Prophecy (film)

Prophecy is a 1979 American science fiction horror film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by David Seltzer. It stars Robert Foxworth, Talia Shire and Armand Assante. Set in the Androscoggin or Ossipee River, the film follows an environmental agent and his wife filing a report on a paper mill in the river, not knowing that the paper mill's waste made a local bear mutate, causing the bear to run amok in the wilderness.
A novelization of the film, written by Seltzer as well, was also published, with the tagline "A Story of Unrelenting Terror".
Plot.
While searching for lost lumberjacks, three members of a search-and-rescue team are killed by an unseen force.
Dr. Robert Verne accepts a job from the Environmental Protection Agency to write a report about a dispute between a logging operation and a Native American tribe near the Androscoggin River or Ossipee river in Maine. Dr. Verne's wife Maggie accompanies him on the trip. She is pregnant, but is apprehensive to tell her husband as he is against having children.
In the town, the local paper mill director, Bethel Isely blames the Native Americans, dubbed Opies (short for "original people") for the missing lumberjacks and rescue team. The Opies instead blame Katahdin, a vengeful spirit of the forest that has been awakened by the activities of the loggers, which Isely describes as "larger than a dragon with the eyes of a cat". The Vernes are disturbed when they witness a confrontation between the Opies and Isley's bodyguard, Kelso, which nearly results in the death of an Opie, John Hawks.
The Vernes see several signs of environmental damage: a salmon large enough to devour a duck; a deranged, vicious raccoon; plant roots growing on the surface; and a bullfrog-sized tadpole. Hawks and his friend Ramona ask Verne to include Opie perspectives in his report. They believe the paper mill operations are somehow causing grave danger to the environment and people alike. Hector M'Rai, Ramona's grandfather, claims to have seen Katahdin and describes him as "part of everything in God's creation". Verne and Maggie tour the paper mill to look for incriminating evidence. Although Isely insists the mill has excellent safety protocols, Verne notices that Maggie's boots have mercury deposits — a mutagen that causes birth defects, it is used in logging as a fungicide and does not show up in water purity tests because it sinks to the bottom. Verne needs more evidence and determines to take blood tests from the Opies.
That night, the Nelson family, who have set up a camp in the woods, are killed by Katahdin, which appears as a large bear with one of its sides containing horribly mutated skin. Isely and Sheriff Bartholomew Pilgrim believe Hawks and the Opies are responsible and try to arrest them. However, Hawks escapes. Verne, Maggie, and Ramona take a helicopter to the campsite to investigate the killings. Verne and Ramona find huge scratch marks on the trees, while Maggie finds two mutated bear cubs, one dead and one alive, trapped in a salmon poacher's net. Forced to spend the night in the woods due to inclement weather, they nurse the cub back to health inside one of Hector's tepees. A distressed Maggie explains to Verne about her pregnancy and that she has eaten contaminated fish. Isely and Sheriff Pilgrim arrive and, upon seeing the mutant cub, accept that Hawks and his men are innocent of any crime. Katahdin arrives and attacks the camp in search of her cub. Pilgrim is killed, but the others escape through tunnels beneath Hector's home.
The next day, Isely tries to reach a nearby radio tower to call for help, but is killed by Katahdin. Later that night, she attacks the truck in which the others are driving away. They swim across a river to a log cabin. Verne drowns the cub when it attacks Maggie. Katahdin kills Hector and Hawks and knocks Ramona and Maggie unconscious. Verne stabs Katahdin repeatedly, forcing her into the lake where she drowns. The next day, Verne and Maggie escape, unaware that another mutated bear (the cubs' father) is still active within the forest.
Production.
Filmed in British Columbia, Canada in 1978, this film marked the beginning of "Hollywood North", the major start to the development of a massive film production business in Vancouver and other areas within the province. Since then, hundreds of "American" movies have been filmed in the Canadian province.
Some violence/gore and other scenes were deleted, not because of the censors, but on a decision made by John Frankenheimer. This included a longer close-up of a man's headless corpse and a shot of Katahdin graphically disemboweling Isley (both deemed "gratuitous"), a flashback to the night where Rob and Maggie have sex (deleted for time), and extensions of several scenes, including a longer tour of the paper mill and Rob fishing, which showed him falling asleep and later waking up in the sun.
The original concept for Katahdin was considerably more terrifying than what would eventually show up on screen. However, when director John Frankenheimer saw the concept, he suggested that it should be altered to look more "bear-like". The original concept was actually quite close to the poster art.
Frankenheimer considered "Prophecy" a film with far more potential than what he eventually delivered, ostensibly due to his alcoholism.
Release.
Theatrical.
"Prophecy" was given a theatrical release in the United States by Paramount Pictures on June 15, 1979. It opened on 775 screens grossing $6,720,000 in its opening week. It grossed $22.7 million at the U.S. box office.
Home video.
The film was released on Blu-ray on November 26, 2019.
Reception.
As of August 2020, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave "Prophecy" an approval rating of 24%, based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 4.38/10. On Metacritic, as of August 2020, the film had a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on four critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" called the film "epically trivial" and "a feeble attempt to recycle the sort of formula movie one expects from American International Pictures." "Variety" called it "a frightening monster movie that people could laugh at for generations to come, complete with your basic big scary thing, cardboard characters and a story so stupid it's irresistible." Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the monsters were "not particularly effective" on the screen and that the film "never approaches the chill factor of 'Alien', for example." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" called it "essentially an indoctrination course in liberal guilt, shabbily disguised as a monster melodrama. Indeed, it's such a motley monster picture that it may be lucky to attract fleeting snickers as a kind of poor man's 'Alien.'" Tim Pulleine of "The Monthly Film Bulletin" wrote that "once the narrative gets properly under way, the ecological sub-text virtually drops out of sight. As, even more confusingly, does the sub-plot about the heroine's pregnancy, leaving only a surfeit of creature-on-the-rampage hokum."
Richard Scheib criticized the film's monster costume, photography and lack of suspense, stating, "much of the film teeters on the brink of this unintentional absurdity and fails to emerge on the winning side. John Frankenheimer tries hard to generate tension during the scenes with the mutant bear pursuing the cast near the end, but much of the story is predictable and boring".
"Cinema de Merde.com" said "You don’t get a lot of killing and the terror and suspense sequences really aren’t that great, but it makes up for that in the sheer flamboyance of some of its touches, such as the amazing exploding sleeping bag. It’s a bit of a bummer that after all the build-up, the thing turns out to be a boring old mutant bear, like ANY other mutant bear, but this is only because expectations have been raised".
Patrick Naugle from "DVD Verdict" wrote, "In an age of self-referential and cynical "Scream" horror movies and "Silence of the Lambs" knock offs, "Prophecy" has a certain something that just can't be denied. "Prophecy" even contains a MESSAGE (re: don't mess with Mother Nature or you'll be sorry), which is more than I can say for most horror movies produced today. Is it scary? No. Vastly amusing? You bet your bottom dollar".
Quentin Tarantino later wrote, "I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for this stupid ass movie. Aside from the bonkers bear monster, the film's one saving grace is Talia Shire."


The Beautiful Leukanida

The Beautiful Leukanida () is a 1912 Russian short film directed and written by Władysław Starewicz.
Plot.
The film speaks of two bugs which fight over a beautiful female bug.


Antique Antics

Antique Antics is a 1933 short animated film by Columbia Pictures, featuring Krazy Kat.
Summary.
The film begins just outside an antique shop, and a piece of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is played. Inside the shop, Krazy Kat, who operates the place, is having a little trouble walking around the ornaments. He lights a candle, and makes it safely to his bedroom.
While Krazy is asleep, the ornaments in the shop, particularly the statues, come to life, and march to the melody of Schubert's "Three Marches Militaires" which is played. The statues represent historical people like Theodore Roosevelt, Napoleon, and various. They then put up a party where they drink ale from casks, dance, and sing "Auld Lang Syne". Their party is so audible that Krazy eventually wakes up and goes to investigate.
Several cartoons involve a theme where the shop's owner leaves, and the props come to life and party. The props would return to their quiet state if they knew the owner is coming back. But in the case of "Antique Antics", Krazy gets to join the party, and the statues don't seem to mind. The film concludes with Krazy getting himself a mug of ale.


The Gilded Spider

The Gilded Spider is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. A print exists in the Museo del Cine Pablo C. Ducros Hicken film archive.
Plot.
Giovanni (Lon Chaney), his wife Leonita, their daughter Elisa and his wife's mother Rosa all live in a small Italian village where Giovanni carves plaster statuettes for a living. An American millionaire named Cyrus Kirkham spots Leonita dancing and becomes obsessed with having her. During an attempt to kidnap her, Leonita jumps off the millionaire's yacht and drowns. When Kirkham goes back to America, he marries a woman named Norma Winston, who was in love with a poor man named Burton Armitage, but she marries Kirkham instead for his money. Armitage later comes into money, but he squanders it all away.
Years pass and Giovanni moves his family to America. Giovanni's daughter Elisa grows up into a young lady and becomes involved with a young artist named Paul Winston, who hires her as a model. Giovanni finds out where Kirkham lives, and plans to kidnap Kirkham's wife Norma and hold her for ransom, but his kidnap plan is foiled. Kirkham suffers a heart attack when he sees Giovanni appear at a party in his home, and when Giovanni sees his daughter Elisa dancing at the party, he loses his sanity, reliving his wife's tragic death in his mind, and jumps off the roof to his death. In the end, with Kirkham dead, Norma winds up marrying her old flame Armitage, and Paul Winston winds up with Elisa.
Reception.
"The theme here presented is familiar but that might pass unnoticed if it were developed after a better fashion. The principal characters are not as well defined as could be... Miss Lovely, we must confess, is not what one would associate with the Latin type of woman. She is pretty to the extreme, but her features are anything but Italian. Perhaps though that prettiness will triumph over the casting, it will with the trousered portion of the audience, anyway...Lon Chaney's Giovanni is a strong piece of character portrayal." --- Motion Picture News
"In many ways attractive, blessed with fine types and an excellent cast, THE GILDED SPIDER brings criticism on itself by way of unprofessional construction. The story rambles considerably and gives the impression of being loose-jointed. Louise Lovely...plays well the role of Leonita...Lon Chaney also gives a good impersonation of the Italian." --- Moving Picture World
"Bluebird seems to have the idea that spending a lot of money on a production, with a good cast, is all that is required for the turning out of successful features. "The Gilded Spider" is a hodge-podge melodrama, expensively visualized...(it) is not on a par with the best Bluebird releases." --- Variety


The Frog Kingdom

The Frog Kingdom (Chinese: 青蛙王国) is a 2013 Chinese animated adventure drama film directed by Nelson Shin.
A United States dub of the film was released on video on demand and on DVD in the United States on June 30, 2015 by Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment Group.
Synopsis.
When The Frog King announces that the winner of the annual Froglympics will win his daughter's hand in marriage, she runs away instead. Disguised as a commoner, Princess Froglegs befriends street vendor, Freddie and begins training with him for the games—determined that she will win and thwart her father's plans of marriage. Meanwhile, the villainous serpent has ideas of his own to ruin the Froglympics and take over the kingdom. With a little luck, and a little help from their trusty sidekicks Bestie and Boogie, Freddie and Princess Froglegs set out to save Frog Kingdom from the evil serpent.
Release.
The film was released in China on December 28, 2013. An English dub of the film featuring Cameron Dallas, Bella Thorne and Drake Bell was released in the United States on June 30, 2015 on DVD and through video on demand by Lionsgate.
Sequel.
A sequel Arctic Adventure: On Frozen Pond was released in theaters on February 19, 2016 in China and on March 18, 2017 in North America for streaming. The English dub of the sequel featured Anthony Padilla in the lead role of Freddy.
Reception.
As of January 5, 2014, the film has grossed US$2.58 million in China.


