Flu Bird Horror

Flu Bird Horror is a 2008 television horror Sci Fi Pictures original film written by Tony Daniel and Brian D. Smith, and directed by Leigh Scott. It first aired on The Sci-Fi Channel on August 23, 2008, and was released to DVD as Flu Birds on September 30, 2008. The film's reviews were negative to mixed. Reviewers note the film for being representative of low-budget films being created for and aired on the Sci-Fi Channel.
Plot.
Six teenagers on a chaperoned rehabilitation camping trip find themselves being hunted by mutant giant birds infected with a mysterious virus that changed the birds into deadly predators.
Porky is the first to be injured by the birds. The teens devise a plan to escape, with Johnson proclaiming himself leader. When the teens flee to a military bunker, the birds follow. Eva finds a walkie talkie and gets in contact with park ranger Garrett (Lance Guest), asking for rescue. The group flees the fort as Porky is eaten alive. Garrett and Jacqueline head out to save the teenagers. After a successful escape, Derrick is attacked by a bird but escapes. The group continues north and discovers a house. They check the nearby shed, which is a meat locker.
Derrick's infection begins ravaging his body and Johnson plans to shoot him because he's a liability. Garret and Jacqueline pinpoint the teens' location, but can't reach them because the birds are outside. The group makes a run for the meat shed. Lola and Eva throw out some meat to catch the birds' attention but the birds aren't taking it; they like fresh meat. Derrick hobbles out and offers himself as bait to the birds. They attack and eat him alive. The group finally meets Garrett and Jacqueline and load into the car. The birds attack the car, and Garrett loses control, flipping the car over. Everyone takes shelter under a concrete tunnel. They return to the military bunker, which is leaking gas. They make a plan to blow up the birds using explosives. Johnson wants to be the bait to lure the birds in. As they all flee, Eva pauses, looking back sadly at Johnson, who says he'll make it. The birds block Johnson's escape route and he shoots the explosive, sending the building in flames. The group leaves, remembering Johnson.
Reception.
"Blog Critics" poked fun at Sci-Fi Channel movies in their review of the film when they wrote "the mutated strain of bird flu started because of mysterious mutant birds in that forest where all Sci-Fi Channel movies are filmed." They made note of a stereotype cast, poor dialog, and several flaws with "Sluggish pacing, downtime, countless continuity errors, and repetitive dialogue are to be expected for a movie shot with something that can’t even be considered a budget, but "Flu Bird Horror" takes this to the extreme". "Dread Central" felt that the story concept was more plausible than that of ABC's 2006 airing of "", but noted that the virus aspect as used in the film made little sense, writing "everything wrong with the film can be traced back to the nonsensical script." They opined that the birds themselves were the stars of the film when they wrote "Those zombie buzzards are the true stars of Flu Bird Horror — both ghastly and goofy all at the same time". While noting that casting was not optimum, they wrote "On the plus side, I can't complain about the acting. I can complain about the dialogue, but I can't complain about the actors themselves." In consideration of the film's weaknesses, they still found it worthwhile by their writing "almost miraculously, "Flu Bird Horror" remains fairly watchable and I honestly don't know how Scott and company pulled it off all things considered". "Monsters & Critics" panned the acting, writing that it "ranges from horrible to maniacally over-the-top." However, they granted the film was somewhat better than most bad horror films even though representative of what is being expected from the Sci-Fi Channel by writing ""Flu Birds" is potentially some "nature on the rampage" goofball fun and a lot better than "Ghouls", but it's still not a quality film. Not that you'd be expecting one with Sci-Fi Channel emblazoned on the front". "DVD Talk" panned the film as "fairly bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, even by creature feature standards", concluding that the "characters are completely uninteresting and the ending is underwhelming and disappointing".


Kazan (novel)

