Reel Dogs in Art Week 4

More than comedy, tragedy or danger, journeys home or lost dogs, dog movies reinforce something we already know: human beings have no greater friend and companion than the dog.

These three beautiful portraits show us heroes of modern canine films. Dogs who work for us, believe in us, love us, and never give up on us.

Fly and Rex became canine celebrities when Babe (1995) was the first major motion picture to allow animals to speak with anthropomorphic mouth movements using CGI. These Border Collie heroes, painted by Chicamiau, not only put in a 40+ hour week for their farmer, they shape the destiny of a little pig who longs to grow up and be just like them.

In 1987, Japan’s most famous dog, Hachikō, a cream Akita, was immortalized with a beautiful film paying tribute to the dog who waited for his dead guardian to return to their meeting point at Shibuya Station. For ten years.

In 2009 Hollywood released a new adaptation of the Hachikō story with Hachi: A Dog's Tale. In this portrait by Cederin, Hachikō waits through the winter.

Another true story, Red Dog (2011) is an Australian film celebrating the life of a Kelpie who traveled Western Australia in search of the one man he had claimed as his own. BooYeh here captures the spirit of this rugged traveler and the red desert he called home. See a Reel Dogs review of Red Dog here. 

The artwork above is published here by kind permission of the artists; Chicamiau, Cederin, and BooYeh of deviantART.

Thanks for following along with Reel Dogs’ Art Weeks!

Daily Reel - A Dog Year (2009)

A Dog Year got a slow start in life when it ran onto trouble with distribution. Fortunately this surprisingly good dog flick for adults, based on books by Jon Katz, is now readily available on DVD.

Movie dog fans will recognize "Devon" (later "Orson") as the same Border Collie who plays "Shep" in Hotel for Dogs (2009), from Birds & Animals Unlimited.

Produced by HBO Films, Duopoly, Devon’s Corporation

Daily Reel - Animal Farm (1999)

Based on George Orwell’s classic 1945 novella, Animal Farm boasts a nearly all animal cast with voices provided by human performers. Like 101 Dalmatians, Animal Farm was adapted with an animated feature (1954) and the live action version posed a mammoth challenge for the team of animal trainers involved. (Not to mention the animatronics department.)

The film’s top dog is a tri-colored Border Collie named Jessie, played by Spice and voiced by Julia Ormond. Spice, who appeared in several films, TV productions, and commercials throughout her career, was trained by Mary Owens, of Fircroft Dog Training in County Kildare, Ireland. Owens and her team provided eight other dogs for the production, including a Lurcher, Jack Russell Terrier, Rottweiler, and mixes.

Produced by Hallmark Entertainment, TNT, Animal Farm Productions Ltd.

     

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A Great Dane looks into the camera in Temple Grandin (2010).

A Norfolk stares down a houseguest in The Holiday (2006).

A Border Collie puppy is an ill-fated birthday gift in All the Little Animals (1998).

Reel Dogs Freeze-Frames 10

This Border Collie does what they do best in the

new Hallmark movie You Lucky Dog (2010)

A Golden Retriever takes on a broom in

For the Love of a Dog (2008).

Nap time on the trail for this Alaskan

Malamute in To Build a Fire (1969).

You Lucky Dog

After the theatrical release this month of Marmaduke, there's another dog movie on its way: You Lucky Dog (already released in Canada under the title Family Gathering) is a Hallmark Channel original movie airing on Saturday, June 26, 9/8c on the Hallmark Channel.

The story follows a New York fashion designer (Natasha Henstridge) returning home to the farm after her mother dies. She adopts a Border Collie from a shelter and brings the dog, Lucky, home to her brother (Harry Hamlin) to help with his growing sheep flock. Their father (Lawrence Dane) disapproves of the dog, who used to belong to an old rival. But, like any good movie dog, Lucky turns out to be the whole family's best friend.

After many years without releasing a dog film, Hallmark seems to have discovered new inspiration with last year's A Dog Named Christmas, and now You Lucky Dog (which is also the title of a Disney TV film from 1998). Don't miss it on June 26th!

Check out the trailer below:

Reel Dogs Freeze-Frames 5

A Border Collie gets hold of something he shouldn't in

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Border Terrier waits for lunch in

Mitt liv som hund a.k.a. My Life as a Dog (1985)

German Shepherd in

National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion (2003)

A Border Collie Year

I just saw A Dog Year (starring Jeff Bridges), a movie aired on HBO and based on the book by Jon Katz. The book/film is all about the relationship between a messed-up dog and a messed-up man and it's probably the best Border Collie film out there. In honor or Devon, played by Ryder in the film, and all the other OCD Border Collies out there, here's a list of some of the films they've made their own with big or small roles.

Pictured: Original poster from Babe, one of the best known BC films, from author's collection. Copyright Universal Pictures, 1995.

The 101 Problems of Hercules (1966) TV

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

An Angel for May (2002) TV

The Animal (2001)

Animal Farm (1999) TV

Air Bud: World Pup (2000) (brief)

Babe (1995)

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

Bailey's Billion$ (2005)

Bingo (1991)

Blind Man's Bluff (1992) TV

Bob, Son of Battle a.k.a. Thunder in the Valley (1947)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Daisy Kenyon (1947)

Dog Trouble! aka The Dog Days of Arthur Cane (1984) TV

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Finding Friends a.k.a. Venner for livet (2005)

First Kid (1996)

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

For Richer or Poorer (1997)

Garfield (2004) (brief)

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Good Boy! (2003)

Hambone and Hillie (1984)

Heck's Way Home (1995)

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (2000) TV

The Jack Bull (1999) TV

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

The Last of the High Kings a.k.a. Summer Fling (1996)

The MatchMaker (1997)

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy (2006) TV

My Friend Flicka (1943)

Never a Dull Moment (1950)

Owd Bob (1924)

Owd Bob a.k.a. To the Victor (1938)

Owd Bob (1997)

Phantom Gold (1938)

Pollock (2000)

P.S. I Love You (2007)

The Princess Stallion (1997) TV

The Proud Rebel (1958)

Razorback (1983)

Reservation Road (2007)

Roseanna's Grave a.k.a. For Roseanna (1997)

Sarah Plain and Tall (1990) TV

Sarah Plain and Tall, Winter's End (1999) TV

Second Sight (1999) TV

Snow Dogs (2002)

The Soul Collector (1999) TV

The Sundowners (1960)

Up the Creek (1984)

Village of the Damned (1960) (brief)

Waking Ned Divine (1998)

Wild is the Wind a.k.a. Obsession (1957)

Wind Dancer (1993)