Hotdog

I first picked up a copy of Hotdog when it was first launched, back in July 2000. Admittedly, I was attracted by the low first issue cover price (£1.50), and simply by the fact that I was interested in a new film magazine on the market - but the clincher was the fact that it was a Robert De Niro special. Features on the man himself, as well as a special section listing and rating each and every one of the great man's films, complete with availability and classic quotes. Needless to say, I was impressed. The mag as a whole was fresh and informative, so I decided to buy the following month's effort. As I remember, it was decent enough, but no particular feature ...

There is a wide variety of film magazines available to the film buff. I?ve read most of them and feel that there isn?t that much difference between them. Obviously when films are released, all the magazines interview the stars, directors etc. Consequently, you get a sense of deja-vu when going from one magazine to another. Some magazines have one or two extra features that attempt to differentiate their publication from the others. Empire, for example, has a classic scene section at the end. Hotdog, however, truly stands out in terms of presentation, content and overall quality. What makes Hotdog different from others is that instead of focusing each issue on ...

I have to admit before I start that Hotdog is not my first choice of movie magazine. I have been reading Total Film and Empire for a while now and whilst it makes a welcome change, it probably couldn't replace these two on my reading list. That is nothing to do with its quality however, just because you get used to a certain magazine and its style and it becomes like an old friend. Hotdog however, is excellent as an occassional accompaniment to either of these and something which I tend to buy every three months or so when they have a feature I am especially interested in. Another point to make clear - Hotdog is different to the competition! And it ...