My Bedbugs

My Bedbugs is a children's television series created by husband and wife team Alex Greene and Carol Sweeney and produced by GreeneStuff Inc. The series premiered on March 1, 2004, and ended on March 11, 2005.
The 2012 film "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure" is loosely based on the series.
Episodes.
Series overview.
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The Beast of Hollow Mountain

The Beast of Hollow Mountain is a 1956 Weird West horror film about an American rancher living in Mexico who discovers his missing cattle are being preyed upon by a dinosaur.
Production.
The first film to show dinosaurs and cowboys in the same picture, it is notable for being based on a story idea by special effects innovator Willis O'Brien. O'Brien was also to have originally done the special effects for this movie, but this did not happen for reasons unknown. Jack Rabin, Henry Sharp and Louis de Witt ended up doing the effects, probably based on O'Brien's storyboards. This film was one of the few American/Mexican co-productions of the '50s. It was made in color and filmed in CinemaScope. It starred Guy Madison and Patricia Medina, and was produced/ co-directed by Edward Nassour.
The film was filmed back-to-back in both English and Spanish at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and released as "La bestia de la montaña" in Mexico.
O'Brien's story that inspired the script for this film also inspired his earlier, unproduced script "The Valley of the Mists", which would later be made as "The Valley of Gwangi" by O'Brien's protégé Ray Harryhausen.
In popular culture.
On April 14, 2017, the film was "riffed" as Episode Five of the new Season Eleven of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" on Netflix.


The Taggerung

The Taggerung is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2001. It is the 14th book in the "Redwall" series.
Plot summary.
His birth was a long-awaited legend full of mystery and promise, among the outlaw Juska tribes along the western shore. Denoted by a unique mark on his right paw, the Taggerung is a fearsome fighter (In the story, the word 'Taggerung' literally means a warrior of unbeatable strength, courage, and savagery), a warrior the likes of which has not been seen for many seasons.(Sawney Rath's father was the most recent). When a seer from one tribe predicted his birth at Redwall Abbey, Sawney Rath, leader of the Juskarath, sets out to capture the Taggerung.
In Mossflower Woods, Rillflag an otter from Redwall is completing a birth ritual with his newborn son, Deyna, when Sawney Rath and his tribe of vermin ambush him. Vallug Bowbeast, a deadly ferret archer of the Juska Tribe murders Rillflag and captures the legendary infant. Sawney renames the young otter Zann Juskarath Taggerung or "Tagg" for short, determined to raise him as his own son, and to bring the Taggerung under his control.
As Tagg begins to grow older, he finds himself at odds with his fellow tribe members. He refuses to become violent and soon finds himself as the only member of the tribe who has never killed for fun, or at all. When Sawney orders him to skin a runaway fox named Felch, Tagg refuses, enraging Sawney. Finding the roles reversed, Tagg flees and finds himself pursued by the ferret leader of the Juskarath.
Unfortunately for Rath, his chase is short-lived, as he is soon murdered by the ambitious stoat Antigra with a slingstone. Antigra hates Sawney Rath because she wishes her son, Gruven to be named as the Taggerung, and because of that, Sawney Rath had murdered her husband. Sawney's death enables her bumbling son Gruven Zann to take control of the newly renamed Juskazann tribe. The vixen seer Grissoul tells Gruven he must hunt down the former Taggerung and bring back his head. Only then will some other ambitious Juska warriors accept him as their leader. To aid him in his quest, Gruven recruits a small band of vermin including Vallug Bowbeast, the deadly assassin, and Eefera, a high-ranking weasel, to continue the hunt for the Taggerung. Unfortunately for Gruven, his band of vermin would rather kill him than follow his orders, if only the opportunity presented itself. They are too accustomed to following Sawney's orders to listen to the newly appointed chief.
Tagg runs away to find a pear tree, which he eats from and is reprimanded by two voles. They decide he won't hurt them and invite him back to their home to eat stew and meet their nice friends. He enjoys this very much and would love to stay, but sadly, he knows that the Juskarath are chasing him. He bids them a bittersweet goodbye and sets off in a boat they give him.
In his travels, Tagg befriends a similarly mysterious (and, unlike Tagg, prone to telling lies) harvest mouse named Nimbalo the Slayer, by saving him from a deadly snake from the mountains. Finding themselves in the company of a pygmy shrew colony, they rest until they are attacked by Gruven and his slowly-diminishing band of vermin. Gruven and his band start a landslide, killing and burying many pygmy shrews. As Tagg chases the attackers of his newfound companions, the vermin scatter, leaving only one unfortunate member behind. Under the harsh gaze of Tagg, and the threat of being thrown to the pygmy shrews who lost loved ones in the landslide, the long-time member of Rath's old tribe reveals all, including the name of Tagg's true home: Redwall Abbey.
At the same time, Eefera the weasel and Vallug Bowbeast, the most rebellious and intelligent vermin under Gruven's command, decide to desert Gruven, deciding that him and the other two remaining hordebeasts would die in the mountain. They, being better trackers than Gruven, decide to follow the Taggerung and kill him, to bring his head back to the tribe and claim leadership over the Juskas. But they are both silently trying to find an opportunity to kill the other; Vallug is the more dangerous as a killer, but Eefera is a better tracker and more cunning.
When Tagg arrives at Redwall, he's mistaken for one of the members of the band of Juska supposed to be hunting him, knocked out and locked up in the cellars. He's then released on impulse by the assistant cook Broggle when the Juska, Eefara and Vallug, who have now captured Gruven and the other vermin, are threatening to kill Nimbalo, but then their plans go wrong. Tagg goes out to fight, and slays Vallug and Eefara, at the same time getting shot with an arrow by Vallug Bowbeast while Nimbalo goes after another rat. Then, Filorn, Tagg's mother, recognises her son. Cregga Rose Eyes, the ancient blind badgermum, after being shot in the chest with an arrow, appoints Deyna's sister, Mhera, as the new Abbess of Redwall, succeeding the now deceased Abbess Songbreeze, and then dies shortly after. Rukky Garge, a local otterfixer, manages to remove the distinguishing mark of the Taggerung from Deyna's paw, remove his tattoos, and remove the arrow.
Deyna's quest is not quite over, however, as the fox Ruggan Bor, now commanding the remnants of the Juskazann tribe as well as followers of his own, the Juskabor, shortly arrives to attack the stronghold of Redwall Abbey. Due to Gruven's bragging on his return, they now believe the Taggerung is dead and seek to confirm this rumour. As chance may have it, however, the badger ruler of Salamandastron, Russano the Wise, arrives in time to fend off Bor's attack, sending him and his vermin crew crawling on their bellies off into the sunset. Russano then takes a medal from around his neck and drapes it over Cregga Rose Eyes's grave, as she was his adoptive mother many seasons before this terrible battle happened. This had been his reason for travelling to Redwall in the first place.


The Walrus and the Whistleblower

The Walrus and the Whistleblower is a 2020 Canadian documentary film directed by Nathalie Bibeau. The film profiles Phil Demers, a former employee of Marineland who attempted to blow the whistle on allegedly inhumane treatment of animals at the institution.
According to a film industry newsletter, the film was made "in association with the Documentary Channel, and CBC Docs". The Documentary Channel's announcement about the film stated that Demers had "appeared four times on the Joe Rogan show, has testified before the Canadian Senate, and is being sued for $1.5 million for plotting to steal Smooshi, the walrus".
The film premiered as part of the 2020 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada it was not screened theatrically, but premiered as part of the festival's online streaming component and aired on CBC Television on May 28 as part of the network's special "Hot Docs at Home" series of films from the festival.
In June 2020, the film was named as the winner of 2020 Rogers Audience Award, alongside the films "9/11 Kids", "There's No Place Like This Place, Anyplace", "First We Eat" and "The Forbidden Reel", and as Overall Favourite at Hot Docs. The Audience Award allowed the film to be fast tracked in the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature category, "provided it meets all other criteria for eligibility". Northern Banner, a division of Raven Banner Entertainment, subsequently announced that it had acquired the rights to distribute the film in Canada, probably starting before year end. The US and international distribution rights went to Gravitas Ventures.
The film received a nomination for the Donald Brittain Award at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021.


Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

 is a 2004 platform and score-attack video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is part of the "Donkey Kong" franchise and follows the gorilla Donkey Kong as he sets out to defeat a series of evil kings and conquer the jungle. "Jungle Beat" is designed for use with the DK Bongos, a bongo drum-style GameCube controller previously used with the "Donkey Konga" series of music games. The player uses the DK Bongos to control Donkey Kong through various side-scrolling levels as he collects bananas, swings on vines, chains combos, rides animals, and defeats enemies and bosses.
The debut project of the 65-member Nintendo EAD Tokyo, "Jungle Beat" development began around July 2003, after Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that Nintendo should commission a new "Donkey Kong" game. Development was led by director Yoshiaki Koizumi and producer Takao Shimizu, who sought to create a simple, accessible game in contrast to more complex contemporary games. Koizumi conceived a game that used the DK Bongos instead of a standard gamepad to control the player character, and applied lessons he had learned from previous projects during development. Because the tone differed from previous "Donkey Kong" games, the team chose to exclude most of the franchise's existing elements and characters.
"Jungle Beat" was released in Japan in December 2004, with Western releases following a few months later in 2005. It received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its use of the DK Bongos; they also praised its visuals and level design. Criticism was directed at its short length and low difficulty level. The team that worked on "Jungle Beat" went on to develop the critically acclaimed "Super Mario Galaxy" (2007), which notably retained and refined concepts that were introduced in "Jungle Beat". "Jungle Beat" was rereleased as part of Nintendo's "New Play Control!" line of GameCube ports for the Wii in 2008; the port contains reworked controls and levels. This version was later released as a downloadable game for the Wii U in 2016.
Gameplay.
"Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" is a 2.5D, rhythm-based platform game in which the player controls the gorilla Donkey Kong through a series of side-scrolling levels. It features a simple plot: Donkey Kong sets out on a journey to defeat a series of evil kings and conquer the jungle. While it is compatible with a traditional GameCube controller, "Jungle Beat" is designed for use with the DK Bongos, a GameCube controller that resembles a pair of bongo drums and was previously used for the "Donkey Konga" (2003) music game. Hitting the left drum causes Donkey Kong to move left, while hitting the right drum causes him to move right. The player hits both drums to jump and claps in front of the DK Bongos' built-in microphone to send a shockwave. The player uses these controls to perform backflips, slap the terrain, swing on vines, and jump between walls.
As the player starts the game, they select a kingdom to explore; there are 16 kingdoms in total and they are gradually unlocked as the campaign progresses. Each kingdom features three levels: two main platforming stages and one boss fight. Unlike traditional platformers, "Jungle Beat" contains score-attack elements: the goal is not simply to get to the end of the level, but to get as many points, or "beats", as possible. Beats are obtained by grabbing bananas, which are scattered throughout levels or can be summoned by defeating enemies or interacting with objects. The player can perform combos in midair while grabbing the bananas to increase their beat count. When performing combos, a counter is started, rising with each successive combo move acquired before landing. Beats also serve as Donkey Kong's health, as the player loses beats if they are damaged by enemies or hazards. If the beat count reaches zero, the player receives a game over and must restart the kingdom from the beginning.
Like previous "Donkey Kong" franchise games, in certain levels the player must ride animals, each of which offers a unique attribute: squirrels allow Donkey Kong to glide slowly through the air; wildebeests charge right continuously and plow through objects that provide bananas; orcas carry Donkey Kong through water; and birds allow Donkey Kong to fly. Between most levels, there is a short minigame where the player must tap the bongos as fast as they can to earn extra bananas. The final level of each kingdom contains a boss fight against a large enemy. The game features several types of bosses, each of which must be defeated in a different manner: gorillas must be taken on in a "Punch-Out!!"-style arena; tanks resembling elephants must be defeated by throwing back bombs that they fire; and birds must be defeated by destroying the giant egg they are carrying.
At the end of the kingdom, the total sum of beats (after deducting any damage taken during the boss fight) is tallied up. Completing a kingdom earns a crest, while additional crests are earned by achieving certain amounts of beats. Crests are required to play new kingdoms, which is determined by the number shown. Clearing all the kingdoms in a section unlocks the next set of kingdoms. Players can revisit earlier levels to try to earn more beats, thus earning more crests.
Development.
"Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" was the debut project of Nintendo EAD Tokyo, a game development division of Japanese video game company Nintendo that was formed in 2003 with a 65-person team. The idea for "Jungle Beat" originated at Nintendo's primary office in Kyoto, shortly before staff moved to Tokyo to form the new division, when Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that EAD Tokyo develop a new "Donkey Kong" game. As such, shortly after EAD Tokyo was established in July 2003, development began. Division heads Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takao Shimizu—who had previously led development on Nintendo's "Super Mario Sunshine" (2002)—respectively served as director and producer. Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka also served as producers, while Koichi Hayashida was the assistant director and contributed to some level design.
With "Jungle Beat", Koizumi and Shimizu sought to create an accessible, easy-to-understand game. The idea to control Donkey Kong using the DK Bongos originated from Koizumi, who had handled character controls and virtual camera systems on previous projects. He had been "hearing from many people" that controlling characters in modern games was becoming challenging, which developed into a desire to create a game with a simple control scheme that did not rely on a traditional gamepad. Upon seeing the DK Bongos, he conceived the central idea for "Jungle Beat". Using the DK Bongos presented some challenges; since the controller restricted the player's movements, EAD Tokyo had to come up with new game mechanics as a workaround. The developers chose to change the camera angle when Donkey Kong encounters an enemy—altering the control scheme as a result—to keep his abilities and the action varied. The automatic camera also allowed Koizumi to avoid camera problems he found in previous 3D games he had worked on.
EAD Tokyo prioritized simplicity during the development of "Jungle Beat". Shimizu commented that, as contemporary video games took considerable time to complete and lost appeal if an individual had to stop playing, "Jungle Beat" levels were designed to take between five and ten minutes, without any shortcuts, to complete. He felt that the game would appeal to a busy person because it did not contain long save or load times. The developers reflected the game's simplicity through its story, which only features Donkey Kong trying to be "the best"; they sought to instead tell the story through the gameplay. Tonally, Koizumi wanted "Jungle Beat" to be "over the top" and hoped it "would make even bystanders giggle and enjoy themselves." The decision to exclude elements and characters from previous "Donkey Kong" games—the only elements returning being the Donkey Kong character and bananas—was made because of the tone, which differed from its predecessors, and because the developers wanted to reflect the style of EAD Tokyo.
During its showing at the Nintendo World event in November 2004, Koizumi and the team carefully observed player feedback, and used said feedback to polish the game shortly before its release. EAD Tokyo aimed to release "Jungle Beat" during Japan's 2004–2005 winter season, which Shimizu commented presented a considerable challenge. The team was ultimately able to complete the game in time for the 2004 Christmas shopping season. A two-player multiplayer game mode was planned, but did not appear in the finished product. Mahito Yokota composed the game's soundtrack. Like he did on "" (2002), sound programmer Masafumi Kawamura attempted to synchronize the music with the gameplay, like when Donkey Kong jumps.
Release.
Nintendo announced "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" in May 2004, before a demo was showcased at E3 2004 later that month. "IGN" staff described it as "[t]he sleeper hit of the show" and wrote that attendees did not want to stop playing. After the showing, in July 2004 it won two Game Critics Awards—selected by journalists from publications such as "Time", "Entertainment Weekly", and CNN—for "Best Original Game" and "Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game". It was also showcased at Nintendo World, which took place in five locations across Japan in November 2004.
"Jungle Beat" was initially released in Japan on December 16, 2004. A European release followed on February 4, 2005, and a North American one on March 14, 2005. The game was released as both a standalone title and a bundle with the DK Bongos. The European version released on the same day as the Game Boy Advance "Donkey Kong" game "DK: King of Swing". To promote the North American release, Nintendo sent 20 individuals dressed up as apes to participate in the 20th Los Angeles Marathon, which took place on March 6, 2005. The individuals wore "Jungle Beat"-branded clothing, carried DK Bongos, and chanted the game's title as they ran.
"New Play Control!" version.
In October 2008, Nintendo announced that "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" would rereleased as one of the "New Play Control!" titles, a product line comprising seven updated ports of GameCube games for the Wii. The rerelease, "New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat", was released in Japan on December 11, 2008, as the line's first release. This was followed by a North American release on May 4, 2009, and a European one on June 5, 2009. It was also released as a downloadable game on the Wii U's eShop on November 3, 2016.
In lieu of the DK Bongos, the "New Play Control!" version of "Jungle Beat" is controlled using the Wii Remote, using its Nunchuk accessory to control Donkey Kong's movement and its motion detection feature to clap. To accommodate the more traditional control scheme, the level designs were altered to include more obstacles, and players do not have to collect crests to progress. It also replaces the banana-based health meter with a more traditional life system, and adds a boss rush mode and support for widescreen television displays.
Reception.
"Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" received "generally favorable" reviews across both its releases. Most reviewers considered it unique and fun to play but rather short given the retail price. It was praised for its wide appeal; possessing both a simplicity targeted at new gamers, and a complex, skill-oriented combo system to attract more hardcore gamers. IGN praised the GameCube version's graphics, saying, "DK's fur makes StarFox Adventures' models look primitive". Criticisms include the game's short length, despite the replayability offered by the score system in levels. There were also complaints of repetitive boss fights, as the same four bosses are used several times throughout the game with limited features to distinguish them. One of the primary criticisms, however, was the lack of past characters and elements from Rare's "Donkey Kong Country" games. However, despite these criticisms it was rated the 95th best game made on a Nintendo System in "Nintendo Power"'s Top 200 Games list.
Non video-game publications also praised the GameCube version. "The New York Times" gave it a favorable review and called it "wildly entertaining". "The Sydney Morning Herald" gave it four stars out of five and called it "a charming romp through dazzling jungle environments via glistening ice chambers, volcanic caverns and aquatic wonderlands. But sadly, many players will complete "Jungle Beat" in just a few hours." "Detroit Free Press" gave it three stars out of four and stated that "the bongos are, indeed, special. They mean the difference between a predictable game and one that marches to a different drummer." Common Sense Media gave the Wii version four stars out of five and stated that "The bottom line is that it’s fun but brief. Even with its relatively low price tag, the new "Jungle Beat" might make a better rental than purchase."
Impact and legacy.
Many gameplay elements from "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" were reused in the critically acclaimed "Super Mario Galaxy", which was made by the same development team. The helper monkeys were originally going to appear in the game as enemies, but were later removed. These gameplay elements would also be used in its sequel.
In "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", a stage based on "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" appears in the form of Rumble Falls. It is a stage that scrolls upward, similar to "Melee's" "Icicle Mountain" stage. One of the music pieces that can be played on the stage is the BGM of the level "Battle for Storm Hill." Additionally, Donkey Kong's "Final Smash" move involves him repetitively hitting bongo drums and clapping for a brief time, similar to how Jungle Beat is played, and grows in range and damage if the player pressed buttons in sync with the beat. Several stickers and trophies based on the game can be collected. In "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", this Final Smash was changed to resemble the flurry attacks shown during some boss fights from Jungle Beat.


Princ Bajaja

Princ Bajaja is a 1971 Czechoslovak fantasy film based on the fairy tale "Prince Bajaja" by Božena Němcová and directed by Antonín Kachlík.
Plot.
After the death of his parents, the young Prince Bajaja sets out to find his fortune. On his journey, he rescues an enchanted horse, who later comes to his aid. Disguised as a mute gardener, he gets acquainted with Princess Slavěna, who is to be sacrificed to a three-headed dragon on her 18th birthday. Her father, the king, is looking for a suitor for the princess, but no one is prepared to fight the dragon, except Bajaja, who receives magical armor from the enchanted horse. Although hurt, Bajaja defeats the dragon, but an evil knight takes credit for the deed.