Kazan is a 1914 novel about a tame wolf-dog hybrid named Kazan. It was written by James Oliver Curwood and was followed in 1917, by a sequel, "Baree, Son of Kazan".
Plot.
Kazan, one quarter wolf and three quarters husky, travels to the Canadian wilderness with his owner Thorpe where they meet man named McCready who Kazan recognizes as someone who abused him in the past. When McCready attacks Thorpe's wife Isobel, Kazan kills McCready and then runs away fearing the harsh punishment for killing a man. He later encounters a wolf pack of which he becomes the new leader, and has a mate, Gray Wolf.
One day the pack comes across a sick, old man, Pierre Radisson, his married daughter Joan and her baby girl. Seeing the woman, Kazan turns against his pack, protecting the family from the other wolves. Eventually the pack, with the exception of Gray Wolf, runs away. Joan and her father take Kazan with them and nurse his wounds. After he has recovered, his new owners leave for Pierre's cabin in Churchill. Gray Wolf follows them at a distance hoping to be reunited with Kazan. Pierre dies on the journey, leaving his daughter, her child and Kazan alone to reach the cabin. That winter Kazan spends the day with Gray Wolf while sleeping at the cabin at night.
That spring Gray Wolf has had three cubs. Kazan begins staying longer with Gray Wolf, even hunting for her. One day, when he returns from one of his hunts, Kazan finds a lynx fighting with Gray Wolf. Kazan attacks the lynx and soon kills it but then discovers his cubs are dead and Gray Wolf is now blind.
Few days later, Joan and her husband are ready to leave. They have decided to take Kazan with them and he is tied up so he can't escape. However, as the family is ready to go, they see Gray Wolf by the river howling to Kazan who immediately runs to her. The pair stay together, narrowly escaping a forest fire that ravages the wilderness. They are then captured by Henry Lottie, a trapper, and his companion, Paul Wayman, a former hunter, now an environmentalist and animal lover. Wayman buys the wolves from Lottie and sets them free.
The wolves return to their old lair where Gray Wolf gives birth to a male cub, Baree. The now two thirds wolf-one third dog pup who leaves his parents after a few months, ready to survive on his own. A large colony of beavers shows up at the nearby river and begins building a dam despite the wolves' attempts to run them off. One day Kazan accidentally kills his only ally against the intruders, a large river otter, after mistaking her for one of the beavers. Eventually the entire area around the couple's territory is flooded and they are forced to leave. They head north together until they are separated by Sandy McTrigger, a gold digger and possible murderer. He captures Kazan with the plan to use him in fights. However, when Kazan and his opponent, half great dane, half mastiff known as Dane, face each other, they silently agree not to fight, thus earning the respect of an old man, Professor McGill, who buys off the two dogs from their owners. McGill and the dogs prepare for their journey to Fond Du Lac and soon leave. Several days later, Mctrigger, who apparently had tracked them down, tries to sneak on them, but is heard and attacked by Kazan. Using the opportunity, Kazan runs away just as McGill shoots Sandy multiple times, thus killing him.
The story continues with Joan and her husband, who have returned to the wild with their daughter. Soon after they see Kazan again away in the distance, who joins them for a moment, only to leave when he hears Gray Wolf howling for him. The book ends with the reunited pair who once again hunts together side by side under the moon.


Belvedere (comic strip)

Belvedere is a single panel comic strip created by George Webster Crenshaw which ran from June 18, 1962 to 1995. The star of the strip is a white dog with black spots. As of at least 2009, reprints of the strip were distributed by Johansen International Features.
Characters and story.
Belvedere is one of three pets who belong to a married couple, Orville and Emma. The others are Jezebel, a cat, and Chi-Chi, a talking bird. Belvedere never talks, but he is very intelligent and somehow makes his thoughts and desires known. He is spoiled and causes many problems for his family, the dogcatcher, and the butcher. Belvedere also makes trouble for the local museum (which displays dinosaur bones), and the veterinarian.
Al Wiseman, who co-wrote the "Dennis the Menace" comic book based on the daily comic strip (on which Crenshaw worked at one time), also contributed to the "Belvedere" strip.
Books.
Crenshaw's books include "Belvedere & Friend" (1982), "All Dogs Must Be on Leash" (1982), "The Odds Are" (1982), "Now Just One Minute!" (1983) "Don't Push Your Luck" (1984), "Purpose of Loan: One Carload of Crunchie-Munchies", "Hot Dog!" (1987), "Flapjacks" (1990), "Beware ... Obedience School Dropout" (1991), "How Was That for a Karate Chop?" (1991), "I Said I'm Not Ready to Get Up Yet" (1991), "Next Time I'll Pack the Food" (1991) and "Bone Pie" (1992).
Crenshaw used the pseudonym Nat Greenwood on some books, including "Belvedere" (1965) and "Belvedere: A Pooch Full of Tricks" (1975).
George Crenshaw.
George Webster Crenshaw went to UCLA and Harvard. He was an animator for Walt Disney, having worked on "Fantasia", "Pinocchio", and Donald Duck cartoons, as well as MGM Tom and Jerry shorts and "Speaking of Animals" for Paramount. He created the comic strips "The Muffins" (1957-1959), "Nubbin" (1958–1972), "McGirk's Works" (1959), "Simpkins" aka "Nerdly" (1971-1974) and "Gumdrop" (1977-1978) in addition to "Belvedere".
His work appeared in such publications as "The National Enquirer", "The New Yorker", "Woman's World" and "Reader's Digest". As a comic book artist, he drew Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny and Disney characters.


