Missing John
Today (the 12th of November) marks one year since the passing of our beloved friend and colleague John Skibinski. Such a terrible thing to lose a great guy and good friend so young. Rarely a day goes by when I don’t think of John and his wit, his charm and his intelligence. And it goes without saying that he’s always on my (and most everyone’s) mind when were at the Cambie store. He was a big part of the Black Dog family and he is sorely missed. It sucks getting old.
I remember John as a witty, thoughtful, good-humoured guy who loved to send me away with gritty French or European films. Films that dwelt on big moral issues, full of migrant workers, struggling single mums, children living rough. I would come in asking for something uplifting and ideally not set in the United States—perhaps an 18th century costume drama, Jane Austen, Hardy? — and leave with a couple of films by Eric Romer or Lars Von Trier, or Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. No, the films were not what I came for, but I liked them all the same. John offered a service expanded my horizons, and the opposite of the digital algorithms that now dominate so many people’s picking of literature and film (“If you like this, then you will probably like these books…”). He is why I continue to shop at Black Dog, not Netflix.
Nice words, Jim. I learned much about movies (and food and life) from John. He was a great dude and so passionate about film. I still go into his recommendations when I need something along the lines of what you just described.
Cheers,
Darren
And thanks for continuing to support us in this digital day and age.