can’t just think of all of our other fantastic deals we have going on – 2 for $7 Sunday to Thursday or 2 New Releases for $10, 5 old films for $8.00 on Wednesdays, the pre-paid punch card, swell new Black Dog T-Shirts, the mind reels!

New Releases for Tuesday March 29th

American Violet – Well reviewed heavy duty drama about a single African-American mother who struggles to clear her name after being wrongly accused and arrested for dealing drugs in an impoverished town in Texas. Impoverished Texas town; I was looking for a good vacation spot this summer.

Birdemic : Shock and Terror – One of the worst films ever put to celluloid as they makers of this thing proudly state. It seems the for reasons unknown and gaggle of vultures and condors or some other carnivorous birds attack a sleepy little town somewhere. Sleepy little, vicious bird riddled town; another choice place to vacation.

Black Swan – Probably the best “ballet dancer spirals downwards into a morass of insanity” film ever made. The lovely and scarily skinny Natalie Portman won some kind of award for playing the doomed dancer but it’s Vincent Cassel who, in my opinion, is the best thing in this gripping thriller. I was really bagged when I watched this and was thinking “do I really want to watch a friggin movie about ballet?” Glad I did as I was enthralled from the beginning. One of the best films I’ve seen this year by far. Also on the Blu-Ray.

Fair Game – Pretty solid political thriller based on the true account of a couple – he’s Sean Penn and he works various consulting jobs and she’s Naomi Watts and she’s an undercover spy. When Sean Penn doesn’t give the evil Bush cronies the info they want on some bogus sale of uranium to Iraq, Naomi Watts’ cover is revealed by some Republican scumbags. I still have a hard time with the fact that none the Bush criminals have ever been brought up on charges for all of the various heinous crimes they committed. Makes me so mad! That said, this is a good film although it gets a bit preachy at the end. I’m looking at you, Sean Penn! Also on the Blu Ray.

Heartless – An outcast dude – because he has a large unfortunate birthmark on his face – discovers that there are demons roaming the streets, eating people and just generally demonizing some run down part of London. Again, another great vacation idea! Really looking forward to checking this one out! And it’s on the blu ray.

Leaving – Kristin Scott Thomas is a well to do woman in France who decides to leave (get it, the title of the film) her family for some dude. Only in France..

Mad Men Season 4 – Don Draper continues to smoke, drink and fuck his way through 1960’s New York. And wear great suits! Love this freakin’ show! And it’s on the blu-ray as well.

Made in Dagenham – Sally Hawkins stars as a woman who leads a 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination. Word has it that’s its quite excellent. Word. Blu Ray = yes!

The Man from Nowhere – South Korean flick about a quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past who takes on a drug and organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend. Word has it that it’s an excellent thriller with a great knife fight. Who doesn’t enjoy a sweet knife fight every know and then? And on Blu Ray as well.

Tangled – Very well received animated fare based on the Rupunzel fairy tale. I imagine this one includes talking and/or singing animals and/or hair. On blu Ray as well.

Treme Season 1 – Most excellent show about life in New Orleans after the big hurricane and what not tried to wreck the town a few years back. Brought to you by the cats who made The Wire so you know its going to be quality.

IP Man on Blu Ray has also just arrived.

Coming Next Week

  • Crime D’Amour
  • La Nostra Vida
  • Little Fockers
  • Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
  • Taqacores
  • Tron Legacy

Recently Viewed and Recommended

  • Black Swan
  • Fair Game
  • Treme S 1
  • Mad Men S 4
  • Made in Dagenham
  • Dogtooth
  • The Fighter
  • Unstoppable
  • Carlos the Jackal
  • Jackass 3
  • Inside Job
  • Four Lions
  • The Infidel
  • Lemmy

Interwhats?!

Mark down April 22nd if you want to be part of a bizarre evening. The Rio on Broadway will be host to “An Evening with the Quaids” as Randy and his wife, Evi storm the theatre to present a viewing of Real Time and then a work in progress print of the Quaids Star Whackers with a Q and A and maybe even some singing and dancing. Funny to see this show up in The Onion. Should be quite the evening. http://www.avclub.com/articles/randy-quaid-will-also-turn-his-paranoia-and-massiv,53746/

So did Natalie Portman do all of her own dancing in Black Swan or didn’t she. Better yet, who really cares? http://www.avclub.com/articles/natalie-portman-hardly-danced-at-all-in-black-swan,53749/

Here’s a list of the most profitable films in history. You might be surprised and repulsed to find out the film in the number 1 slot. http://www.movieline.com/2011/03/how-much-did-you-contribute-to-the-15-most-profitable-films-grosses.php?_r=true

That’s it for this edition, folks. Have a great week and remember, keep watching.

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Video

Black Dog Newsletter for Week Ending March 14th

Black Dog just turned 15! Holy hotdogs that’s a long time. What started out as our cute little baby has transformed into an unruly teenager. I don’t have the best memory in all of the land but I can still remember our first day way back in 1996. It was a Saturday and it was at the original location across the street from the current store on Cambie Street. We had astroturf for carpeting, a handful of films to rent and unbridled enthusiasm in our hearts. I thought that it would be a good idea to write the numbers of the films on dog biscuits, shellack them and velcro them to the shelves in front of the corresponding boxes. Nice funny idea, something different, no? It lasted approximately 30 minutes or when the first dog came in and promptly ate all of the biscuits on the bottom row. Didn’t really think that one through it seems. It’s been a great ride so far and while things have changed in our industry, I still hope that we can remain a vital part of the neighborhoods that we are in and continue to provide you fine folk with some great films, wonderful service and witty conversation for many years to come.