Duncton Wood

Duncton Wood is the first novel by English author William Horwood. It is the first of a six-volume fantasy series of the same name.
Series overview.
"Duncton Wood" and its sequels have as its protagonists anthropomorphic moles living in Moledom, a community in Great Britain. Moledom has its own social organization, history, and written language. The moles do not otherwise make use of technology or clothing.
The other focus of the "Duncton" series is the Stone, a religion based on the standing stones and stone circles of Britain. The novels are mainly set in and around megalith sites such as Avebury and Rollright. The eponymous wood itself is fictional, inspired by Wittenham Clumps and Wytham Woods (both near Oxford, where the author was living when he wrote the first book), and borrows its name from a village in West Sussex.
In the course of the books, individual moles travel great distances quite quickly (Duncton Wood in Oxfordshire to Siabod in Wales and back again, for example).
"The Duncton Chronicles".
The first volume, originally written as a standalone novel, tells the story of the romance between the Duncton moles Bracken and Rebecca as the long-held traditions surrounding the Duncton Stone recede under the rule of Rebecca's tyrannical father Mandrake and the evil and manipulative Rune.
Almost a decade later, Horwood completed two directly related sequels that follow the events of the first book, in which the central character is Bracken and Rebecca's son Tryfan. "Duncton Quest" (1988) and "Duncton Found" (1989) depict a religious conflict between The Stone and an opposing crusading order known as The Word. In the midst of these events is the birth and martyrdom of the Stone Mole, a focal messianic Christ figure named Beechen.
"The Book of Silence".
"Duncton Tales" takes place generations in the future, following "Duncton Found". The inhabitants of the now-flourishing Duncton system look upon the events of the past with reverence. Prior to its completion, "Duncton Tales", originally conceived as a stand-alone sequel, had evolved into the first volume of a second trilogy. The story tells of the archival librarian mole Privet and her adopted son Whillan as they face the rise of an inquisitorial cult that calls itself The Newborns. The series continues with "Duncton Rising" (1992) and "Duncton Stone" (1993)


Good-bye, My Lady

Good-bye, My Lady is a novel by James H. Street about a boy and his dog. It was published by J. B. Lippincott Company in June 1954 and reprinted in paperback by Pocket Books in February 1978. It is based on Street's short story "Weep No More, My Lady", which was published in the 6 December 1941 issue of "The Saturday Evening Post".
The novel was made into a film of the same name in 1956.
Plot summary.
Skeeter is a 14-year-old orphan who lives with his uncle Jesse in a one-room shack in the swamps of the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. He has heard the sound of a strange animal in the swamp near their shack, and one summer evening he convinces his uncle to help him go out and find it. When they do, they see it is a small animal with short red and white fur that makes a chuckling yodel sound and cleans itself like a cat. Jesse is unsure what the animal is, but Skeeter is convinced it is a dog.
The next day, Jesse's friend Alpheus "Cash" Evans, owner of the general store in the nearby village of Lystra, comes to help Skeeter and Jesse track down the animal. With Evans is his tracking dog Gabe and two vicious hog dogs named Bark and Bellow whom he keeps leashed. Evans releases Gabe at the spot where Skeeter and Jesse saw the animal, and Gabe eventually picks up its scent and starts tracking it. As they listen to Gabe tracking the animal it becomes clear that it is outrunning Gabe. It bursts into the clearing, and Evans releases Bark and Bellow. When the animal stands its ground and fights back against the hog dogs, Evans calls them off and allows it to escape. He acknowledges that Skeeter was right - the animal is a dog.
The following day, Skeeter sets out to tame the dog. He is able to locate it, and it proves to be a friendly female who allows him to leash her and bring her with him to the shack. Jesse convinces Skeeter to let her off her leash, and she remains with them. Skeeter decides to name the dog Lady.
Skeeter and Jesse take Lady out with them, and when Lady flushes a covey of quail Skeeter becomes determined to train her as a bird dog. However, Lady's behavior makes it clear that she is someone else's dog, and Skeeter fears that Evans will discover who her real owner is.
Skeeter is horrified when Lady chases and kills a water rat, something no true bird dog will stoop to. He ties the half-eaten rat around her neck, and brings her back to the shack. There, he find Evans visiting with an English Setter he has just purchased. Evans had planned to give his new dog to Jesse and Skeeter to train (for which he intended to pay them three dollars a week), but seeing Lady with her rat causes him to change his mind. When Skeeter apologizes afterwards, Jesse shrugs it off and tells him to concentrate on training Lady.
Within a few months, Skeeter has trained Lady to cast and point like a proper bird dog. A visiting Evans sees Lady pointing at a clump of sage fifty yards away and refuses to believe she has detected birds from so far away. Jesse wagers the cost of a sawblade Evans had given him on credit that Lady is indeed pointing birds. Skeeter is privately dubious, but Jesse wins his bet when a covey of quail break from the sage.
Evans is impressed, and he spreads the word about Skeeter's remarkable dog. In time, Evans hears from a traveling salesman out of Mobile, Alabama that a kennel in Connecticut lost a Basenji near Pascagoula. The description of the lost dog, named Isis of the Blue Nile, matches Lady. A sorrowful Evans tells Jesse, who passes the word on to Skeeter. When Lady responds to the name Isis, Skeeter knows he has the lost Basenji, and decides to return her to her rightful owner. A wire is sent to the kennel, and a man named Walden Grover flies down from Connecticut to take possession of Lady.
Skeeter himself must put Lady in the crate in Grover's pickup truck, then watch as Grover drives off with her. Evans then asks Skeeter to finish training his English Setter, and the boy accepts. With the $100 reward Grover gave him, the boy buys his toothless uncle a set of false teeth, and puts a down payment on a 20 gauge shotgun for himself.
Major themes.
"Good-Bye, My Lady" is a coming of age story. When Skeeter tames Lady, Jesse acknowledges the boy's right to keep her, and defers to Skeeter in all matters concerning Lady. Skeeter's growing maturity is also marked by his uncle's willingness to allow him to drink coffee, which is regarded as an adult beverage. As the novel opens, Skeeter is not permitted to drink coffee. After he tames Lady, his uncle allows him heavily creamed coffee, and after he allows Grover to take Lady away, Jesse tells Evans that Skeeter (whom he now refers to by his given name, Claude) drinks his coffee black.
James Street, a native of Mississippi, was politically liberal, and his fiction often involved an attempt to reconcile his heritage with his liberal views on race. "Good-Bye, My Lady" includes an African-American family, the Watsons, who own a farm across the river from Jesse and Skeeter. The Watsons' eldest son, Gates, is a college graduate. Towards the end of the novel Skeeter learns that Gates Watson knew all along where Lady came from, and also about the reward for her return, but remained silent out of friendship for Skeeter.
Inspiration and 1942 sequel.
English Basenji breeder Veronica Tudor-Williams tells of a letter she received from Street in 1942 saying that he first got the idea of writing about a Basenji after seeing a photograph of Veronica Tudor-Williams with some Basenjis in an American magazine. He also wrote that the reader reaction from his first story was so strong that he wrote a sequel, "Please Come Home, My Lady", reuniting Skeeter with Lady. "Please Come Home, My Lady" appeared in the 11 April 1942 issue of "The Saturday Evening Post".
1956 film.
After Street's death, Warner Bros. pictures began production of a film version of the novel, starring Brandon deWilde as Skeeter, Walter Brennan as Uncle Jesse, Phil Harris as Cash Evans, and Sidney Poitier as Gates Watson. The film was produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions, directed by William A. Wellman, and the screenplay was written by Albert Sidney Fleishman. Veronica Tudor-Williams provided the Basenji, named My Lady of the Congo, who played Lady in the film, and also provided four additional dogs to serve as "doubles" for My Lady. After filming ended, My Lady was adopted by deWilde, and the other dogs were adopted by various members of the film crew. The film version was released on 12 May 1956. It has also appeared under the titles "Goodbye, My Lady" and "The Boy and the Laughing Dog".
"Good-Bye, My Lady" was released by Warner Home Video on VHS on 13 December 1993. The film was released on DVD in December 2010.


