Wiener makes Variety

Read the review at Variety.com

What can I say - I'm shocked. Our little wiener dog documentary got reviewed in Variety!!! For an indie film that's pretty rare - and our phone's been ringing off the hook and our email box has been flooded. Could it be that somebody out there actually realizes there's a huge audience of dog lovers who would love this film? We'll see!

BendFilm is a Blast!

Well the fests keep getting better and better! Bend, Oregon is this tiny, ultra-hip, very expensive yet very artsy enclave smack dab in the middle of the state, and boy do they know how to throw a film fest. I can see why it's getting such a buzz in the film world - the awards ceremony itself was a jaw dropper.

Again we had sold out shows. Our first was at a small theatre, again around 11 on a Friday, and again no problem. A lot of people were taking extra long lunches to catch the film.

Lineup at our first screening

The first screening

Our second screening at the much bigger theatre went just as well. Again, another sellout crowd (festival people on site told us we were the only ones to fully sell out the theatre!). Baby Luv made the trip up to Bend, and as always stole the show.

Baby Luv greets her fans

Lineup for the second screening

On a side note I was especially surprised we got picked for this - we submitted after the deadline and asked if we could get a price break on the submission - and then asked if we could pay with a post-dated check!!! Needless to say I had written our chances off - but Erik Jambor took a chance and are we ever glad that we did!

It's now the end of the festival season unless we get into Fort Lauderdale - which I'm pretty sure isn't going to happen (film snobs!!!). That's it for this year. Now we're in sales mode as well as recovery mode. Travelling this much really takes a lot out of you. We'll keep you posted as events unfold!

Shane

US Premiere a Dog Gone Success!

Another festival, another round of sell outs! We opened in San Francisco during the famous Love Parade. Again we figured we were screwed crowd wise. Er, not so much. Ticket demand was so big we sold out our initial venue and got moved to the larger theatre - with over 110 attending (over twice the capacity of the first theatre).

The following night we sold out the large theatre, and the San Francisco DocFest people decided to add two more screenings because of the demand. Again we sold out the smaller venue both times and were moved to the big theatre.

Baby Luv walks the red carpet.

Baby Luv and Bruno made it up to the premiere which was great - they stole the show as they walked the red carpet (more pictures and video coming soon!).

We're now getting ready for our next screening tomorrow at the very hip BendFilm festival in Bend Oregon. If you're in the neck of the woods please come by and catch the film and introduce yourself to us. We gotta get some sleep - our flight leaves at 6am out of LAX so we need to be on the road a 3. Yuck!

Shane

Atlantic Film Fest Premiere a resounding success!

Wow wow wow. What can I say. I haven't been to Halifax in years, but returning for our world premiere in my old hometown (and home of my production company) was unbelievable. From a sellout crowd to awesome films to great parties, it was a blast. I can't recommend this festival enough. I had forgotten how Maritimers like to party.

It started out with our screening which was scheduled Sunday at noon. I was convinced this was going to be a death slot. Who the hell would want to come out to see our wiener dog movie at noon on a Sunday?

Apparently a lot! We sold out the largest venue, and left a lot of people out in the cold.

Sorry - sold out!!!

There was a lineup upstairs and downstairs in the theatre! Great audience response, and fantastic coverage in the local press what more could we have asked for? I was able to hool up with lots of great filmmakers and saw some great films.

My favourites:

End of The Line (Maurice Devereaux)
Portage (Matt Miller and Sascha Drews)


We're exhausted, but don't have much time to recuperate. In a week we're off to our US premiere at the San Francisco Documentary Festival. Hope to see you there!

World Premiere Announced

We're pleased to announce our world premiere will be Sunday, September 16th as part of the Atlantic Film Festival

If you're in town please be sure to drop us a line and say hello!

Release the hounds!

The past few weeks have been extremely hectic as we prepare for our world and US premieres. That's right - we found out we've been accepted to a major festival in Canada (that we can't yet name because of a press embargo), as well as the San Francisco Documentary Festival!

We're really jazzed - although now the dung hits the proverbial fan; there's no more slacking around - we've got a firm deadline that we need to meet. Now we need to create press kits, arrange promotional events, get hotels and flights set away, and oh yes, finish every edit I need (or want to make). The pile of work is daunting but yet with the festivals fast approaching it's also kind of exhilarating.

I'm trying to get som Anne Roger Clark footage together as well as video of an interview I did with the head of the Olympic Drug Lab at UCLA, Dr. Don Catlin. With all the doping stuff in the news I gotta get this out onto the web.

