Tag Archives: movies

Luke, I am your puppy

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This photo over at Dogs in Duds (love the name) inspired today’s No Frown Friday.  We talked about real space travel last week, so let’s talk about some fictional space travel today.  That’s right, it’s time for Star Wars… puppy style!

  1. First up, punny pet names: Obi Wag Kenobi, Arf Vader, Slobber the Hutt, Luke Skybarker, Arftoo-D2, Boba Fetch, and Lando Abyssinian.
  2. In case the list above didn’t tip you off, Star Wags: A New Rope Toy is next on my imaginary movie producer list as soon as I wrap up Golden Retriever Girls and Seven Dogs for Seven Brothers.  Perhaps I’ll call the next episodes The American Shorthair Strikes Back and The Return of the Pedi-Paws. I should probably move on now…
  3. Speaking of felines, is this cat Jabba the Hutt’s stunt double?
  4. Not really pup related, but still worth a sniff… cool Star Wars cakes.
  5. This chihuahua will teach you the ways of the Force.
  6. You know you want a shirt in Chewbacca Pink.

Ok, so I had no idea what an AT-AT was until I saw the video below.  All you need to know is that it’s one of those walker things from Star Wars, and apparently it is awesome (and perfect for today’s post):

AT-AT day afternoon from Patrick Boivin on Vimeo

(via Phetched)

That concludes today’s No Frown Friday… but before I go, I’d like to bark about one of our blogging friends who has a Star Wars connection.  Stop by The Life and Times of Chew the Shih Tzu and say hi! (While you’re there, you can also learn how Chewy got his name.)

Happy weekend… may the pup be with you!

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Dogs… in… space!

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That’s right.  It’s a Pigs in Space joke.

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 5.  Aboard this spacecraft?  Two dogs, named Belka and Strelka.  The Soviet Union sent these pups (along an odd assortment of traveling companions including mice, rats and flies) into space.  This motley (muttley?) crew survived the trip, and proved that living beings could endure space travel.  The dogs became national heroes.  (Other dogs weren’t so lucky.  One of the most famous of these was named Laika.)

While the use of dogs (and other animals) in these sorts of situations is of questionable morality, I won’t delve into that here.  (Although I admit, I have been pondering that issue ever since I read the story.  Some of the background reading I did for this post just made me sad.)

Anyway, enough with the serious stuff… after all, it’s No Frown Friday.  I’ve occasionally posted about space stuff before, but this time it’s all about the pups.

  1. Punny pet names?  Of course.  This week, I give you Neil Arf-strong and Fuzz Aldrin.
  2. I never saw that Space Buddies movie, but I have to admit that the canine stars were pretty cute in their spacesuits.
  3. Speaking of spacesuits, check out what real-life canine cosmonauts wore.
  4. Do you remember Snoopy’s stint as an astronaut? (If you’d like to read the week of strips illustrating Snoopy’s trips to the moon, start here.)  Snoopy has served as a NASA mascot, and NASA even gives out a Silver Snoopy award.  If you’d like to learn more about Snoopy in space, you can find more details and photos in this article.

An animated film about Belka and Strelka was released in Russia earlier this year.  When it is released in the U.S., it will be called Space Dogs 3D.  I was unable to find out much information about when it will be released or where you might be able to see it.  In any event, here’s the trailer:

If you can’t find it in theaters, there’s always the eventual DVD release, right?

Anyway, I hope you and your canine cosmonaut have a weekend that’s out of this world!  (I couldn’t resist.)

P.S. Don’t forget to donate to your local shelter or rescue group tomorrow in honor of International Homeless Animals Day.

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Oh, Toto

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… and by Toto, I mean the dog.  Not to be confused with the band who blessed the rains down in Africa.  (Full disclosure – I used to think the lyrics were “I miss the rains down in Africa.”  I love a good misheard lyric… aka the mondegreen.)

Anyway… the 71st anniversary of the Wizard of Oz (the film) was Thursday, August 12.  I learned this fact thanks to Google’s cool logo and Life with Dogs.  Man, I was so scared of those flying monkeys as a child.  For years, I couldn’t make it past that part of the movie.

Given the recent anniversary, it seemed like a good time to dig this Wizard of Oz-themed post out of the pup archives and share it with you:

Leonbergers and Terriers and Airedales – oh my!

Enjoy!