A Ducking They Did Go

A Ducking They Did Go is a 1939 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 38th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Plot.
While looking for work, the Stooges botch an attempt to steal a watermelon from a deliveryman (Cy Schindell), which lands them in trouble with a cop (William Irving). The trio winds up at the offices of the Canvas Back Duck Club, a hunting organization run by conmen Blackie (Lynton Brent) and Doyle (Wheaton Chambers), where they are promptly hired to sell club memberships. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them, the whole thing is a scam. Dressed in duck-hunting gear, Moe, Larry and Curly invade the police station and barge right into the office of the police chief (Bud Jamison) and somehow manage to sell memberships to several men, including the police chief and even the mayor.
By the time the group arrives at the lodge, the "club owners" are long gone, and an old man assures them that there are no ducks to be found. In a panic, Moe and Larry try to solve this dilemma by hurling decoy ducks and rubber decoys over the pond. Curly arrives at last with a large flock of ducks ("à la" the Pied Piper of Hamelin) and leads them into the water. Eventually, the old man (who the Stooges met earlier) shows up (with the sheriff) telling the cops, the governor and the mayor that Curly has stolen all of his prize domestic ducks, worth $5 apiece. The cops realize they have been swindled and they, the old man and the sheriff with him were angry and point their guns at the Stooges, who flee the scene.
Production notes.
Filmed on November 15–18, 1938, the title "A Ducking They Did Go" is a play on the old children's song "A-Hunting We Will Go."
The closing shot of the Stooges leaping over a bush and landing on a trio of bucking steers was reused from the end of 1936's "A Pain in the Pullman".