Okay, it's 2:23 in the morning - I need to do some more pre-festival work, then grab a couple hours sleep before I head into the day job. What a life.

I wouldn't change it for anything...

Iris Love Speaks on the Doxie Color Issue

Here's the third and final installment of our new video releases featuring New York socialite, Guggenheim heiress, and dachshund world personality Iris Love. Never afraid to voice her opinion, Iris speaks her mind about the current piebald/double-dapple and mini versus standard controversies in the doxie world.

Iris Love on The Dachshund "Color" Issue and the "Mini/Standard" Controversy

Come back soon! We'll have more videos soon!

Iris' Healing Wiener

Okay as promised here are more Iris videos.

Here, NYC socialite and patron saint to the dachshund world Iris Love tells an inspiring story about the tremendous healing power of therapy dogs. It's a refrain we heard again and again on our travels. Check it out.

Iris Love talks about her therapy dog Phoebe.

Iris Video #1

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Yes, I know, I haven't updated the blog or the site. Getting the doc finished and out to fests has been consuming my life. Ongoing serious health issues with Marion and myself have also been contributing to the backslide, and the quarterly RAID failure was pretty much the coup de grace.

But today I more than make up for it. I've put up 18 and a half minutes of out takes
from my interview with Iris Love.

If you don't know who Iris is, you've got to get to know her; Guggenheim heiress, archaeologist, historian, and patron saint to the dachshund world, Iris is a heavy hitter in the doxie world, and landing an interview with her was no mean feat. So without any further delay here ya go with interview #1.

Iris On The History Of Dachshunds

Where We Stand

It's been a very busy month. We finally nailed down the final cut, got the posters ordered, and received some promising news. The programmers from the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival have selected Wiener Takes All and 19 other films as finalists for the Rockefeller Plaza Film Series, to be held in June. They will pick 4 films from the 20, so we're by no means assuming we're in, but we're happy just to have received the nod from the programmers.

We're busy culling video from the outtakes to put up on our Veoh channel, and hope to have several clips up by this weekend.

Gotta head back to the edit suite. TTYL!

Shane

Good news

We just got word from Todd Kroeker that Blazer has indeed still alive, and that after going to another vet was successfully treated for a condition that another vet was going to euthanize him for. A very important lesson here - whenever you get a critical diagnosis, always get a second opinion! It may save your dog's life.

Week of Animal Deaths

What a terrible week. First our neighbor's cat Hannibal got run over right in front of the house. I was the one that had to tell his owner. Worst of all, I'm pretty sure Hannibal was on his way to visit me. Now tonight I've heard from Todd Kroeker (of Todd and Poppy fame) that Blazer is being put down this evening. Such sad times. Blazer had a ruptured disc in his back, which is a very common ailment to dachshunds. At least he won't be in pain.

Hannibal and Blazer, I wish you well on your journey. You will be missed.

Los Al a No Go?

June 29 - What a day! Orlando still hasn't gotten back to me. He usually
responds right away. I've left him three messages in 2 weeks and
he hasn't responded. This makes me worried - I think WienerSchnitzel's
PR goons might have put the squeeze on the track and we are
now persona non grata - just like in NYC.

This is without a doubt the most surreal point in my life. Not
in a million years would I ever have believed you if you'd told
me at this point in my life I would be reduced to fighting
battles in order to complete a movie about wiener dog racing.
That people would actively try and obstruct me over the film
as well!!

I realized last night that I need to get clearance from the actors in the Miller
Lite commercial - from '93!!! Trying to find these guys is like
a needle in a haystack. I called SAG and asked if they have any way
of finding out who they are - nope. I then called Miller
Brewing (snake eyes again), and finally my contact at Leo
Burnett Agency's archives - Ilana Pergam. She is the person
who found the initial advertisement for me - buried deep in
the archives. At first she wasn't hopeful but then I got an
email:

Dear Shane, My contact in Broadcast Business thinks
he may have located the box containing records on the Miller
Lite "Wiener Dog Winternationals" spot from 1993. It is
currently at an off-site warehouse and will have to be
located and delivered to me. I'll look through it to try to
find what you need.

Wish me luck!
All the best,
Ilana

How's that for luck!!! Less than 5 hours after I start looking
I might have located them! Cool!

Final bit of good news - Dr. Don Catlin, the top dog of USADA
and Olympic anti-doping agreed to an interview with me! Cool! We're going to
talk about the doping controversy that's developing in my story,
as well as doping in sports (phyisiological and psychological
components). I'm really excited. This is the guy who cracked
the Balco steroid case wide open.

Pornographic minds?

