Worst in Show (2011) Reviews

• A Pretty Good Lil' Local Doc

  augusts2012-03-10

  I just watched this last week & thoroughly enjoyed it. It's quite fascinating. It's about the Ugliest Dog Contest that takes place in Petaluma, CA every summer. I've lived in the same county for almost 16 years & this is the first I've heard of the contest. I may just go this year for the heck of it because of this film, even though I'm not a dog or pet owner(although I've owned a few in the distant past). The filmmakers interview the various contestants of the contest and you get to know them and their dogs. They follow a few of the owners who are REALLY into it and you find out somewhat of what makes them so obsessed with the contest and winning. Of course, there's some competitiveness between owners. And the dogs are great to watch and although ugly, have their own charm. Surprised this has rated so low so far with a 2.7. It may have to do with the quality of the film it was shot on which isn't the best. Also, I think the filmmakers could've gone further into finding out what makes the owners so into the competitive side of the contest. I think it deserves far better though. And I like the fact that the title of this film plays off the title of the fantastic film 'Best In Show' which is about a fictional dog show(I'd highly recommend it, if you've not seen it. It's hilarious & has a great cast). This doc is the real deal though!

• "And The Winner For Ugliest Dog Is .............!!"

  strong-122-4788852016-06-15

  Welcome to the dog-eat-dog world (or should I say "dog-owner-eat-dog-owner" world) of jealous, petty, publicity-grabbing pet-owners who smugly enter their ghastly-looking pooches into the "World's Ugliest Dog" contest. For starters - This "Ugliest Dog In The World" documentary lost itself some serious points when it came to the introduction of some of the most irritating and downright asinine dog-owners imaginable. This documentary also lost itself further significant points due to the fact (which I found quite disturbing) that a good number of the dogs presented in this contest weren't dogs who were just plain "dog-ugly" because of a specialized breeding (like the Chinese Crested) - No - These were unfortunate dogs who were deemed "ugly" due to having a very grotesque physical deformity. I kid you not. Like - "Hello!?" - If you ask me - That, from my perspective, rendered a good number of the dog-owners (who were shamelessly highlighted in this decidedly disappointing documentary) as being a truly contemptible bunch. And, so, that, of course, left me with no choice but to reduce my ranking of "Worst in Show" to just a measly 3-star rating. Oh. Yes. Indeed.

• "Toddlers and Tiaras" for dogs

  tmaj482015-08-28

  This documentary focuses on the annual "World's Ugliest Dog" contest held in Petaluma, California. Like a lot of offbeat competitions, it started out as a quirky bit of fun for owners of strange-looking, so-ugly-they're-cute canines. But the subject matter, while funny on the surface, ultimately turns disturbing. For one thing, as in many contests, there are always a few competitors who take the whole thing way too seriously. In this case, one dog owner in particular comes across as an obnoxious self-promoter who attempts to monopolize all the attention at every contest. His aggressive campaigning tactics start off as funny, then become tiresome. He eventually comes off as one of those pushy stage parents in children's beauty pageants. More disturbing, though, is the exploitation of some of these dogs. Granted, some breeds of dogs, such as Chinese Cresteds, are simply more bizarre-looking than the average pooch. But many of the entrants have disabilities that contribute to their "ugliness"--missing eyes, blindness, visible tumors and warts, goiters, missing teeth, spinal and limb deformities, etc. It raises the question of whether some of these dogs are the victims of medical neglect by greedy owners who are more interested in allowing their dogs to remain "ugly" rather than seek medical attention for their illnesses and deformities. What starts out as a lighthearted look at strange, funny-looking creatures turns sour. Maybe a closer look at some of these overzealous dog owners is warranted.

• Winning Ugly

  amosduncan_20002014-05-03

  Pretty amusing account of The Ugly Dog show competition that has for some reason become Top Dog. Deals with some of the issues raised by the event without getting too heavy. I might have liked this better as an hour cable special, it feels like there is a bit much of everything. Most of all, of course, the one owner who uses these events for bizarre self promotion. There is one in every crowd, as they say. But even the sympathetic owner of the dog who wins the contest near the end we might have enjoyed more without hearing her whole life story. An enjoyable little Doc though, to be sure. Any dog lover will enjoy it. The DVD contains some out takes for those who can't get enough.

• THe Dogs Don't Know They're Ugly

  lynnfriedman2012-06-02

  Apparently, the world's largest ugly dog contest is held every year at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, CA. What's not to love about ugly dogs? Worst in Show amazes us with nature's diversity. Who knew there were so many ways to be ugly? Ugly is manifested via genetics, injury, and illness. What starts out as a happy freak show evolves into philosophical ruminations on morality. Kind of reminds me of an old Twilight Zone theme. The dogs don't know they're ugly, they're just basking in the attention. We meet a lot of quirky pet guardians. Some appear to be beyond emotionally involved in this supposedly light-hearted contest. Rivalries are revealed, hearts are broken, and lives are literally transformed. A quick google reveals an obsessive amount of international press at this annual anti-beauty contest. There's a lot of intellectualism packed into this 90 minutes, but admit it, don't you want to see what their owner's look like?