In conjunction with the release of the limited edition DVD/Blu-ray, the people behind last year’s The Dirties decided to throw a party to celebrate. The event was held at The Rivoli on Queen St., the location being important and it was widely discussed in director Matt Johnson’s web-series Nirvana the Band. At 8:00pm Johnson took to the stage to announce the lineup of the night, which would feature The Dirties actor Jay McCarrol on the piano, a tour of the content-packed DVD, and music spun by Old News and Luke Lalonde. Throughout the evening, Johnson would also raffle off items such as the original “We’re Just Here For The Bad Guys” T-Shirt used in the film, a walk-on role in his next film, and the original The Dirties one-sheet signed by the cast.

On the piano, McCarrol, who played Mr. Bird in the film, entertained audiences with movie/video game themes, and his ability to play any song requested. The highlight of the evening was surely Matt Johnson’s tour of the DVD. Johnson showed event-goers the many different menus and special features on the discs. There are multiple versions of the main DVD menu, each modeled after a famous film. Films copied in the menus including The Seventh Seal, Being John Malkovich, and Requiem for a Dream; raffle tickets were given to audience members who could guess which film the menus were from. Johnson also showed the audience a couple of the DVD’s many hidden special features, some of which would be nearly impossible to find without help.

After the presentation Johnson joined the crowd, signing autographs and taking pictures with anyone who asked. Other cast members in attendance included Owen Williams and Shailene Garnett (Krissy B).

Photography Credit: Tristan Laughton