A couple of days ago I decided to put up a new section of our website as a place for people to send post their dachshund pictures and bios. Being the comedian, I decided to name the section "Show Us Your Wiener". Kinda cute. The following morning I awoke to 3 unsubscribes in my mailbox - people requesting to be taken off my list. This was very odd, especially since we've never lost anyone from our mailing list before, so 3 in one day was bizarre.

As I opened each email I was treated to 3 gems like "I was under the assumption that this was a family oriented project. I am saddened and dismayed that you felt you had to stoop to sexual inuendo in order to attract an audience. Please remove me from your mailing list."

Huh?

Are people really that anal retentive that they are offended by a little tongue in cheek? Okay maybe a lot of tongue in cheek, but still... I don't know how these people can navigate the Internet without going off their rocker there's so much overt sexual content out there. I must get a dozen spams a week that are so graphic they'd make Larry Flynt blush. I don't unsubscribe from the net! I move on. I am not going to water down my project to be some vanilla pap to please everyone. So to the three people who were so offended by "Show us your wiener", don't let the door hit you on the ass.

On second thought, please do.

Shane

Hounds, Hounds, Everywhere

Filmed one of the last segments for Wiener today. Charles Baris, international dachshund breed judge, and head of the Knickerbocker Dachshund Club, was up in San Juan Capistrano. We last met at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in NYC last year, and he was great on camera. At the time he refused to comment on the double dapple "scandal", and told me to ask him again in a year. Well, it's a year, so we headed up to get his stance on film once and for all.

We're so close to finished that I can taste it...

Deep In The Heart of Texas

For the past few days we've been in Buda, Texas for the world's largest 2-day wiener dog race, sponsored by the local Lion's club. We wanted to meet up with America's winningest Wiener, Sammy, from Florida, as well as Texas heavyweight and 3-time Buda champ Copper.

Copper becomes four time Buda Champ

As expected, both made it to the final race, with Copper winning in a convincing manner. Over 500 dogs lined up at the line in the largest wiener race in America. We got tons of great footage - now the challenge is in compressing two days down to five minutes. Ugh.

It's All Over But The Crying

The wiener national finals were today, and yes, one of the dogs we were following won it all!!!

Talk about unbelievable luck. When we set out shooting this doc, we hoped that at least one of our dogs would make it to the end. To have dreamed we'd have 4 dogs make the finals, and one take it all would have been too much to ask for. But it happened.

Bruno gives his mom a pre-race good luck kiss

We've got great footage of the races (7 cameras total, including 1 steadicam and 1 platform cam) - I just looked at the dailies and it looks amazing. I can't wait to start cutting this. We now have the story - now we need to work backwards and fit the footage in. At last count we have 130+ hours of footage to weed through. This is going to take a while...

Bounced from the party...

What a difference a year makes. Exactly a year ago we were invited by Wienerschnitzel to attend the pre-race party, where we filmed interviews and hobnobbed with the "who's who" of West coast wiener racing.

This year we weren't so welcomed.

In fact, Wienerschnitzel had me bounced at the door. They refused to speak to me on camera, or even grant me an off-camera interview. What are they afraid of? What are they hiding? Beats me, but it makes for entertaining B-roll...

Tomorrow are the national finals. We have defending champ Noodles, Heidi Roo, Bruno, and Vinny Barbarino in the finals. Four out of the 13 dogs are ones we've been following for the past year. I have a feeling either Noodles or Hailey will take it all. Anybody want to make a wager with me?

Vinny Makes The Cut

Wow, wow, wow.

Yet another of our dogs has made it to the national finals - barely. Tucson's Vinny Barbarino *squeaked* by in his first race, stopping at the beginning to sniff another dog's butt before making a beeline to the finish. The following night he did the same thing - doing a full 360, before taking off for the finish line, his jersey falling off between his legs. His performance was so breathtaking that it was #5 of ESPN's "Play of the Day" countdown.


That means we now have 3 dogs in the national finals, and the odds are slowly tilting significantly towards our favor. As it stands, 3/13 finalists will be dogs we've been following over the past year. I like those odds.

Vinny's got tremendous speed. Sadly he has the attention span of a fruit fly. Will he prevail this December? It's anybody's guess.

Big Apple Wieners

We're in NYC for the annual Doxtoberfest. This is the day when hundreds of doxies from across New York City meet up in Washington Square Park.

This pimpin' wiener takes a break
at Washington Square Park

It truly is a sight to behold. It's one of two days in the year when dachshunds take over the park - and undoubtedly the day that creates the most smiles in the area.