Rex (video game)

Rex is an action-adventure shoot 'em up video game similar to "Metroid" that was published by Martech in 1988 for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
Gameplay.
The player controls Rex, a "rino-sapien" mercenary, hired to eliminate the humans that have built a Great Tower in a place called Zenith. Action takes place in a flip-screen cavern complex. Rex can jump, shoot and activate a shield to block incoming attacks. Enemies include fixed gun turrets and human soldiers; shooting the latter initiates a 'multi recoil system' in which the defeated soldier's body continues to recoil until the player's bullets stop hitting it. Destroyed enemies leave behind Energy Bubbles, which can be used to upgrade Rex's weapon.
Development.
"Rex" was developed by a programming team consisting of Neil Harris, Richard Allen and John Anderson. After working for IBM, they all left to form The Light, choosing the Z80 as their development platform. Neil and John were coders, whilst Richard worked on graphics. "Rex" was the only game they developed.
In issue 112 of "Retro Gamer Magazine", coder Jas Austin revealed that Creative Reality, authors of several titles for Martech Games, were the actual creators of Rex. They devised the pseudonym The Light because their previous game had been a commercial failure. John Anderson was Jas Austin, Neil Harris was Neil Dodwell and Richard Allen, Dave Dew. This was Creative Reality's last 8-bit game, but they continued into the 90's with PC games such as Martian Gothic and Dreamweb.
Reception.
"Rex" was a critical success, with "Your Sinclair" awarding 9 out of 10, "CRASH" awarded 82% and "Sinclair User" awarded 88%. The difficulty of "Rex" is highlighted, drawing comparisons with "Cybernoid", but reviewers were also impressed with the intricate graphics and level of action.


Hollywood Goes Krazy

Hollywood Goes Krazy is a 1932 short animated film featuring the comic strip character Krazy Kat, as well as some caricatures of well-known actors of the time.
Plot.
Krazy and his spaniel girlfriend are riding in a car, heading towards Hollywood to see if they can be movie stars.
When they reach the premises of the studio, Krazy tries to enter the office of the casting director but is quickly pushed out. He reenters but is still refused. The casting director emerges from the office and notices the spaniel. The casting director finds the spaniel interesting and takes her.
The casting director takes the spaniel to a couch in a sound stage where they sit down and chat. After treating her with cigars and wine, he shows her a contract which she finds interesting. But for some reason, the casting director menacingly picks up and holds the spaniel, prompting her to shout for help.
Krazy is still standing at the studio premises until he hears the spaniel's distress calls. He, however, needs to get past the guard who would not let him go further in the studio. He tries to disguise himself as Charlie Chaplin but the guard is not fooled. He then disguises himself as Groucho Marx but the guard is still not fooled. When a real actor tries to get through but is also being stopped by the guard, Krazy uses this as an opportunity to sneak pass. The guard still spots and pursues him.
On the run, Krazy tries to hide behind a house with removable parts, then behind Laurel and Hardy. But with a little help from the real Charlie Chaplin who is throwing pies, Krazy finally loses the guard.
Krazy, at last, reaches the sound stage where the spaniel is in trouble. Krazy lands punches, and knocks out the villainous casting director. It turns out the scene involving the spaniel and the casting director is part of a movie scene being shot. The director is not happy with Krazy's unwanted approach. The director then picks up and slams Krazy to the ground.


Flora (film)

Flora is a 2017 Canadian independent science fiction thriller and historical drama written and directed by Sasha Louis Vukovic. He sought to "make a movie which is not about a bunch of kids running from a horrible slasher". The film follows a group of students on a university botany expedition as they try to survive and avoid exposure to an unknown pathogen.
The film is Sasha Louis Vukovic's directorial debut and appeared at several film festivals worldwide.
Plot.
In the spring of 1929, a team of student botanists arrive in an uncharted forest somewhere in North America on expedition to chart the native flora. The students arrive to find their professor absent and their food supplies destroyed. After a day of waiting for the his return, they begin a search to find the missing professor. The professor is found deceased, wearing a gas mask, at a nearby abandoned mining town. Gradually, some of the students begin falling ill to an unknown pathogen.
The professor's protégé, Matsudaira Basho, is able to deduce from the complete absence of animal life in the region that the pathogen may be an endophyte present in the local plant life and transmitted by consumption or plants or through inhalation of pollen. In light of the lack of food supplies, the students embark on a trek through the forest to reach a railway where they might be able to rendezvous with a monthly train that is scheduled to pass by in several days time. The students prepare foods from local plant material by boiling the harvest in order to render them non-pathogenic and create biohazard suits with gas masks to prevent infection.
Along the journey, all but one of the students falls ill to the pathogen. She arrives at the railway and sees the train coming.
Production.
The film was privately funded by Vukovic’s family and friends, with a micro-budget estimated at $100,000 USD (or $120,000 CAD). Despite a budget of only $2000 for props, Vukovic was able to obtain props appropriate to the 1920s through eBay and a Canadian historian, Alan Skeoch. One of Vukovik's family members owns a 1931 Ford A Tudor which was featured in the opening of the film. Several of the cast members also participated in other aspects of the production, for example with Doran both playing the character Ora and leading Art Direction.
Principal photography was carried out over six weeks from June 29 through August 16, 2015. Post-production was completed on October 1, 2016. Filming was performed in Val-Jalbert, a preserved ghost town in Québec, as well as Ottawa and Manitoulin Island in Ontario. Post-production was performed at Eggplant Picture & Sound in Toronto and completed on October 1, 2016.
Release.
Flora premiered at Sci-Fi-London on April 29, 2017 and was submitted to 70 festivals around the world.
The film was released on Blu-Ray on August 7, 2018.
Reception.
The screenplay for Flora, written by Sasha Vukovic, won the 2015 Van Gogh Award in the Feature Screenplay Competition. The film was praised as "a refreshing take on the ‘monster-in-the-woods’ canon" and received the Sci-Fi-London festival award for Best Feature 2017.
Other awards include the 2017 Van Gogh Cinematic Vision Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival; five awards including Best Science Fiction Feature at the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival; The 2018 Museum of Science Fiction Maria Award for Excellence for Best Feature and Best Acting at Escape Velocity Film Festival; and the 2017 award for Best Score at FilmQuest.
Many critics have noted the film's quality despite the extremely low budget on which it was produced. It has been compared with The Happening and described as being atypical of the typical "nature's revenge" horror scenario. Vukovik has stated that the film is "science fact more than it is science fiction".


Salamandastron

Salamandastron is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1992. It is the fifth book published and eighth chronologically in the "Redwall" series.
Plot introduction.
Ferahgo the Assassin, a terrible weasel warlord, and his son Klitch lead their army of Corpsemakers to Salamandastron, to take over from the Badger Lord, Urthstripe the Strong. Meanwhile, at Redwall Abbey, two stoats run off with the Sword of Martin the Warrior after accidentally killing Brother Hal with a bow and arrow left out from a carnival the night before, and young Samkim, a mischievous squirrel, and his partner Arula the molemaid set off to claim back the sword. As the young squirrel and mole attempt to restore the symbolic weapon, a deadly fever ravages Redwall Abbey. The only hope to stop the disease is an otter named Thrugg and his partner, young Dumble the dormouse. At the same time, Mara the badgermaid leaves Salamandastron with Pikkle Ffolger, her friend the gluttonous hare, only to be tricked by Feragho's son Klitch and his lackey, Goffa. The two join forces with the Guerilla Union of South Stream Shrews of Mossflower (Guosssom) to take the Blackstone from the mysterious badger ghost.
Plot summary.
The book follows the tale of the Badger Lord Urthstripe the Strong and his battle against Ferahgo the Assassin. Mara, Urthstripe's young adopted daughter, and her hare friend, Pikkle, decide to leave the great mountain stronghold, Mara having become tired of the strict ways of Salamandastron.
Meanwhile, two stoats, Dingeye and Thura, have recently deserted Ferahgo's army. They manage to find their way to Redwall Abbey and are taken in by the kind beasts that reside there. While tensions mount as to their presence, the ruling beasts of the Abbey decide they may stay: the two stoats, while rude, have done no harm.
Mara and Pikkle, meanwhile, have escaped Ferahgo's horde and have taken refuge in a cave. Unfortunately, the cave is inhabited by a sand lizard called Swinkee. A fight ensues, and Mara accidentally pulls off Swinkee's tail. After the fight, Mara and Pikkle ask Swinkee if he can take them to Salamandastron. To get Swinkee to do it, they promise him a large bag of live swampflies and marshworms. Swinkee double-crosses them, however, and leads them straight to a tribe of cannibal toads. They are presented to the chieftain, a large, repulsive, fat toad called King Glagweb. He throws them into a pit where 36 young shrews are kept captive as well, one of these is Nordo, son of Log-a-Log of the Guosssom. The shrews explain what the toads are going to do to them and their escape plan. Later, when they are nearing a feast day, a black acorn drops into the pit, signalling the captives to throw whatever they have at the toads. After a few minutes of hard fighting, Log-a-Logs shrews come and free the captives while fighting and killing the toads. Mara attacks Glagweb, only to be stopped by Log-a-Log, who throws Glagweb into the prison pit, along with a large, healthy, young pike. Later, Log-a-Log asks a boon of Pikkle and Mara, asking them help in retrieving the Blackstone, the symbol of leadership among the Guosssom (Guerilla Union Of South Stream Shrews of Mossflower). He explains he had been ruling only through sheer strength, and that a badger ghost had taken the stone. The trip to the island was treacherous because of the appearance of the deepcoiler, a large monster residing in the lake that terrorises the Guosssom, along with a conspiracy against Log-a-log launched by a shrew named Tubgutt. When Mara and Pikkle and the Guosssom reach the island, they delve into the islands forest, meeting the 'ghost' badger, who is really a living badger named Urthwyte, the long-lost brother of Mara's father, Urthstripe, and Urthstripes' mother and Mara's grandmother, Loambudd.
Meanwhile, a young squirrel named Samkim and his good mole friend Arula are wreaking havoc, as will happen with youngbeasts. They start playing with bows and arrows and frighten one of the Redwall abbey dwellers. One night, a lightning bolt strikes the weathervane of Redwall, and the sword of Martin the Warrior falls from its resting place high above the Abbey grounds and falls at the feet of Samkim, who is dumbfounded by his discovery.
Dingeye and Thura's stay is cut short when they are forced to flee the Abbey after accidentally killing one of the Redwallers (Brother Hal) with the same bows and arrows that Samkim and Arula had used. Dingeye and Thura head towards the countryside, with Martin's stolen sword in hand. Samkim and Arula pursue the two beasts, intent on not only rescuing the legendary sword of their Abbey Champion, but exacting vengeance upon the murdering vermin. Thura falls dead from Dryditch fever, and is left behind by Dingeye. His body is discovered by Samkin, Furgle the Hermit, and Arula. Furgle recognises the disease symptoms and goes to warn Redwall. Dingeye, however, is caught by a group of six vermin from Ferahgo's horde, and is beheaded with the Sword of Martin the Warrior. The vermin leader is Dethbrush, and he in turn takes the Sword from Dingeye's headless carcass.
Back at Redwall, a terrible disease has begun ravaging the Abbey. A local woodvole hermit by the name of Furgle determines that it is Dryditch Fever. Mrs. Faith Spinney mentioned that there is an old wives' tale saying that the Flowers of Icetor from the Mountains of the North boiled in springwater can cure Dryditch Fever, so the brave otter Thrugg sets off to find them. With the dormouse babe Dumble along for the ride and an injured falcon whom they meet on the road named Rocangus, the trio eventually makes it to the pines where a group of crows terrorise any passerby. After being rescued by Laird McTalon and a group of falcons, Thrugg succeeds in securing the flowers from the ruler of the mountain: the mighty Golden Eagle, Wild King MacPhearsome.
Mara and Samkin's paths eventually cross when Samkin catches up with Dethbrush in a storm and punches him overboard. He is in turn eaten by the Deepcoiler. Samkin grabs the Sword of Martin the Warrior from the body of Dethbrush before the Deepcoiler can dive. Then, after the Deepcoiler dove, it rose again, attacking Spriggat. Then, when the serpent has Spriggat in its jaws, Samkin stabs the Deepcoiler in the roof of the mouth. The serpent then vanishes. Later, Mara and the Guosim find the body of Deepcoiler and retrieve the Sword from it. Along their way, they meet each other and Mara gives Samkin the Sword. Heading back to Salamandastron, the group arrives to see Salamandastron being sieged by Ferahgo the Assassin, and soon enough in time to find Urthstripe seized by the Bloodwrath, leaping from the towering mountain with Ferahgo in his grasp. After the battle, Ferahgo's son, Klitch, is still trapped within Salamandastron. After wandering some way, he gets thirsty and thinks that it is his 'Lucky Day' when he finds some barrels of water. He has forgotten the fact that the Poisoner, hired by Ferahgo, has poisoned all the food and water he saw while on his last mission before his death. Klitch drinks the dregs, and is eventually beset by lances of pain and numbness. He wedges himself on a mountainside opening, and dies of the powerful poison. After Urthstripe's death, Mara, Pikkle, Samkin, Arula, Urthwyte and Loambudd find the badger treasure that Ferahgo was looking for and bury him there.
Soon after Thrugg, Dumble and MacPhearsome return with the haversack full of the flowers of Icetor, Samkim and Arula, along with Mara and Pikkle, return to Redwall Abbey. The Abbey is cured of the fever and soon, nameday comes upon the abbey. Mara becomes the Badger Mother of Redwall. Urthwyte remains behind as Lord of Salamandastron, along with the surviving members of the Long Patrol.


