Hot Docs 2019: Who Let The Dogs Out Review

dannythemoviemanMay 8, 201981/100n/a3 min
Director
Brent Hodge
Writers
John Diemer, Brent Hodge
Rating
G (Canada)
Running Time
60 minutes
Release Date
May 2nd, 2019 (Hot Docs)
Overall Score
Rating Summary
Who Let The Dogs Out is a simple film, and through it's incredibly brisk run time, it achieves beyond it's goal of being a fun time to being a surprisingly informal and intriguing story about intellectual property and the law of creativity.

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Hot Docs Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

https://youtu.be/uEcAZJJiBQk

As Ben Sisto, the world’s “Leading Expert” on song Who Let The Dogs Out says in this film, the question of Who Let The Dogs Out is one of the world’s biggest curiosities. That isn’t just because we hear the song played so much, but in reality, we don’t know who ‘let them out’. Who Let The Dogs Out is the most fun you’ll have watching a documentary in ages – with a charismatic narrator, a genuinely hilarious series of events and a really catchy song to back it all up, this is one not to miss.

What’s especially surprising about Who Let The Dogs Out is how in-depth it actually goes on the titular tune, reaching back into decades worth of legal battles and claimed ownership over the track that reached peak popularity through one of it’s most recent renditions. You may go into this one expecting a basic history lesson on the songs origin, but what you leave the theater with is more than that, and in particular, a great lesson about law and copyright!

But arguably, the best thing about it is how much of a surprise it is. Any claim that Who Let The Dogs Out is a personal favorite of Hot Docs this year is met with laughter – but it’s absolutely true!

*still courtesy of Hot Docs*


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