![]() I believe they are about to come to blows. Kramer has insinuated that the other dog actors who took on the role of Buddy in the myriad of Air Bud sequels were just as talented and just as driven. Right before Trelawney prepares to lead us to the room in which the “séance” will commence, Kramer and Zegers start arguing, their initial distrust of one another finally boiling over. The living room plays “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne, whilst in the master bathroom you are treated to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Each room features a different song on loop. Crass futuristic art covers every wall, or at least every wall in which a samurai sword is not prominently hung. Outside it is dusk but inside it is madness. We’re all standing in his wide-open and very damp living room, waiting for this strange rich man to make contact with Buddy. Like most millionaires I’ve met, he’s a bit of a slob. He wears cargo shorts and an altogether too-large Big Dogs T-shirt, stained with barbecue sauce. Our host in this quixotic endeavor is Leonidas Trelawney (born David Michael Brooks) and he is all vaguely sinister smiles and stray curse-words. The final member of our moribund gathering is Bradley Kramer, who has informed us all several times that he is the author of the definitive history of the Air Bud franchise, Air Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Unauthorized True Story of Air Bud, flitters from one room in this sleek mansion to the next, talking to himself, taking notes, bumping into things. As someone who actually knew Buddy, this must seem quite disrespectful, not to mention a waste of time. ![]() Kevin Zegers (who had a recurring role in Gossip Girl!), the now thirty-something actor who portrayed the depressed child/human protagonist from the first four Air Bud films, stands apart from the rest of us, in what I suppose could be called a defensive posture, arms-crossed, looking ready to blow this popsicle stand at any moment. She wasn’t even born when the Air Bud franchise first debuted. There’s Maria, the only other journalist in attendance, an up-and-coming writer with more Twitter followers than God. I should perhaps mention I don’t believe in magic, ghosts, the supernatural, vampires, zombies, Bigfoot, or really much of anything the least bit outside the realm of conventional wisdom. Back in the old days, it was possible to celebrate an anniversary without resorting to communicating with the spirit of a dead animal, but the world is changing. We’re here to drum up anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the original film. Well, not until now, perhaps, because I’ve been sent up the meandering black roads of the Hollywood Hills by my drunk editor to interview the spirit of Buddy. The puppies of the spin-off films had human actors do voice-over work for them, unlike the original Air Bud films, because of course dogs cannot speak. ![]() ![]() And still to come was the Air Buddies spin-off films, about Buddy’s trouble-making puppies, including fan favorite B-Dawg, the relatable puppy who loves hip-hop culture. In short order, the fictionalized version of Buddy conquered (American) football, (the rest of the world) football, baseball, and even volleyball. The mythology of Air Bud continued however, and sequels were released at a rapid-fire pace. Unfortunately, celebrity dog Buddy succumbed to complications from cancer the following year at the age of ten. And thus, the legend and film franchise of Air Bud was born, earning twenty-seven million dollars at the box office against a mere three-million budget, and briefly catapulting its Golden Retriever lead actor and inspiration, Buddy, to canine superstardom. A dog that could sort of play basketball. These were heady, confusing times, and America needed a good, unambiguous hero. The English Patient won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The Heaven’s Gate cultists committed mass suicide at their San Diego compound. The United Kingdom had just handed sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China.
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