Guy With A Library Card: Issue 06

A Brand New Day
Written by M

Welcome back to another episode of Guy With A Library Card. It’s been a while, in fact all summer and then some. I hope you all enjoyed your summer holidays, maybe went somewhere fun and got a lot of needed R&R. I know it was nice to take a break from things and even got my own chance to get away a few times so all was good here.

As with all things, when you get back from holidays, you have to play catch up. I know why do you really have to get back to work? It’s balderdash. Even here in the Internet blogosphere ketchup is necessary...not just on my fries. Over the last few months a lot has changed in Saskatchewan Libraries. Every Library in the province amalgamated into one. With that came new web changes, some good and some bad. There have been changes in how I request materials and when and how I get them. Some aspects have improved and some have gone down the drain. I can also now post reviews online for others to see and rate material from the library. Thankfully the staff and the Library are very helpful when I have any issues and as always walking into a library never changes. As more and more library systems are going this route expect changes at your own branches and be sure to pick up any library publication, usually at the front desks, about what’s going on at your branch.

Really you don’t want to hear all that crap. With summers passing I have noticed that my taste has changed like the seasons. So I think the best way to go is with the high (forget the lows) and how they all changed to my current interests.

First summer hit I actually wrote a piece on it and then lost it. White Dog is a movie from the early 80’s about a white German Sheppard which was trained to attack people with dark skin. Naturally the dog would be at the hands of a black trainer and the drama would unfold. I kept looking at the case in the library as I thought the cover art was interesting, very minimalist but very good. When I read the synopsis I also thought that was interesting but it took a few months before my summer adventure aspirations took over and I gave it a try. Needless to say I enjoyed the movie. Actually I can’t think off hand of an early 80’s drama which I have enjoyed more. It also captivated three other 20 something’s who had no interest in even hanging around. I was so intrigued by this movie I did some more digging (not real deep) and thought these two things were of interest. First I wondered why I never heard of this movie before and why the DVD was dated 2008? The movie was censored out of rotation, made in 81 slated for release in 82 but after a few select screenings Paramount locked the movie up. In the early 90’s another small release happened, with great review across seas. The DVD in 2008 is the official US release of the movie and the only ever release in Canada. The film was also rumored to be Tony Scott’s debut but Sam Fuller who had a history of controversial material insisted on the directorial rights. Lastly the movie is based on a book which does have some historical references to real incidences however there is no such thing, at least not that I could find, of any evidence to support that a “white dog” ever existed or was trained by any group.

Next summer time fun movie is a documentary called Shark Water. I had wanted to see this for a long time as I heard good things but it just never happened. Being a huge fan of most nature videos this was sure to please but I had also just come of a weekend of Shark Week on Discovery. It was kind of funny in retrospect. Shark Week seemed more focused on the “killer shark” and how powerful and wild the animal is. Sure they made reference to the fact that Jaws isn’t really how sharks are but really they exploited the fact that we all want to see sharks kill seals. Shark Water takes the approach of almost humanizing the animal. They point out how we don’t really know much about sharks despite the fact they have been around actually longer than we have. Ultimately it turns into a crusade to save sharks from poachers. It’s beautifully shot and well put together plus there is a real run in with real Pirates, how cool is that? It’s intense and totally amazing while you sit in the safety of your home.

Then came the transition period and it all started with a phone call. A while back I requested that the library get in some material, a pack of DVD’s that for some reason are more rare than they should be considering their historical cultural content. I had completely forgotten that I had requested them yet by some magic of timing my phone rang and there was something to pick up at the Library. So I headed down and what I found turned me into a 7 year old. At my cross roads with hockey, whether I play competitive still or not and with all the leagues starting the arrival of The WHA Chronicles was impeccable. I could barely contain myself. The transition of the new adventurous to the old regular grind had started.

World Hockey Association Documentary

The Chronicles was an interesting piece. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched old hockey games before but they lack the playoff excitement that you get when you are committed to a sport for some time. However the games featured on the 3 disc set did include several championship games and the last ever Avco Cup game between the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. There was also a game featuring the New England Whalers (best logo ever) against the Soviet Union, a game that should have taken place 5 years earlier. Yes the famed 72 series was actually product of the WHA who wanted to promote an upcoming league as being able to compete with any team but obviously that fell through, the NHL took over and the rest is history bad blood and all. Really though out of this DVD set all you needed was the last disc which contained interviews with Bobby Hull and The Great One. Both very insightful, it was amazing to hear The Jet talk about how hockey transformed around him and his role while Wayne resembles and excited school boy with his first pro hockey experiences. Both interviews made one gain a lot of respect for each player and at the same time made you feel like they could have been just one of the guys in the dressing room. Also was a historical feature that comically went through the massive changes the league underwent. Lastly, for those of you who know the legacy of the WHA there was a 6 min fight real which was as good as one would expect. I am still can’t believe some of the violent images I saw.

So now that summer is over the regular grind has me in full swing. I’ve planned something a little larger for GWLC which may take some time but will come. With September, I also have some none library watching to do as every year a personal favorite is with out question bought on DVD. So while you enjoy your next trip to the Library I will commence with the Kenny vs. Spenny Season 6 Marathon. I bid you well.