Track of the Moon Beast

Track of the Moon Beast is a 1976 horror film directed by Richard Ashe and written by Bill Finger and Charles Sinclair. The story revolves around a mineralogist being hit in the head by a meteor, which turns him in to a vicious reptilian creature during the full moon.
Plot.
The film takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where mineralogist Paul Carlson (Chase Cordell) is struck by a lunar meteorite while observing a meteor shower. Lodged in his brain, the meteorite causes him to transform into a strong and vicious lizard (the titular "moon beast") whenever the moon comes out. In his lizard form, Paul loses all traces of his human self and goes about killing people at random. While human, Paul is subject to spells of dizziness and nausea, causing his girlfriend Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake) and friend and former anthropology professor, Johnny "Longbow" Salinas (Gregorio Sala), to become concerned.
Eventually it is shown that Paul is the monster, and deduced that the meteorite fragment in his brain is the cause of his transformations. Plans are made to remove it from his skull, but the NASA brain surgeons realize, after another X-ray and Johnny remembering some Native American legends documenting similar phenomena, that the meteorite has disintegrated and will eventually cause Paul to self-combust. When Paul learns of this, he escapes into the desert on a motorcycle, presumably to kill himself so he will not cause any more harm. When Johnny recalls that Paul's favorite place was always Sandia Crest, Kathy, Johnny, and local law enforcement officers follow him there. Johnny shoots him with an arrow made of the original meteorite, which causes him to explode.
Production.
"Track of the Moon Beast" was produced by Ralph T. Desiderio and written by Bill Finger. It was filmed in locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Frank Larrabee and his band performed their song "California Lady" in the film after they were coerced by the filmmakers. The film crew and the band were both staying in the local Ramada Inn in Albuquerque where the performance footage was shot.
Release.
"Track of the Moon Beast" was released to theaters on June 1, 1976.
Home media.
"Track of the Moon Beast" was first released to DVD in 2001 by American Home Treasures on the DVD compilation "Classic Creature Movies II (Creature / Track Of The Moon Beast / Snowbeast)". It has since been released as part of several DVD compilations of public domain movies, including; "Chilling Classics 50 movie pack" by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2005, "50 Fright Classics" by Emson in 2006 and "Drive-in Classics" by St. Clair Entertainment Group in 2007.
Reception.
Critical reception.
Critical response has been predominantly negative. John Kenneth Muir considered it to be "a failure in every way", criticizing its special effects, acting, and story. Despite the negativity, Muir noted it had a quirky charm to it, seeing it as part of a line of other low-budget 1970s films such as "The Crater Lake Monster" and "The Giant Spider Invasion".
"TV Guide" panned the film stating, "Although this premise is ripe with comedic opportunities, the production is hampered by classically inept film-making, and the story unfolds so slowly one begins to think the film is running in reverse. The acting is even worse. Still, horror fanatics might find some interest in Rick Baker's lizard makeup".
"Oh the Horror!" gave the film a negative review calling it "embarrassing" and called the ending "ridiculous", panning the film's execution, dialogue, and script.
Legacy.
The film was featured in a Season 10 episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Fodder for mockery included, but was definitely not limited to, the "brain-dead" expression of the lead actress, the "horrible" dialogue, and the suggestive name and unctuous nature of the character "Johnny Longbow", whom they repeatedly refer to as "Johnny Long"bone"".
The scene in which Johnny names ingredients in his stew quickly became a running gag and one of the writers' favorite moments from the series. Writer Kevin Murphy stated that his world-weary sigh of "onions..." made Johnny Longbow one of the "best" characters they've ever encountered.
Another popular part from the episode was when Mike Nelson had an entire host segment about "The Band that Played California Lady," performed in the voiceover style of VH1's Behind the Music, which was about the made-up band featured in the film that played a song called "California Lady".


Pooch Perfect

Pooch Perfect is a dog grooming reality competition television program created by Seven Studios UK and first broadcast on the Seven Network. The program is hosted by Rebel Wilson and began airing on 27 February 2021. The series features ten professional dog stylists competing in a series of themed challenges which sees the transformation of beloved pets, with a judging panel including international styling experts Amber Lewin and Colin Taylor determining the winner of $100,000 in prize money. The title is a play-on-words of the film "Pitch Perfect", which Wilson starred in.
Despite the high profile of host Wilson, the show struggled in the ratings. The series was absent at Seven's upfronts for 2021.
International adaptations.
The format was sold in February 2020 to the BBC. The UK series is hosted by Sheridan Smith, and Beyond Productions UK will produce the series with Damon Pattison and Susanne Rock as executive producer. ABC announced a US version of the series in January 2021 with Wilson as host and Lisa Vanderpump, Jorge Bendersky and Callie Harris as judges and an eight-episode run has been ordered, which premiered on 30 March 2021.


Razzle Dazzle

Razzle Dazzle was a Canadian children's television program produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation between October 2, 1961, and July 1, 1966.
The series was initially co-hosted by Alan Hamel and Michele Finney who were later replaced by Ray Bellew and Trudy Young. There was also a cast of characters who appeared in every episode, most notably the puppet Howard the Turtle (John Keogh), who was considered the star of the show. Howard would tell jokes which he called Groaners. Other recurring characters on the show included Howard's nemesis, Percy Q. Kidpester (drawn by George Feyer); conman and travelling salesman, Mr. Sharpey (Paul Kligman) who was known for saying "A knuckle full of nickels" and the convenience store proprietor, Mr. Igotit.
Fans of the show could write in to become members of the Razzle Dazzle Fan Club. They were sent, in a large Manila envelope, the following fan club items: the Razzle Dazzle Membership Letter of Welcome; the Razzle Dazzle Fan Club Newspaper; the Razzle Dazzle Fan Club Button, featuring Howard the Turtle's glowing face, and the Razzle Dazzle Secret Decoder Wheel, which fans would assemble out of paper. A highlight of the show was the Secret Decoder Wheel message. At the end of each show, a secret message was shown on the TV screen. Home users of a Decoder Wheel could then decipher the message. It was a code similar in nature to Superman's Secret Code, used by the Supermen of America/Superman Fan Club, sponsored by DC Comics and appearing in issues of the Superman Family of comics published at that time, featuring Superman's Secret Message. A further connection to DC Comics appeared in the fact that both Howard the Turtle appeared on the show as a character called Super Turtle and an illustrated character backup feature in DC Comics appeared at this same period in time also called Super-Turtle, drawn by Henry Boltinoff.
"Spots and Stripes" was often a feature on the show, where groups of kids competed against each other in two teams, the "Spots" and the "Stripes".
Another regular feature was the serialization of a children's adventure series in the final five minutes (thus spreading each episode over a week's worth of shows). Initially shown was "The Magic Boomerang", an Australian adventure series, followed by "The Adventures of the Terrible Ten". This was replaced by the Canadian-made "The Forest Rangers" which was spun off to become a series of its own.