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Celebrating the cone of shame

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Speed Bump
(Speed Bump via Comics.com)

Ah, the cone of shame.  Immortalized by Dug, that awesome dog in Up.  Speaking of, how awesome was Up in general?  So much fun, and so many quotable lines in that movie.  (One of my faves?  “My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you.”  Very dog-appropriate.)  Anyway, it seems like someone I know mentions the cone of shame at least once a week.  Although Bella’s never had to wear one, the mere mention makes me smile.  For that reason, it’s the theme of today’s No Frown Friday.  Here we go…

  1. As always on Friday, I bring you punny pet names.  Given this post’s medical undertone, this week’s names are doctor-inspired:  Dr. Cliff Pupstable, Dr. Chewingsbone (I presume), and Doogie Howler.  You should be proud… I didn’t go for the more obvious Doggie Howser joke.  Oh wait, just did…
  2. Looking to spice up your decor?  You can even decorate with the cone of shame.  Check out this awesome dog bowl from me me me.  (Thanks to under the blanket for the link!)  Perhaps you’d prefer this cone of shame nightlight.  Want something a little more cozy?  How about these cone of shame pillows?
  3. You can even wear your own cone of shame – in t-shirt form.  Check out this cute shirt featured on PetSugar.

The pup in the video below battles his cone of shame, then battles a water bottle.  The result is magic.

(Seriously… how could that not make you smile?  If that’s not enough cuteness for you, go check out another fun cone of shame video over on phetched.)

Because this post was inspired by Dug, I’ll leave you with a joke from the movie:  “Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, ‘I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.’ Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead.”

Tell it to your dog – I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

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My puppy, ’tis of thee

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In honor of the 4th of July, this week’s No Frown Friday has a patriotic theme.  Here are a few things to get your tail wagging into this red, white & blue weekend:

  1. We’ll begin with patriotic punny pet names, of course: Benji-man Franklin, Thomas Snifferson, James Meowdison, Paw Revere and George Washingbone.  (Another of my favorite patriotic pet names comes courtesy of How I Met Your Mother – Tabigail Adams.)
  2. What better way to start the holiday weekend than looking at pictures of cute pets celebrating Independence Day?  Check out the 2010 winners of Martha Stewart’s Patriotic Pet Contest.  (Bonus patriotic pets available here.)
  3. I’m not sure how this next item relates to the upcoming holiday, but who cares?  I am loving this new (albeit inexplicable) trend – lobster dogs!
  4. Although many dog breeds originated elsewhere, did you know that there are some that are truly all-American?  For info on some of these home-grown pooches (and a few kitties), check out this link.  (There’s a more comprehensive list on this site as well.)
  5. The list of all-American breeds includes my beloved Toy Fox Terrier.  In honor of my own childhood best friend, Scotti, I present to you the best terrier tribute out there:

(From the fantastic Best in Show)

Although the song is technically about the Norwich Terrier, I think it works as a tribute to all terriers… when singing along, just substitute the name of your own preferred terrier pal.

That’s all for this week… I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

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A cosmo with the gals

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So, I checked out Sex and the City 2 this weekend with the gals… honestly, given some of the reviews I had read, I was expecting the worst.  (However, a review I read after I’d already seen the movie is probably my favorite.  The thesis?  Sex and the City is our Star Wars.)

It had some funny moments, but it was definitely a far cry from what made the series so great.  (Full disclosure – I’m a super fan and own all 6 seasons on DVD.)  In the past, it’s been said that NYC is the fifth character… I’d have to agree.  While I have to admit I loved the guest appearance by Liza with a Z (not Lisa with an S, ’cause Lisa with an S goes ssss not zzzz), I never quite got into the part of the movie set in Abu Dhabi.  It’s not quite Sex and the City without the City, really.  In addition, the characters seem to have less depth than ever before… at times I felt like I was watching a broad parody of the series, rather than a continuation of it.  (There was one scene with Miranda and Charlotte that I really loved, but I won’t spoil it for anyone.)  Where were the smart and funny ladies I enjoyed watching on TV?  I miss them.

In any event… although I didn’t love it, it was still a nice chance to get together with the gals.  So in honor of girls’ nights everywhere (of which I’m sure SATC2 inspired many), I thought I’d share the recipe for White Cosmos that some friends and I enjoyed during a recent girls’ night in.  We tweaked a recipe that I found on the Hostess with the Mostess blog, and the results were delicious!

Orange Overload White Cosmos
(adapted from HTWM)

1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz orange Stoli or other orange vodka (or 2 oz for a stronger cocktail)
2 oz white cranberry-peach juice

Pour all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake well and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange spiral.

Enjoy!

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Leonbergers and Terriers and Airedales – oh my!

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It’s about time someone remade The Wizard of Oz with dogs, right?  The Wizard of Dogz clip below is short and sweet (only two minutes), but well worth watching.  My personal favorite is the Tin Dog.