I hate to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to that pizzeria opening up on Kitchener and Victoria (I know that I was) but it seems that some “miscommunication” with the owners and the pizza dudes over a liquor license has put the kibosh on the joint getting off the ground. That’s too bad.

And just a reminder – Black Dog T-Shirts are available at both locations for a mere $20 plus tax. There’s a visual at the bottom of the newsletter so you can see how sweet they are.

And one more reminder – deals deals deals! Sunday to Thursday – 2 films for $7 (one new, one old or 2 old) or 2 New Releases for $10. Wednesdays – 5 old films for $8! and don’t forget the great punch card offer – $35 will net you 10 films! Sweet deals indeed!

New Releases for Tuesday March 8th

Every Day – Family drama/comedy set in some place called New York. Has a pretty good cast – Liev Schreiber, Helen Hunt, Eddie Izzard, Brian Dennehy and others walking around and talking and acting and such.

A Film Unfinished – Doc about the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII. Supposed to be quite amazing in a haunting kind of way – go figure. What makes this movie interesting is it’s a film about an unfinished film about the people behind as well as in front of the camera that exposes the extent of how cinematic manipulation can and does change the way we look at historic images. Got that? Good.

Four Lions – Comedy about 4 British jihadists and their attempt to blow a lot of shit up using bombs tied to crows. Word has it that it’s very funny (Its says so at least 15 times on the box!) No surprise that this didn’t get any kind of theatrical release here as the subject matter might be too much for many weak-minded people. Can’t wait to check this one out.

Inside Job – Oscar winner for best doc, this one takes aim at the lying, disgusting sacks of shit who orchestrated the financial coup d’état and taxpayer bailout of 2008. As the guy who made the film said at his acceptance speech at the Oscars, ” Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by financial fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that’s wrong.” Looking forward to watching this to get the blood boiling. I like boiled blood, OK?

Jackass 3 – And on the opposite end of the spectrum comes….Jackass. More of the same except that everyone is a little bit older and more broken down. Good stuff (I saw it in the theatre in the 3-D – not in 3-D on the DVD though). Might make a good double bill with Inside Job as you may need this to temper the rage you will feel after watching. (Inside Job, not Jackass – well you may feel rage at Jackass but those are your issues).

Lemmy -What can one say about Lemmy? Even if you’re not a Motorhead fan (who isn’t a Motorhead fan?) word has it that this doc about the famous frontman is terribly entertaining and awesomely awesome.

Morning GloryBroadcast News type comedy drama finds the lovely Rachel McAdams, the lovelier Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton (she’s a little lovely in her own right) as a bunch of people working on a down and out TV show or something like that. I thought that Morning Glory referred to something naughty? Guess I’ll have to watch to find out. Also on the Blu Ray.

The Next Three Days – Russell Crowe (yes thee Russell Crowe!) stars in this thriller about a dude who wants to bust his wife out of prison. May I suggest the classic nail file in the cake ploy? Do people still bust out of prison or get busted out of prison? Written and directed by the dude who made Crash. Remake of the pretty good French thriller Anything for Her. Also on the Blu Ray.

Room in Rome – A couple of women spend a lot of time naked in a hotel room in Rome in this steamy romantic lesbian number. Contest at the end of the Newsletter for a couple of copies!

Tales from Earthsea – Japanamation in the Miyazaki vein (It’s directed by his son, so yes, it’s definitely in that vein) that has wizards and dragons and such doing stuff.

The Walking Dead Season 1 – Pretty cool zombie apocalypse TV thriller that follows some people after the outbreak of said zombie apocalypse. I must get my zombie apocalypse survival kit together soon. Also on the Blu Ray.

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia – Doc about this crazy criminal family – The Whites (duh) – who were famous for things such as shoot-outs, robberies, gas-huffing , drug dealing, pill popping, murders, and tap dancing. Sounds like a fun filled time!

Hitting the Sheets Next Week

  • Skyline
  • The Fighter
  • Inside Hanna’s Suitcase
  • No One Knows About Persian Cats
  • Hereafter
  • Chevolution
  • A Marine Story
  • Carlos the Jackal
  • The Temptation of St. Tony
  • Sharktopus

Recently Viewed and Recommended

  • Walking Dead Season 1
  • Jackass 3
  • 127 Hours
  • Nurse Jackie
  • Enter the Void
  • Dogtooth
  • Social Network
  • Mesrine 1 and 2

What Else?

As mentioned we have a few copies of Room in Rome – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263750/ – to give away. Today’s skill testing question? Well since I know nothing of the film or actresses let’s just go with “What’s the fastest land animal?”

Tarantino’s next film looks like it could be cool. A western. The Coen’s True Grit was most excellent so let’s hope that QT knows what he’s doing (he usually does).
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/48669

Ever hear of this guy named Charlie Sheen? Seems he’s a bit crazy. And a bit over media saturated. Need proof? http://www.avclub.com/articles/this-moment-in-charlie-sheen-sheen-is-a-radio-stat,52726/

Here’s what the funky new BD shirts look like. Also comes in a nice blue. You like?

Have a great week. Keep watching!

Black Dog Video