The Hardly Boys in Hardly Gold

By Cyril Pearl -- Video Business, 4/16/2008

MICROCINEMA
Street: April 29
Prebook: now
> William Wegman’s famed Weimaraners go the amateur detective route in this affectionate spoof.

The latest Microcinema release featuring the videos of William Wegman and his faithful Weimaraner dogs is an adorable spoof that finds curious canines Fay Ray, Battina, Crooky and Chundo embarking on Hardy Boys-styled adventure-mystery. The Weimaraners are dressed in all manner of civilian mufti (sweaters, jackets, etc.) with human hands aiding them in such filmic endeavors as playing tennis, hunting butterflies and looking through binoculars as they try to solve the mystery of their missing Aunt Gladiola. It’s a little overlong, but undeniably clean and wholesome fun for the whole family. Of the disc’s healthy array of supplements, the most enjoyable is “Dog Baseball,” a 1986 Saturday Night Live commission that finds the dogs taking the field and running down some pop-ups.

Shelf Talk: Wegman has been producing his Weimaraner videos for more than 30 years and he has developed quite a following, as the shorts have for years been making the scene at film festivals and on TV (SNL and Letterman, in particular). Produced in 1995, Hardly Gold never received a theatrical release and probably hasn’t been seen by a good number of the doggies’ fans, so you would do well to pick up this well-priced piece, put it on display and get ready for some special orders.

Family, color, NR (nothing offensive), 30 min., DVD $19.99
Extras: director’s commentary, two additional shorts, two vintage Rangeley Chamber of Commerce films
Director: William Wegman
First Run: DVD premiere