The Dog Rescuers

The Dog Rescuers, (sometimes known as The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies) is a British television programme that followed the work of animal charity RSPCA, specifically their work rescuing dogs.
A total of six series and eight special episodes of the show were broadcast on Channel 5 from 8 October 2013 to 26 December 2019, the show moved to 5Select in 2019 with the first episode of the seventh series airing on 14 October 2019
"The Kitten Rescuers/Jo Brand's Cats & Kittens".
On 28 December 2016, Jo Brand presented a one-off episode entitled "The Kitten Rescuers" on Channel 5. In 2017, it was turned into a series renamed as "Jo Brand's Cats & Kittens" it began airing on 14 November 2017 for a six-episode run until 19 December 2017.


Day of the Iguana

Day of the Iguana is the third book in the Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. It was first published in 2003 by Grosset & Dunlap. The title is a reference to "The Night of the Iguana", a play by Tennessee Williams.
Plot summary.
Hank and his two best friends, Frankie and Ashley, perform magic tricks at Hank's 3-year-old cousin's birthday party. Performing at the party means that Frankie will have to miss "The Mutant Moth That Ate Toledo," a movie he has been looking forward to, but Hank promises to record the movie for him. However, since Hank has dyslexia, he accidentally records the wrong channel, making Frankie very upset.
Hank takes apart a cable box to see how it works for his school science project, but then his sister's pet iguana, Katherine, lays eggs in it. Afraid that his father will discover the cable box taken apart, Hank orders a new one. Tom, the new cable box installer, happens to be knowledgeable about iguanas. That night they witness 23 baby iguanas hatching. Tom agrees to give Hank a tape of "The Mutant Moth That Ate Toledo" in exchange for a baby iguana, and Hank and Frankie watch the movie together.


Disarmament Conference (film)

Disarmament Conference is a 1931 short animated film distributed by Columbia Pictures, and part of the long-running film series featuring Krazy Kat.
Plot.
Krazy, wearing a safari hat, is driving a car, traveling through the African jungles. Suddenly his vehicle is being attacked by projectiles from within the area. It appears there is a battle involving various animals. The animals fight by using their natural attributes (such as monkeys hurling coconuts, and skunks using their strong foul odor). Although his car is destroyed, Krazy is unharmed, and tries to take cover. Having enough of the frenzy, Krazy tells the animals to stop and gather around. And as they come to him, Krazy presents a treaty signed by him, stating that the animals should give up their violent ways, and therefore live peacefully. The animals are persuaded as they disarm themselves (such as a lion removing his choppers, and an elephant removing his tusks). They, along with Krazy, then celebrate, in a song and dance.
But not all the animals received Krazy's message. The hornets from a tree notice peace going around. The hornets, however, see this as an opportunity to retaliate as they come out from the nest in a large number before attacking the other animals. The frightened animals take shelter in a cave, and seal its entrance. Krazy, who is still outside, tries to get in. Although someone opens up, that animal just pushes him away. Krazy then resorts to fleeing on a floating rock in a river. But to his surprise, the rock is actually a crocodile.
Song.
The song "Happy Days Are Here Again" is featured in the film. It would later be used again in "Seeing Stars" and "Prosperity Blues".


Kabuto-O Beetle

 translated as "Beetle, the Horn King" is a 2005 Japanese film directed by Minoru Kawasaki. The film, from an original story by Go Nagai and a screenplay by Takao Nakano, is based on the character of the same name created by Nagai for Osaka Pro-Wrestling (Ōsaka Puroresu).


The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail is a 2013 children's novel written by Richard Peck and illustrated Kelly Murphy. The book is set in the same universe as "Secrets at Sea". The novel is suitable as reading for grades four through six.
Set in Victorian England, the story features a mouse who tries to discover his origins by asking Queen Victoria.
Plot.
The Story of the white mouse was born in London. Who set out the journey.
Part One: The Royal Mews.
The Smallest Mouse in the Mews
Mouse Minor at School
Two Crimes
Evening Stables
Part Two: The Royal Park.
Peg’s Ear
A Life of Drum and Trumpet
Yeomice on Parade
Snatched and Dispatched
Part Three: The Royal Palace.
Midnight
Eyes and Spies
A Rush of Black Wings
A Field of Gray
A Hard Mouse to Convince
Ludovic the 237th
Reception.
Critical reception for "The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail" has been positive. Commonsensemedia rated the book highly, stating that "In-jokes and historical tidbits will delight older kids and give reading-aloud adults the giggles."


