2016 Dog Stuff to Read and Watch - Dog Movies and DVDs

Year End Dog Books - Books for Dogs, about Dogs, and with Dogs

Another year has come and gone and, listening to NPR reminds us here at DogEvals that we need to talk about “The Year in Dog Books.” In 2016, DogEvals posted 48 book/DVD reviews, 44 of them about dogs, and 4 of the non-dog type that we just couldn’t resist reading – and when we read, we review! (We also posted about and compared new and wonderful leashes and events and other ‘things’ of the ‘K9 Kind!’)

It’s hard to read only books published in the current year (many are published late in the year), and we never manage to do just that for several reasons. Added to that dilemma are the reviews written in the past and then misplaced - only to be found in 2016! (Canine Behavior, for one. Our apologies.)

But enough excuses. Here is our list of books in approximate order of merit and by category. Enjoy!

Today’s category: Dog Movies and DVDs

Next:  Earlier Books than Current

Dog Movies and DVDs

Who Gets the Dog? (Epic Pictures, September 2016, 95 minutes, Rated PG)

            Watch this for the dog! Also a fun flick for pre-teen girls.

Rocket Recall: If you build it, they will come, by Lisa and Brad Waggoner (Tawzer Dog, 2015, 65 minutes, $29.95)

            Step by step guide for the family dog that works.

A Dog Year, based on the Jon Katz 2003 book of the same name, starring Jeff Bridges (HBO Studios, 79 minutes, 2010, $11.79, Rated R [possibly for strong language])

            The movie about the book of the same name. A man and his border collie move to the country.

Paddington with Nicole Kidman, based on the book by Michael Bond written in 1958 (StudioCanal DVD, $9.86, 2015, 95 minutes, rated PG)

            A classic representation of a classic story – Paddington bear.

Kayla: A Cry in theWilderness (A wild dog tames a young boy’s loneliness and pain) (ONE-ACTION Canada Questar DVD, $8.65, 2000, 96 minutes, rated NR)

            Heart-warming story of a boy who is the teacher of his stepdad. The best stories are those in which the child is parent to the man.

A Far-Off Place (Disney, DVD, 1993, 107 minutes)

            Not quite as good as Walkabout but it does have a dog! A Rhodesian Ridgeback. Filmed in Africa, not Australia.

The Champions (DVD produced and directed by Darcy Dennett, 2016, 90 minutes, $24.95)

            Whatever happened to some of the Michal Vick dog-fighting dogs?

Best in Show (Warner Home Video DVD, $12.99, 2000, 89 minutes, rated PG-13)

            Remember this one? A spoof of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. You either like it or you don’t.

Betty White, Championfor Animals (Image Entertainment, directed by Robert Kline, 89 minutes, 2012, NR, $14.68)

            Lots of animals and dogs, but not much Betty White except for the title.

Dog Camp, A Dogumentary: PeopleRescuing Dogs, Dogs Rescuing People, directed by Paul Kim (Goodfriend Media, 2016, 53 minutes, $20 donation, Blu-ray or On-demand at DogCampMovie.com)

            Spotty documentary about a great idea – a dog camp to raise funds for dog rescues.

Marley & Me, ThePuppy Years (Twentieth Century Fox, 2011, 86 minutes, $9.99)

            A summer movie about agility dogs, a boy and a girl. For the young set.

Wag the Dog, produced by Barry Levinson and Robert De Niro (Baltimore Pictures and TriBeCa Productions, 1997, 97 minutes, $15.99, rated R)

            Famous flick with well-known actors. Dark comedy about a presidential election. DogEvals prefers Dave with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, and The American President with Michael Douglas and Annette Benning.