The infamous Cannes Film Festival is wrapping up this weekend in France, but if you’re not able to book a last-minute flight — here’s a dog’s eye tour of the scene from Body, a Lab mix, who also stars in one of the films being screened there called White God. It is described as “the tale of an eternal friendship between a girl and a dog in a world where ancestry can decide on life or death. ”
Check out the clips below! (Variety)
If you like dogs, cartoons, and music videos — then you will probably dig this simple, soulful animated video from British singer, Nat Johnson, courtesy of Brainpickings.
A few years ago, a cute, fashion-funny dog photo book called Hipster Puppies came out.
But trends come and go — even in the dog world — and now it appears that #puptrousers are what it’s all about (although I guess the furry ear flap hats never go out of style)! (BarkPost)
Back in the 70’s, before Cheers and Friends, there was a classic TV sitcom called Taxi, starring Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, and Marilu Henner.
Anyway, I came across this old dog-friendly clip on Youtube titled “Alex’s Old Buddy” — which is about Alex (Judd Hirsch) enjoying his last few days with his beloved mutt. The episode is funny, smart, and emotional –– and it was also written by champion dog lover/Simpsons creator, Sam Simon. Produced over 30 years ago, the dog humor and themes discussed are timeless!
The way that humans have embraced their animals since the 1940’s would make even Orson Welles blush, as we read in David Grimm’s new pet-friendly book, Citizen Canine: How Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs.
But this book is not just chock full of feel-good stories, Grimm, an editor at Science Magazine, uses social, historical, and, yes, scientific data to support his theories on how far animals have come in modern society.
For more info, check out the New York Times review here.
I know we’re all about the painted dog here, but I came across two vintage fine arts-loving cat books – Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics (by Heather Busch and Burton Silver) — a part humor, part Jackson Pollock depiction of cats playing with canvas.
Then from Susan Herbert, there’s Impressionist Cats. They say you can’t reinvent the wheel, but Herbert has revised the masterpieces of French Impressionism with big kitties replacing their human counterparts — so move over Monet and Renoir because there’s a bunch of new cats in town!
Paul Nathan has photographed hipsters in Brooklyn — so it’s only naturally that he turns his camera on the most stylish New Yorkers around — dogs! Specifically, his dashing doggie photo book, Groomed, focuses exclusively on the dogs of the 1%. Is this class warfare for pets? I prefer to think of it as ‘The Shaved vs. The Shaved-Nots’.
Judging by the extreme looks on view, I actually kinda feel sorry for some of these overly pampered pooches — but I’m sure they’re very well fed! (Business Insider)
Francesco Marciuliano, the author of the cat poetry classic, I Could Pee on This, has a dog ebook version out called I Could Chew On This — and it’s on sale at Amazon and other fine retailers for just $1.99 (until 4/30/2014)! (BookBub)
Bargain Booksy has a $1.99 ebook sale for two recent animal titles, Lost Cat and How Dogs Love Us. So, if your Kindle is hungry — get ’em while you can because these flash sales tend to last only a day or so!
In recent years, there has been a rumor running through dog shelters and kennels that black dogs aren’t adopted out as often as their fair-haired roommates. Although there is no official study thus far to back up this commonly-held assertion, Fred Levy — a photographer — is not taking any chances, so he has started up the Black Dogs Project to promote dog lovers choosing his darker-furred friends! (HuffPo)
When I saw the title of Lorrie Moore’s latest book, Bark, I was hoping there might be a tale or two about dogs included in the short story collection, but it appears to be metaphorical — hence, the pic of tree ‘bark’ on the cover.
However, after listening to author, Walter Kirn, on NPR talking about his new Talented Mr. Ripley-like thriller about befriending a master manipulator (wait, that definitely sounds like a dog!), Blood Will Out, I learned that a Gordon Setter plays a big supporting role in the story. Like all great books, Kirn’s starts with a dog — when he agrees to shuttle a crippled rescue dog across the country to meet a supposedly wealthy, pooch-loving Rockefeller — who turns out to be a psychopath. But don’t worry, at least the dog doesn’t get killed! (NPR)
The New York Times featured a litter of shiny, new pet books for kids this past weekend. From dogs to sloths, there should be something for every kiddie/animal lover!
Get ready, blockheads, because Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the Peanuts gang are skedded to hit the big screen! (But don’t rush out to buy tickets yet since the film won’t be in cineplexes until sometime around November 2015.)
Let’s hope the new fancy-schmancy animation can stand up to the simple charms of Charles Schulz’s beloved cartoon classic. (THR)
John Mahoney, the veteran TV actor who played Kelsey Grammer’s father in Frasier — which also co-starred Eddie, the charming Jack Russell terrier — is now starring in new play outside Chicago called Chapatti, which is about a dog person who develops a relationship with a lonely cat lady in Dublin, Ireland. (Northlight)
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