Supergator

Supergator is a 2007 horror film directed by Brian Clyde, produced by Roger Corman, and starring Brad Johnson and Kelly McGillis. The music was by Damon Ebner; it was a parody of the film "King Kong".
Background.
After Corman produced "Dinocroc" in 2004, he wanted to create a sequel to be named "Dinocroc 2". However, the Sci-Fi Channel turned down the project after claiming that sequels did not do well for them. Corman decided to go ahead with the project, but under the name "Supergator".
Plot.
Professor Scott Kinney is an American geologist monitoring a local volcano when Supergator, a "Deinosuchus" recreated from fossilized preserved DNA, escapes from a secret bio-engineering research center/laboratory. Along the way, it eats 13 people, including two lovers, three drunken teens, three models, two tourists and a fisherman. It also eats Alexandra Stevens and Ryan Houston.
Kinney joins forces with another scientist, Kim Taft, and a Texan alligator hunter named Jake. They pursue the monster as it heads down river intent on destroying a luxurious resort packed with hundreds of tourists. Conventional weapons have no effect on it at all and Kim is eaten. So they, with the help of Carla, plan a trap for it using a fake volcano. They lure him on to it, with Jake using himself as live bait. Supergator devours him and Kinney kills it by shooting at the fake volcano, which then blows up the beast.


Cat-Women of the Moon

Cat-Women of the Moon is an independently made 1953 American black-and-white three-dimensional science-fiction film, produced by Jack Rabin and Al Zimbalist, directed by Arthur Hilton, that stars Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, and Marie Windsor. The film was released by Astor Pictures.
Notably, the musical score was composed by Academy Award–winner Elmer Bernstein, though his last name is misspelled as "Bernstien" in the opening credits.
Plot.
Utilizing a spaceship equipped with wooden tables and chairs, a "scientific expedition" to the Moon encounters a race of cat-women, the last survivors of a two-million-year-old lunar civilization. Residing deep within a Moon cavern, where they have managed to maintain not only the remnants of a breathable atmosphere and Earth-like gravity, but also a pair of gigantic moon-spiders, the cat-women wear black unitards, have beehive hairstyles, and wear elaborate cosmetics. Realizing that their remaining atmosphere will soon be exhausted, the cat-women plan to steal the expedition's spaceship, migrate to Earth, and in the words of the cat-women's leader, Alpha (Carol Brewster), "We will get their women under our power, and soon we will rule the whole world"!
Through the use of their telepathic abilities, the cat-women have been subliminally controlling Helen Salinger (Marie Windsor), the mission navigator and only female member of the Earth expedition. Once on the Moon, the cat-women take control of Helen's mind, after which she leads the entire crew (clad in spacesuits and equipped with matches, cigarettes, and a gun) to the cat-women's cavern. Although unable to directly control male minds, the cat-women are able to influence the male crew through Helen, using their own superior intellectual abilities and feminine wiles. As explained to Helen by the cat-woman Beta (Suzanne Alexander), "Show us their weak points. We'll take care of the rest".
Along with telepathy, the cat-women can transport themselves, unseen and instantly, from place-to-place within the cavern. They use this ability to steal the crew's unguarded spacesuits, which forces the crew deeper into the cavern and into violent confrontations with the two moon-spiders and the cat-women. Failing to exterminate the men, the cat-women approach them openly, using Helen to help establish friendly relations. Kip (Victor Jory), who has been suspicious of the cat-women, confronts Alpha about the missing spacesuits; she promises to return the suits in the morning. Food and drink are then brought, and private conversations between both groups begin. As these progress ("You're too smart for me, baby. I like 'em stupid"), the gun-wielding Kip sits alone, unable to intervene, while the cat-women successfully manipulate the "weak points" of expedition commander Laird (Sonny Tufts) and the other men.
By that evening, the cat-women have learned how to pilot the spaceship. Following a modern dance performance by the cat-women, Walt (Douglas Fowley) is stabbed to death by Beta. Lambda (Susan Morrow) has fallen in love with crew member Doug (William Phipps) and tells him of the cat-woman plot, saying, "I love you Doug, and I must kill you". The male crew now realizes they are in danger. Carrying three spacesuits, Alpha, Beta, and Helen run toward the spaceship. Lambda teleports ahead to delay them and is bludgeoned to death by Beta. Kip catches up and fires several shots, killing Alpha and Beta but leaving Helen uninjured. The surviving expedition members escape the cavern, reach the spaceship, and return to Earth.
Critical reception.
Upon the film's release, "Variety" magazine wrote: "This imaginatively conceived and produced science-fiction yarn [an original story by producers Zimbalist and Rabin] takes the earth-to-moon premise and embellishes it with a civilization of cat-women on the moon ... Cast ably portray their respective roles ... Arthur Hilton makes his direction count in catching the spirit of the theme, and art direction is far above average for a film of this calibre. William Whitley's 3-D photography provides the proper eerie quality".
"The New York Times" wrote: "They (the Cat-women) try to get their hands on the visitors' rocket ship, hoping to come down here and hypnotize us all. Considering the delegation that went up, it's hard to imagine why".
"The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction" calls the film absurd, but notes that it "qualifies as one of the most influential science-fiction films ever made" as it influenced later films "in which astronauts discover decadent, all-female (or almost all-female) civilizations on other planets, including "Fire Maidens from Outer Space" (1956), "Queen of Outer Space" (1958), "Nude on the Moon" (1961), [and] "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women" (1968)."


Greatest American Dog

Greatest American Dog was an American reality television show on CBS. It debuted on July 10, 2008 and was hosted by Jarod Miller with judges Victoria Stilwell, Allan Reznik, and Wendy Diamond. The winner was given the title of "Greatest American Dog" and a prize of $250,000.
Episode format.
Each episode had a theme, such as "teamwork" or "loyalty," that was tested through two different challenges.
The winner of the first challenge, the "Dog Bone Challenge," receives deluxe accommodations within the Canine Academy (similar to the "Head of Household" suite on CBS' "Big Brother"). In addition, for the first four weeks, the winner of the challenge got to send one of the other teams to the "Dog House," a much smaller building with few amenities. For the remaining weeks, the winner received a "leg up," some form of assistance that would help the contestant in the second challenge.
In that second challenge, the "Best in Show Challenge," the teams are evaluated by the judges. The judges then choose one or more winners (except for Week 1), and place three teams in the "bottom three." Of those three, the judges then choose the team they feel had the worst performance; that team is then "expelled" from Canine Academy.
Episode progress.
1 - In episode 5, Teresa & Leroy won the Dog Bone Challenge, but gave it to Bill & Star. In episode 6, Bill & Star won, but returned the favor, giving it to Teresa & Leroy.
2 - In episode 10, JD & Galaxy were eliminated after a preliminary interview, and did not take part in the final obstacle course/interview.
Episode guide.
Here's To Man and Woman's Best Friend!
Original Air Date: July 10, 2008
The twelve competing dogs and their owners arrive at Canine Academy and meet each other for the first time. The theme for this episode was 'The Basics'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Doggy Musical Chairs"
Best in Show Challenge: "The Talent Show"
The bottom three were Brandy & Beacon, Beth Joy & Bella Starlet, and Michael & Ezzie. Beth Joy was told her performance was disappointing when she lost control over Bella Starlet. Brandy was chastised for physically manipulating Beacon when Beacon wouldn't listen to Brandy's commands. Michael was told that his own performance overshadowed and overwhelmed Ezzie, who was having difficulty focusing.
He's a Farter, Not a Fighter.
Original Air Date: July 17, 2008
Things grow a little tense at Canine Academy when Elvis has a small fight with Tillman and bites his eye. Elvis' owner, David, seems very passive about his dog's actions. Star suffers an injury to her neck and ear, and she has to be brought into an emergency vet to be stitched up. The cause of the injury seems to be unknown, though the vet suggests it may have been a feral cat. Star recovers with a bit of rest and relaxation. The theme for this week's competitions was 'Obedience'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Doggy Boot Camp"
Best in Show Challenge: ""Pet"-iquette"
The bottom three were Elan & Kenji, Beth Joy & Bella Starlet, and David & Elvis. David was told that his particular use of hand signals was confusing and distracting. Elan was told that her communication with Kenji was confusing and stressful to Kenji. She was also told that she was bordering on being harsh with her dog. Beth Joy had put Bella Starlet in a dress that covered most of her body, which resulted in the judges being unable to evaluate her grooming.
The Fast and the Furriest.
Original Air Date: July 24, 2008
Elvis proves that he can 'play nice' with both Andrew and Tillman. The theme for this episode's competitions was 'Teamwork'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Tangled Leash"
Best in Show Challenge: "The Fast and the Furriest"
The bottom three were David & Elvis, Ron & Tillman, and Laurie & Andrew. David had run Elvis over the teeter-totters on leash (all of the other dogs were off leash), and the judges agreed that Elvis may have performed better off-leash as well. The judges told Ron that they didn't see any teamwork between him and Tillman that week. Laurie was chastised for tearing a larger hole in the paper on the last hoop to give Andrew an easier time, as it was an unfair advantage.
Top Dog Model.
Original Air Date: July 30, 2008
The friendship between Laura and Travis continues to blossom, and Brandy seems jealous of it. Many of the contestants begin to stress over the Best in Show challenge. The theme this week is 'Personality'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Take It or Leave It"
Best in Show Challenge: "Photo Shoot"
The bottom three were Ron & Tillman, Teresa & Leroy, and Brandy & Beacon. Victoria Stilwell felt that Teresa's use of "snarl bands" (an elastic band meant to keep the dog's lips raised) on Leroy to achieve the angry look was inhumane and potentially harmful. Brandy was told that she'd made a poor choice by having a white dog on a white background. Wendy Diamond told Ron that he "single-handedly [had] the worst photo of a bulldog [she had] ever seen". The judges agreed that the photo lacked any imagination.
Dancing with the Dogs.
Original Air Date: August 6, 2008
Brandy becomes stressed when Beacon seems to be ignoring her. Bill & Star continue to feel homesick, and Teresa picks up on it. This week's theme is 'Coordination'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Mud Dog"
Best in Show Challenge: "Dancing with the Dogs"
The bottom three were Laura & Preston, Brandy & Beacon, and Travis & Presley. Travis was told that Presley could have been more enthusiastic about the routine. Brandy was told that putting socks on Beacon and poor training caused Beacon to shut down. Laura was told that Preston wasn't focused and that she had lost control of him.
Salvador Doggy.
Original Air Date: August 13, 2008
Laura and Travis continue to bond. Laura and Beth Joy argue during a deliberation for the Best in Show competition when Laura mentions to the judges that she'd thought Beth Joy had pushed Bella Starlet too far with certain paint-applying techniques. Travis helps to defend Beth Joy when the judges ask her about it. The theme for this episode's competitions was 'Intelligence'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Doggy I.Q."
Best in Show Challenge: "Salvador Doggy"
The bottom three were Laura & Preston, JD & Galaxy, and Laurie & Andrew. The judges felt that the painting created by Laura & Preston looked very rushed and had little thought put into it. They felt that Laurie hadn't put enough effort into her work either. JD was chastised for seemingly trying to make mistakes in Galaxy's painting appear to be intentional.
The Big Dig.
Original Air Date: August 20, 2008
Beth Joy is upset when Bella Starlet begins to act aggressive. JD and Laurie have a discussion about the difference between their training methods, foreshadowing a heated argument between judges Victoria Stilwell and Wendy Diamond on the same topic after the Best in Show challenge. There was no specific theme in this episode.
Dog Bone Challenge: "The Big Dig"
Best in Show Challenge: "The Maze"
The bottom three were Bill & Star, Beth Joy & Bella Starlet, and Travis & Presley. Travis was told that his "hyperenergy" made it hard for Presley to respond to him and the challenge. Beth Joy was chastised for reducing her commands to "desperate bribes" as she got more anxious with Bella Starlet's performance. Bill was told that he had pushed Star far too close to her limit.
My Dog Can Fly!
Original Air Date: August 27, 2008
Things start to get serious with only the top five remaining. JD notices Galaxy is limping after one of the challenges. This week's theme was 'Courage'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Elephant Charge"
Best in Show Challenge: "Stunt Dog"
The bottom three are Laurie & Andrew, Bill & Star, and Travis & Presley. Travis is told he was a little bit out of control while praising Presley on the very high apparatus the competition took place on. Both Bill and Laurie chose to take their dogs up the easier ramp and neither Star nor Andrew would jump down via the zipline when encouraged to do so. The judges chose to expel Bill & Star because they felt Star could have done the more difficult ramp.
Dog Swap.
Original Air Date: September 3, 2008
JD has Galaxy checked out by a vet to ensure she is still able to compete. The vet tells JD that there is no reason to remove her from activity. This week's theme was 'Loyalty'.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Tree Stump Stay"
Best in Show Challenge: "Me or Them"
The bottom three were Teresa & Leroy, JD & Galaxy, and Travis & Presley. Victoria Stilwell felt that both Teresa and JD were threatening in their stances when asking their dogs to stay. Presley was the only dog to break his stay, but Travis was able to regain Presley's attention. The decision from the judges seemed difficult to make, but ended up expelling Teresa, feeling that she'd lost sight of the meaning behind the loyalty challenge.
The Greatest American Dog Is....
Original Air Date: September 10, 2008
The top three face off in the final episode of Greatest American Dog. There was no Dog Bone challenge this week. There were instead two Best in Show challenges where someone was eliminated.
Best in Show Challenge: "Final Exam"
Best in Show Challenge: "Obstacle Course/Interview"