The Peace Conference

The Peace Conference is a 1935 short animated film by Columbia Pictures, featuring the comic strip character Krazy Kat.
Plot.
Amidst conflict occurring in other nations, leaders from various parts of the world gather at a government building to discuss peace. At a dining table, the leaders' associates are receiving slices of ham. Because they couldn't agree about which kind of slice they should have, however, the associates brawl onto the table. Momentarily, an army tank barges into the building. Coming out of the tank is none other than Krazy Kat. Krazy tells the rowdy associates that he can restore peace with his special rifle. The associates find his method ludicrous and therefore laugh. To prove them wrong, the cat fires his rifle at them. But unlike regular bullets, the projectiles conjure small-scale people which resemble celebrities at the time (see below). The singing and dancing of these tiny men hypnotically induces pleasure in the associates, causing them to make up.
After curing the associates, Krazy heads to the room where the leaders are at a meeting. Peeping from behind a door, he notices the leaders are rather silent and in doubt on how to settle their problems. Krazy then fires his pleasure-inducing bullets which excites the heads-of-state into a jig as well giving them friendly perception of each other.
Up in space, the god of war Mars does not like what's happening on Earth. He then comes to the planet and into the government building. Mars attempts to preach everybody to return to their attacking ways. Krazy, who opposes the god's purpose, opts to take him on. As Mars moves menacingly toward the cat, Krazy fires two shots at him using the rifle. Both shots show some effect but the dangerous deity is able to snap out of it. As a last resort, Krazy fires multiple shots which brings down Mars for good. All the people in the vicinity celebrate Krazy's victory in singing and dancing, including Mars who has completely succumbed to the pleasure spell.
Caricatures of notables.
Celebrities caricatured in the film include Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby, Ted Lewis, Rudy Vallee, etc. Mahatma Gandhi is also portrayed as one of the leaders at the meeting scene.


Gemini Summer

Gemini Summer is a children's book by Canadian author Iain Lawrence. It won the 2007 Governor General's Awards in Children's Literature among other awards.
The novel tells the story of a young boy who has to learn to cope with the loss of his brother in a tragic accident. The story, set during the summer of 1964, begins in the Hogs Hollow police station with the sheriff trying to determine where a boy named Danny and his dog, Rocket, came from and how they ended up in that police station miles from home.
Plot.
The tale of two young brothers who spend all their time together and enjoy the summer playing like any little boys would do. They would go to their fort that no one knew about and spend all day talking about their dreams. They had their routine and they would stick to it every day until there came a point in time when Beau was embarrassed to be around his family, more so his father this embarrassment came from the fact that his father pumped septic tanks for a living. Although Beau spent less time with his family he still promised Danny that he would go to the fort every Sunday, and they always did no matter what.
One night the boys were playing outside near the pit that Old Man River had dug when suddenly Beau fell into the pit and a pole went right though his chest. Mrs. River came running when she heard the screams from Danny. This was an extremely difficult time for the River family and they all took the time to grieve together.
A few months after Beau's death, a hurt stray golden retriever wandered into the yard. Danny wanted nothing to do with this animal as it reminded him too much of his brother and to Danny’s surprise Mrs. River wanted to keep the dog to help the dog get better. After a week of the dog getting better Danny decided that he wanted to keep the dog when he looked into the dogs eyes and could have sworn he could see his brother Beau looking back at him. From this time on Danny spent every day with the dog doing all the brotherly things him and Beau used to do. Danny tried to tell his parents that Beau had come back in the form of a dog and it was okay to be upset, however they never did believe Danny.
One day Rocket bit a boy and the police wanted to take Rocket away, but Danny wouldn't have this so him and Rocket ran away to pursue the dream that Beau had always wanted. They ran away to go meet the famous astronaut Gus Grissom. In the end, Danny is returned home and is able to forever keep his dog and he believes every day that his brother really did come back in the body of this stray dog.
Characters.
Beau was just a young boy who wanted to be an astronaut more than anything in the world and knew all the facts about space that a boy could know. He loved to spend time with his brother and talk about his dreams and go to the fort every Sunday. His dreams were cut short when he fell to his death in an accident.
Danny was the younger of the two brothers and his biggest dream was to have a dog but his mother always had the same answer that the city was no place for a dog. When he eventually got a dog it was when a stray wandered into the yard a few months after Beau's death.
Old Man River pumped septic tanks for a living because when he went off to war this was the job he was assigned by the military and when he came home it was all he knew. The job was never meant to stay permanent and it was something he was ashamed to tell his boys because they had believed that he fought in the war.
Mrs. River was a Southern woman who dreamed of becoming an author and was secretly writing a novel in the basement. She collected "Gone With the Wind" dolls and dreamed of moving "home" to the south even though she never had never been south of Virginia.
Reception.
The book was reviewed in "Publishers Weekly", "Quill and Quire", "Kirkus Reviews", "CM Magazine", "Saskatoon StarPhoenix", "The Horn Book Magazine", "School Library Journal", "Booklist", "Library Media Connection", "Resource Links", and "Books in Canada".