(via Dog Blog)

When I was a child, I had to turn the movie off when the flying monkeys appeared.  Those things were scary, and definitely gave me nightmares.  The flying kitties in this clip are a bit frightening too, but I hope that they won’t be making any cameos in my dreams now that I’m an adult.

I’m all for casting dogs (and puppies, as long as there are rules in place to protect these young actors) in remakes of classic movies.  Although I’m not a whiz with the YouTube and have no skill in directing, I am happy to serve as writer and producer on any future projects you may consider.  After all, I am the creator behind the fake and successful TV show Golden Retriever Girls.

Some brief movie pitches for you to consider:

  • King Kong – A twist on the classic, sponsored by the good people who make Kong dog toys, of course.  Since the idea of a dog climbing a building probably won’t work, I’m thinking we have a dog protagonist and a cat that climbs it instead.  ‘Twas catnip felled the beast.
  • Dog, Where’s my Car? – Yes, we’re going with a loose definition of “classic” here.  Just replace Ashton Kutcher with a cute pooch.  Done and done.
  • Pup-E – Instead of a trash compacting robot, we follow the story of a robot dog left behind when all of the humans left Earth.  When the humans send another robot, Dog-E, to check out an alarm, puppy love ensues.
  • Seven Dogs for Seven Brothers – Parents get their oldest son a dog, and realize they then have to get their other six sons a dog as well in order to avoid a mutiny.  I’m picturing lots of musical numbers and a convincing case for adopting a rescue pup.

I’m sure I’ll think of better examples as soon as I publish this post… perhaps one of these days I’ll post a sequel.

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My hungry eyes spy some cupcakes

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Oh, Friday… one look at you and I can’t disguise.  I’ve got… hungry eyes.  I feel the magic between you and I.  (I know it’s poetic license, so I’m trying to put my grammar concern aside and just go with it.)  Anyway, let me count down this week’s items for No Frown Friday:

  1. Punny pet names… a tradition that perhaps only I enjoy.  In honor of number 4 on this week’s list of things to help you wag your way into the weekend, this week’s name is Johnny Cats-le.  That one was too easy, but I think I earned a pass given that last week I offered up enough names for you to stage an all-pets Golden Girls production in your home.  (If anyone I know ever does stage such a production, may I suggest “Golden Retriever Girls” as a possible title?  Also, I’m expecting a cut of the inevitable profits and a producer credit.  I’m just saying.)
  2. Just kidding… even when I try to stop, I can’t.  So here are two bonus punny pet names, continuing on the classic TV theme:  Julia and Suzanne Sugarbarker.  You’re welcome, Internet.
  3. Speaking of sugar… gazing at these muppet cupcakes has left me incapable of commentary beyond, “Me want cupcakes!”  (Bonus: many awesome muppet moments in the comments, including the Swedish Chef.)
  4. This tribute to Dirty Dancing put a big smile on my face.  Go check it out, spaghetti arms… or pop the DVD in for the millionth time and watch it again this weekend.  You know you want to.  If you need me, I’ll be listening to the soundtrack on repeat.

If you’re in the northern Virginia area, you might want to check out the Pet Fiesta this weekend at Reston Town Center.  There will be puppies everywhere!  Below, a representation of this event in video form:

(via Cute Overload – if you think you can handle the cuteness, there’s another one here)

Note: your actual experience at the Pet Fiesta may differ.  Have a good weekend, kiddos.

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Reviewing stuff: Date Night

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It’s not all puppy-related content on here, after all. Last night, I saw Date Night with a trio of lovely ladies. I’m not going to lie – I had high hopes going into this one.  Tina Fey and Steve Carell as a married couple? I want to go to there.

I am happy to report that the movie didn’t disappoint. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the movie, Tina and Steve (that’s right… we are so on a first name basis) are a married couple in a bit of a rut. They decide to go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant without a reservation. After the host banishes them to the bar to wait for a table, they end up taking another couple’s reservation. This breach of the implied social contract results in a case of mistaken identity. Although the twists and turns of the story were pretty out there (about as out there as the plentiful parking they seemed to find on the streets of NYC), I didn’t really mind.  The movie was quite funny, and Tina and Steve were really believable as a long-married couple looking to find a way to “light up” again. There were also a ton of great people in this movie (many in bit parts) – Kristin Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis all added a little something special.

On the (just-created) review scale for this blog, I give it 4 paws. For Date Night 2, might I recommend a double date with Amy Pohler and Joel McHale? That would be my dream NBC Thursday night movie crossover. Perhaps it could also include a cameo by Tracy Morgan (bonus points if it’s in character as Brian Fellows). Synergy, baby.

However, throughout significant portions of the movie, I really just wanted to see Mark Wahlberg talk to some animals.

Say hi to your puppy for me.

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