Nuggets (film)

Nuggets is a 2014 animated short film and YouTube video created by German animation director Andreas Hykade. It was uploaded on 13 October 2014 onto the Filmbilder & Friends YouTube channel.
Production and release.
The film was created by Andreas Hykade and funded by the Federal Film Board. "Nuggets" features a stylised and minimalist animation style. A kiwi, the short's only character, is drawn with black strokes and lines, and is staged on a pure white background, with splashes of goldish yellow being featured in the form of the titular nuggets.
German studio Film Bilder released "Nuggets" onto their Filmbilder & Friends YouTube channel on 13 October 2014. The video is just over 5 minutes in duration. The video credits Hykade with the film's script, direction, and animation. Angela Steffen worked on the film's animation and artwork. Heiko Maile worked on the film's music and sound design. Additionally, Ralf Bohde, Bianca Just, and Thomas Meyer-Hermann received post-production, production management, and production credits, respectively.
Plot and themes.
"Nuggets" follows a kiwi who encounters nuggets as it walks down a path. As it indulges in a nugget, the kiwi experiences a blissful high, causing the kiwi to feel as if it is flying in the air. The kiwi progressively experiences diminishing returns with each nugget it consumes, with subsequent flights becoming shorter and the falls back down to the ground becoming harsher. As the kiwi struggles with this, the white background also becomes darker and darker.
The short portrays the nugget as a metaphor for some sort of drug, with the story itself functioning as an allegory for the stages of addiction. While there are no explicit references to drugs, some media publications have suggested the short specifically addresses drug addiction, with "HuffPost Korea" writing that most YouTube viewers also interpreted this meaning.
Reception.
The video was covered by media outlets internationally. "HuffPost Canada" wrote that the kiwi's struggle with addiction was "extraordinarily gripping", opining that "there's something so devastatingly human between the stark black and white lines of German animator Andreas Hykade's five-minute creation." RTBF, a French public broadcasting organisation wrote that the "mise-en-scène" in "Nuggets" was "refined". Writing for "Fast Company", Joe Berkowitz called "Nuggets" "a fully realized allegory for addiction", and opined that it "succinctly captures the heartbreaking reality of addiction."
The video achieved virality on YouTube, receiving over 3 million views in a little over a month following its release. By April 2015, it reached over 7 million views. As of June 2020, the video has received over 19 million views. Outside of YouTube, "Nuggets" was also widely shared on Reddit.
Sequel.
In an April 2015 interview with the German-based newspaper "Stuttgarter Nachrichten", Hykade stated that half of a second part to "Nuggets" was funded. No further developments have been made, however.


Shadrach (novel)

 Shadrach by Meindert DeJong is a children's novel about a small boy and his pet rabbit. The novel, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was first published in 1953 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1954.
Plot summary.
The novel is set in the Netherlands. 6-year-old Davie waits a long time for his pet, a black rabbit he calls Shadrach. When the rabbit finally comes, every day seems miraculous. But one day Shadrach runs away.


Pig Hunt

Pig Hunt is a 2008 American science fiction action horror thriller film directed by James Isaac, it was written by Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson. In the film, a group faces the a monstrous wild boar while trying to survive vengeful rednecks and a deranged cult of hot girls. The film includes several original songs by Les Claypool, who also plays a minor role as the preacher.
This was the last film directed by James Isaac before his death in 2012.
Plot.
The film begins with a man running for his life through the forest, obviously in a panic he hides behind a tree, trying to spot what was following him. As he looks around, something comes up from behind him, throwing him up into the air and back down again. The man screams as something begins eating him, and as the man dies, the camera turns to a pair of dog tags that are slowly overtaken by a small river of blood.
John Hickman (Travis Aaron Wade) and his girlfriend Brooks (Tina Huang) are a pair of San Francisco residents who invite their friends, self-proclaimed tough guy and wannabe soldier Ben (Howard Johnson Jr.), his close friend Wayne (Rajiv Shah), as well as chef Quincy (Trevor Bullock) and his dog Wolfgang, to a weekend of hunting, drinking and fun and camping near John's uncle's cabin, in a remote mountain area. Ben and Wayne can't stand Brooks, and the feeling is mutual-they spend much of the trip getting on each other's nerves. En route, they stop at a gas station/general store for directions and encounter a van of hippie women and their cult leader, the Hippie Stranger, (Bryonn Bain) who live in a commune in the woods, presumably raising emus for meat. From the store owner, they learn about a local legend called "The Ripper," a legendary killer hog which supposedly weighs several thousand pounds. After obtaining some supplies and directions, they make their way to the cabin, passing through a hillbilly homestead belonging to the Tibbs clan, all of whom drop what they are doing to watch them pass by. One young boy is perched in a tree, and drops a dead animal carcass on the hood of their car as they pass underneath. When they get to John's uncle's cabin, they find it has been vandalized and is uninhabitable, though John maintains the rednecks down the road weren't responsible. The group pitches their tents and camps outside.
The next morning, they encounter methamphetamine-addicted hillbilly brothers Jake (Jason Foster) and Ricky Tibbs, (Nick Tagas) cousins of John's, who are interested in joining them on a wild hog hunt. An old feud still exists between John and Ricky, who is a Gulf War veteran showing signs of drug addiction and mental illness. His brother Jake appears to be the only person maintaining control and keeping Ricky from flying off the handle. Quincy, who is eager to get to know them, is obviously inexperienced in any sort of outdoor activities, and Ricky accuses Wolfgang of being a "pet" not a "dog" seeming equally oblivious to hunting as well. When Jake Tibbs sets up some targets to see how well the others can shoot, boastful Ben makes a fool of himself, not being able to hit the target even once, while Wayne hits it not more than a couple of times. Brooks outshoots both men, to their surprise and chagrin-she impresses Tibbs by hitting the target with every shot.
As the group makes their trip through the woods, they encounter an area called the Big Wallow, and, using a piglet call as a lure, they manage to attract several pigs to their location. One of them rams into Wayne's leg at full charge giving him a compound fracture at the kneecap and incapacitating him. Wolfgang goes charging after the boars while Brooks shows off her marksmanship talents and kills one of them. Ricky calls Jake to come look at something disturbing he's observed while skinning and dressing the hog they killed. Though adult-sized, it has no protective armor over its shoulders-it is not a full grown animal as they had thought, but a piglet-a very, very big piglet. Just as everyone is beginning to wonder about the truth of the Ripper legend, Quincy reappears, very excited. While looking for his dog Wolfgang, he had encountered a large crop of marijuana plants and now leads the others to it, leaving Brooks with Wayne.
A conflict emerges when John objects to Jake and Ricky taking the plants for profit, as they are growing on his property and he wants no part of it. There is also a strange and disturbing sign posted near the plants, which leads John to think that the hippies that he thought were raising emus are actually growing pot instead. During the ensuing argument, Ricky snaps, and holds John at bay with a crossbow. John and Jake Tibbs are trying to gain control of the situation, when Ben arrives on the scene, thinks Ricky is about to kill John, and shoots him. Jake flees to tell his clan, and the others return to Wayne and Brooks. Quincy and Ben start making their way back to the cabin while Brooks and John leave Wayne to find something to make a stretcher with so they can carry him out of there and get back to the cabin and their vehicle. Shortly after their departure, Wayne is attacked by something we don't see, and manages to fire off a single round. Brooks and John circle back and find him missing, as well as Ricky's body.
Meanwhile, Ben and Quincy make their way back to the cabin. They find Wolfgang's mutilated body, and determine he was killed by the Tibbs clan. Ricky and Jake's clan make their appearance, Ben manages to kill his pursuer and escape, but Quincy is knocked out of the vehicle he was attempting to escape in, and is executed by a single gunshot to the back of the head. At the same time, John and Brooks run into the mysterious Hippie Stranger as they hide in the forest; he is carrying a cattle prod, and tells them that he is looking for an escaped animal, and that they can contact the police from his commune. He helps them beat off an attack by the murderous Tibbs clan, and several hillbillies are killed. In the meantime, Ben has found the commune, where he is given drugs by several beautiful hippie women, and led into an enormous, muddy pen. He encounters a dying Wayne, who says that something has been eating him. Ben turns in shock as something approaches him from behind, and screams.
The remaining Tibbs clan members have reached the woods around the commune;they are stalked and killed, one by one, by the murderous hippie women-all except one man, who is seized by something else-something horrifying that we don't see. Brooks and John arrive at the commune with the Hippie Stranger. When John questions why Ben's equipment is there, but not Ben himself, they force him into a cell while the leader takes Brooks out into the pen. At last, we are shown what has been attacking people throughout the movie-it is the legendary Ripper, who is carrying the remains of one of the redneck clan in his mouth. Meanwhile, Jake makes his way into the commune, and is confronted by some of the women. He shoots a couple of them, and forces one of the women to let him into John's cell. As Jake sees the Ripper out in the pen and freezes in shock, the hippie woman he brought with him attacks, stabbing him in the eye with her boar's tooth necklace before John kills her. Jake dies from his wounds while the Hippie Stranger prepares to sacrifice Brooks to the boar, whom he and his followers have for some bizarre reason been worshiping-and feeding unwary people to. Brooks gets a hold of the Stranger's cattle prod and pokes him with it, causing him to cry out, attracting the Ripper's attention. The creature eviscerates him, and Brooks remains as quiet as possible as John forces his way from the cell. Using a crossbow, he fires an arrow up under the boar's jaw, killing it. As Brooks and John make their escape, they come face to face with a young, wild member of the Tibbs clan-the feral little fellow who was sitting in a tree at the beginning of the movie.
Production.
Pig Hunt Productions shoot the film in spring 2008 in Boonville, California and The Haight District, San Francisco. Rob and Zack Anderson characterized the script responsible for Epic Pictures Group. The shooting cost about 6 million US dollars.
Soundtrack.
The Memphis-based film composer David E. Russo scored the soundtrack.
Release.
The film premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 21, 2008. It had its West Coast premiere in the United States on May 5, 2009. The film is part of the 2010 Fangoria FrightFest.
Home release.
Lightning Media released the DVD and Blu-ray in July 2010 with a bonus behind-the-scenes documentary with a total length of about 40 minutes.
Reception.
In a positive review, Sean Smithson of Twitch Film states that "Pig Hunt" is a cult film in which "the story is the star". Joshua Siebalt of DreadCentral rated the film 0.5/5 and called it misogynistic, immature, and annoying. Bill Gibron of DVD Talk rated the film 4/5 and described it as "wholly original" yet strongly influenced by many other films. Heidi Williams of "The Oregonian" rated it C- and wrote that it comes off like a Syfy B movie. Jeremy Knox of Film Threat rated the film 3/5 stars and called it "a flawed, but really fun film". In a mixed review, Dennis Harvey of "Variety" called it "enjoyably offbeat" but "not entirely satisfying". Mick LaSalle of the "SF Gate" rated the film 3/5 stars and called it "a routine thriller" that is pretty good for what it is.