Where Time Stood Still

Where Time Stood Still is an isometric 3D arcade adventure game released by Ocean in 1988 for the Sinclair Spectrum 128K, MS-DOS and Atari ST. The game was ported by fans to Amiga in July 2014, and on Amiga CD32 in December 2014 and was converted from the Atari ST version with some enhancements which were not present in other iterations. The game was produced by Denton Designs as a follow-up to their successful 1986 title "The Great Escape".
Plot.
A plane has crashed in a remote and unknown plateau of the Himalayas. To their horror, the survivors soon discover that it is populated by dangerous prehistoric creatures and tribes.
The player must guide the party of four survivors - the pilot, Jarret, and his three passengers - to safety, avoiding dinosaurs, cannibals and natural dangers, while also ensuring they are sufficiently rested and fed during the long and difficult journey.
Description.
The graphics are rendered in isometric 3D projection. The Atari ST and Spectrum versions are monochrome while the DOS version uses four-color CGA. The DOS version has no music, with sounds limited to PC speaker beeps and clicks.
The Amiga and Amiga CD32 versions for the most part are a 1:1 rendition of the Atari ST version, but does have some notable enhancements such as full introduction sequence, based on the comic book style adverts that were available and enhanced music that utilise the Amiga better. The Amiga CD32 version is the same as the Amiga version except it uses AmigaDOS for preloading all files and then running the entire game from RAM.
Gameplay.
The player initially controls Jarret, the leader of the party. The other survivors are Clive, a wealthy businessman; Gloria, his daughter; and Dirk, her fiancé. Each member of the party may be controlled by the player or by the game. Each member of the party has a different personality and abilities. For example, Clive is overweight, tires easily, and is always hungry. Dirk is athletic and has some knowledge of the local languages; he is reluctant to leave Gloria, and will become despondent if she dies. Useful objects are scattered about the map, which should be carefully explored.
A simple menu and cursor system is used to select members and manipulate objects. Computer-controlled characters will complain if they are injured, tired or hungry. It is up to the player to decide what action to take in response. Indulge them too often, and food and time will run short. Ignore them, and they will abandon you and try to make their own way to safety.
Development.
The working title for the game during development was "Tibet"


The Blue Planet

The Blue Planet is a British nature documentary series created and produced by the BBC. It premiered on 12 September 2001 in the United Kingdom. It is narrated by David Attenborough.
Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of marine life. The underwater photography included creatures and behaviour that had previously never been filmed.
The series won a number of Emmy and BAFTA TV awards for its music and cinematography. The executive producer was Alastair Fothergill and the music was composed by George Fenton. Attenborough narrated this series before presenting the next in his 'Life' series of programmes, "The Life of Mammals" (2002), and the same production team created "Planet Earth" (2006).
A sequel series, "Blue Planet II" was aired on BBC One in 2017.
Background.
The series took almost five years to make, involving nearly 200 filming locations. The fact that most of the ocean environment remains a mystery presented the production team with many challenges. Besides witnessing some animal behaviours for the first time, the crew also observed some that were new to science. The producers were helped by marine scientists all over the world with state-of-the-art equipment.
Blue whales – whose migration routes were previously unknown – were located by air, after some of the animals had been given temporary radio tags. The camera team spent three years on standby, using a microlight to land on the water nearby when they finally caught up with the creatures in the Gulf of California. The open ocean proved more difficult and over 400 days were spent in often unsuccessful filming trips. After six weeks, the crew chanced upon a school of spinner dolphins, which in turn led them to a shoal of tuna. Off Mexico, the behaviour of a flock of frigatebirds guided the cameramen to a group of sailfish and marlin: the fastest inhabitants of the sea. Near the coast of Natal in South Africa, the team spent two seasons attempting to film the annual sardine run, a huge congregation of predators such as sharks and dolphins, that assembles to feast on the migrating fish by corralling them into "bait balls". Meanwhile, in Monterey Bay, orca were documented attacking gray whales and killing a calf. Filming in the deep ocean required the use of special submersibles. One of them enabled the crew to dive over a mile into the San Diego trench, where the carcass of a 40-ton gray whale had been placed to attract a large variety of scavengers.
When first transmitted on BBC One, over 12 million people watched the series and it regularly achieved an audience share of over 30%.
In 2018 a newly-discovered species of phytoplankton ("Syracosphaera azureaplaneta") was named by scientists in honour of the programme, and in recognition of David Attenborough's contribution to promoting wider understanding and awareness of the oceanic environment.
Merchandise.
DVD and Blu-ray.
The series was available as a 3-disc DVD set (BBCDVD1089, released 3 December 2001 and re-release on 2003), including interviews with the production team, a photo gallery and three additional programmes:
The first DVD has now been superseded by a 4-disc Special Edition (BBCDVD1792, released 3 October 2005), which has three extra programmes:
In the US, there is a 4-disc Collector's Set edition (Released 2002), including 8 feauturettes, interviews, photo galleries and one additional programmes:
In the US, there is also a 5-disc Special Edition (BBC040754, released 2 October 2007). It contains the same features as the US 4-disc versions, but includes a fifth disk containing four special presentations:
BBC released a 3-disc "The Blue Planet: Seas of Life" on Blu-ray on 9 April 2013. It contains the featured presentations as well as a third disk containing interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and five special presentations:
Books.
The accompanying book, "The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans" by Andrew Byatt, Alastair Fothergill and Martha Holmes (with a foreword by David Attenborough), was published by BBC Worldwide on 27 September 2001 ().
The companion volume for the US market of the same book was published by Dorling Kindersley (DK) and released in 2002 ().
Film.
"Deep Blue" is a 2003 nature documentary film that is a theatrical version of "The Blue Planet". Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt are credited as directors, and six cinematographers are also credited. The film was premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on 2003. It screened in more than from 2003 to 2005 and grossed over at the box office.
Live concert tour.
"The Blue Planet" was turned into a theatrical presentation entitled "The Blue Planet Live!" which toured the UK from 2006 to 2008. The UK live shows were presented by World Class Service Ltd. George Fenton conducted the Manchester Camerata Orchestra in Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham during December 2006, in three critically acclaimed shows. The tour continued in April 2007, again conducted by Fenton, in London, Cardiff, Birmingham and returning to Manchester and Nottingham.
For the show, some of the most spectacular sequences from the series have been edited together and are displayed on a huge screen (18 metres wide and 3 storeys high). The presentation is introduced by a special guest.
The tour continued in April 2008 with dates at Wembley Arena, Nottingham Arena, Manchester Central, Cardiff St. David's and Birmingham Symphony Hall.
"The Blue Planet Live!" continues to be staged:
Sequel.
In February 2017, the BBC announced a seven-part sequel had been commissioned, titled "Blue Planet II", with Sir David Attenborough returning as narrator and presenter. The sequel debuted on BBC One, BBC One HD and BBC Earth channel on 29 October 2017.
Overseas.
The series was sold to over 50 countries. In the United States, it was shown as "The Blue Planet: Seas of Life" with the episodes in a different order, the first one being retitled "Ocean World". The series was shown on the Discovery Channel and was narrated by Pierce Brosnan.
Criticism.
The series attracted some criticism when it was revealed that some of the footage was filmed at an aquarium in Wales. The series producer, Alastair Fothergill, said that around 2% of the whole series was filmed in tanks at aquariums.


