For Calgary music fans, Tubby Dog is much more than just a hot dog restaurant — it's a cultural hotshop that doubles as concert venue and one of the few all-ages houses going in Cowtown. Given its key role in the local scene, it's only natural that the famed restaurant has spawned a documentary film, Tubby Doc, which will come to DVD next month.
This no-budget flick was created by Calgary-born filmmaker Sara Hughes, a regular patron of the business who began filming using a hand-held camera in 2009.
According to the documentary's press materials, "A loose narrative is formed around hilarious, often heartfelt vignettes that demonstrate the pandemonium that can occur at this anything-goes restaurant and venue."
In the course of the film, a pile of bands make an appearance, including White Lung, Nü Sensae, Monotonix, the Tranzmitors, B-Lines, Saberooth, the Gooeys, the Moby Dicks, Topless Mongos, Black Death Boners, the Pants Situation and Grown-Ups (Hughes' own band alongside husband and Exclaim! contributor Josiah Hughes).
The film also highlights the restaurant's staff and includes everything from hot dog eating contests to 90210 marathons, making for a rough-around-the-edges portrait of the lovable restaurant, with subjects doling out "drunken wisdom and heartfelt sincerity."
While the film has previously been screened in Calgary, this DVD version comes with bonus features, including deleted scenes, the original trailer and a slideshow of custom posters by local artists. All copies will ship on or around March 15 and come with a sticker. It's available to pre-order here.
Watch a trailer below.
This no-budget flick was created by Calgary-born filmmaker Sara Hughes, a regular patron of the business who began filming using a hand-held camera in 2009.
According to the documentary's press materials, "A loose narrative is formed around hilarious, often heartfelt vignettes that demonstrate the pandemonium that can occur at this anything-goes restaurant and venue."
In the course of the film, a pile of bands make an appearance, including White Lung, Nü Sensae, Monotonix, the Tranzmitors, B-Lines, Saberooth, the Gooeys, the Moby Dicks, Topless Mongos, Black Death Boners, the Pants Situation and Grown-Ups (Hughes' own band alongside husband and Exclaim! contributor Josiah Hughes).
The film also highlights the restaurant's staff and includes everything from hot dog eating contests to 90210 marathons, making for a rough-around-the-edges portrait of the lovable restaurant, with subjects doling out "drunken wisdom and heartfelt sincerity."
While the film has previously been screened in Calgary, this DVD version comes with bonus features, including deleted scenes, the original trailer and a slideshow of custom posters by local artists. All copies will ship on or around March 15 and come with a sticker. It's available to pre-order here.
Watch a trailer below.
Tubby Doc trailer from Sara Hughes on Vimeo.