Arachnoquake

Arachnoquake is a 2012 made for television horror film directed by Griff Furst and starring Megan Adelle, Gralen Bryant Banks, and Paul Boocock. It aired on Syfy.
Plot.
Earthquakes begin occurring in New Orleans as the result of a fracking operation. Bus driver Charlie is called in as a replacement for another driver who is out sick, and has to drive a group of cheerleaders. In the meantime, his wife Katelynn, and children Justin, and Annabel go on a bus tour around the city. On the bus, they meet the driver Paul, whose family, consisting of sister Petra, and father Roy, run a boating tour business in the swamps. Among the other guests are couple Ernie, and Tina, and an old man whom Paul nicknames "Gramps". The group has an encounter with several giant, fire-breathing albino spiders, and stop at a drug store to grab bug spray. However, more spiders invade the store, killing Gramps, and a clerk, and the group is eventually forced back to the bus. They drive to the marina where Roy, and Petra work, the both of whom are already aware of the situation. After Ernie is abducted by a spider, the survivors flee on Roy's boat, with more spiders in pursuit. Tina, shaken by Ernie's death, speeds up the boat in a blind panic, only to end up crashing it into a bayou and is thrown from the boat before she is dragged away by another spider while the others flee into the woods. Meanwhile, Charlie's bus is attacked by the spiders, and he crashes it into a tree. He, and the cheerleaders manage to stay safe inside as the spiders encase the bus in webbing, although a group of soldiers arrive, and kill the spiders before rescuing the passengers.
Paul's group meets up with locals Jean Jacques, Roux, and Guillaume, and they take the group to a warehouse they work at. There, Katelynn, a biologist, suggests they trap a spider so she can examine it. They do so, and Katelynn discovers that the spiders are prehistoric, and were released from the earthquakes. She also explains they are a hive mind, and, if they can find, and kill the queen, they will all die. The warehouse soon comes under attack from the spiders, and the survivors run into the woods; in the ensuing chaos, Roux, Guillaume, and Roy are killed, and Katelynn, and Petra are abducted while Justin, and Jean are evacuated on a helicopter. Paul, and Annabel venture into a nearby cave to find a nest, with Katelynn, and Petra both trapped by webbing. They free them, although the queen spider soon attacks the group; they manage to reach the boat, and launch it back into the water. Meanwhile, Justin, and Jean are taken to a rooftop where Charlie is, and he reunites with his son.
On the boat, Katelynn falls unconscious due to an asthma attack, and Paul resolves to kill the queen himself. He gears up in a diving suit, and heads into the city where the queen is on a rampage as Annabel, and Petra find an ambulance to get Katelynn to the hospital. Annabel reunites with Charlie, and Justin on the rooftop as Jean enters the city streets to help Paul. The two are abducted by the queen as she creates a giant web between two buildings. Jean is soon killed, and Paul is swallowed whole by the spider, although he sticks a piece of dynamite inside its body, and attaches a rope to it before falling out the spinneret. Paul uses an explosive to ignite the rope, the spark eventually reaching the dynamite, causing the queen to blow up from the inside out, killing it. Paul is rescued by military forces, and reunites with Petra as all of the remaining spiders soon die.
Reception.
A review from "Starburst" says, "Arachnoquake is too hilarious and good-natured to be offensive and, for SyFy, it’s a quantum leap in quality from last year’s dire "Camel Spiders" and is cautiously recommended for lovers of unpretentious throwaway big insect movies." Craig McGee, of Horror News, wrote, "The easiest way I can sway you into my way of thinking with this movie is if you didn’t enjoy the SyFy Original, CAMEL SPIDERS, from last year then you’re not going to go for this one either."
The spiders of "Arachnoquake" were featured in the book "How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters".


The Best Mouse Loses

The Best Mouse Loses is a 1920 silent short theatrical cartoon by Bray Productions featuring Krazy Kat.
Plot.
A boxing match is about to begin, and Ignatz Mouse is one of the featured fighters. But Ignatz has no intention of winning when he tells a canine buddy he will go down purposely, and therefore asks the latter to wager his sack of cash on it. The rodent and the dog agree on the idea before entering the venue.
Momentarily, Krazy Kat arrives just outside the venue. He then meets a girl mouse who happens to be a sister of Ignatz. The girl mouse says to Krazy she'll be wagering her family's fortune that her brother would emerge victorious. She also requests him to make sure Ignatz prevails which Krazy accepts with pleasure.
The boxing match begins, and Krazy is the referee. Ignatz and the opponent, however, start with some bizarre acts like dancing which prompts Krazy to tell them to actually fight. After the opponent makes a feeble contact, Ignatz drops deliberately, pretending to be knocked cold. Not wanting to disappoint the girl mouse, Krazy counts extremely slow until Ignatz is saved by the bell, much to the mouse's surprise. The second round starts but the fighters still hardly engage. After the contenders make a few moves, Krazy strikes and knocks down the opponent using his tail. He then counts out the opponent, and declares Ignatz the winner. Ignatz is infuriated by the bout's outcome, and therefore pummels Krazy with punches.


The Mouse Exterminator

The Mouse Exterminator is a 1940 short animated film in the Phantasies series, produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It marks the final theatrical appearance of Krazy Kat, the title character from George Herriman's comic strip.
Plot.
Krazy, as the cartoon's title implies, is a mouse exterminator, and in his office. He immediately receives a phone call about a rodent problem.
The cat arrives at the home of his caller. Unable to grasp the mouse out of the hole in the wall, Krazy decides to attract the mouse out using a wind-up toy looking like a girl mouse. Although he successfully lured the little nuisance out and even got his paws on it, the mouse is able to return to its lair. Krazy then resorts to using a rifle and starts firing at the hole. The mouse then shows up in front of Krazy, claiming to be powerless, and seemingly asks for mercy. Krazy falls for the pretense and starts to feel guilty. When the two shake hands, the mouse pulls Krazy into the hole until the cat's head is crammed in. The mouse begins pummeling Krazy's face like a speed bag. When Krazy returns to firing his rifle at the hole, the mouse repeats the same trick before pounding the cat with a mallet.
Having enough of the mouse's trickery, Krazy takes a vacuum cleaner to pull in his prey. As the mouse gets sucked in the cleaner, Krazy believes he solved the problem as calls the homeowner. But the mouse comes out of the vacuum bag and is determined to get back at Krazy. The mouse switches on the vacuum near an unsuspecting Krazy who then gets sucked in with only his head sticking out. The cartoon ends with Krazy receiving one final blow to the face.


Mouse and Mole

Mouse and Mole is a 1996 British television series devised by Joy Whitby's Grasshopper Productions. It was based on the series of children's books written by Joyce Dunbar and illustrated by James Mayhew which were first published in 1993. Originally envisaged as 26 x 5 minute episodes, only 19 were ever finished, although the soundtracks for the remaining seven episodes, created by Ben Baird at Aquarium Studios are still in existence.
The Characters of Mouse and Mole were played by Richard Briers and Alan Bennett respectively. The character of Mole was originally to be played by Stephen Fry, but shortly before the recording session, Fry became unavailable, and Alan Bennett stepped in on the proviso that he would step aside should Fry become available.
In 2013 Grasshopper Productions in partnership with Baird TV and Clive Juster and Associates, created a 28-minute Christmas Special entitled "Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time". Richard Briers and Alan Bennett are joined by Imelda Staunton for this one-off 'special', screened in December 2013 on BBC television.