A Colt from the Country

A Colt from the Country is a novel by Arthur Wright. It takes place on Manly Beach and the racecourses of Sydney.


Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana is a 2012 Indian comedy film produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Anurag Kashyap and directed by debutante Sameer Sharma.
Plot.
Omi Khurana's London dream has just ended. On the run from a dangerous UK gangster to whom he owes money, Omi returns to his native Indian village in Punjab, pretending to be a well-heeled London lawyer. Much has changed since Omi ran away from home a decade back after stealing money from his doting grandfather, Daarji. The old man has since become senile and more importantly, forgotten the secret recipe of "Chicken Khurana," a dish that made the Khurana dhaba famous across Punjab.
Omi's childhood sweetheart Harman is soon to be married to his paternal cousin, Jeet, though neither seems too happy about it. Adding to the quirkiness of the Khurana family is a freeloader uncle, Titu, who once did a stint in a mental asylum. Omi's grandfather has a cousin who ran away from home at a young age and is now a saint. When his grandfather dies on his last visit to his restaurant, Omi tries to restore their family restaurant with Harman's help. While working in the restaurant, the two reconcile and rekindle their feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Omi discovers the secret ingredient from his grandfather's famous chicken recipe was marijuana but keeps it a secret. When the family comes together, Jeet surprises everybody by revealing his love for a Bengali war-widow, Shama, and his secret daughter with her. Omi and Harman decide to get married. In the end, the whole family seems happy and celebrating when the gangster from whom Omi is hiding comes looking for him and is revealed to be Titu's long-lost friend.
Soundtrack.
Musicperk.com rated the album 7/10 quoting "Amit Trivedi's experiments are back".
Critical reception.
"Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" received positive reviews. Trisha Gupta on Firstpost.com called it joyfully irreverent without ever feeling flippant: " a version of rural Punjab that is somehow quieter, gentler, sadder and yet funnier than those that have gone before". Madhureeta Mukherjee of Times of India gave it 3.5 stars. "This isn't the perfect chicken recipe for your soul, but never mind, it's the simplicity of emotions that fill you up, leaving a good after-taste." said ToI. Rediff Movies said ""Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" is a lovely story, with plenty of Punjab ka tadka." and gave it 3.5 stars. Roshni Devi of Koimoi gave it 3 stars. "Watch "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" for some real Punjabi fun, laughs and touching moments." wrote Roshni Devi. Social Movie Rating site MOZVO gave it a rating of 3.4 putting it in 'Average' category. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 3.5 stars. Aniruddha Guha of DNA gave it 3 stars. Anupama Chopra from the Hindustan Times gave it 3/5 stars,saying "There is fun to be had here-just have some patience. After all,where else will you see a family having an animated conversation about 'kacchas'".
Box office.
India.
"Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" nett grossed on the first day in India. By Tuesday the box office collection increased to about . The run ended with and the film was declared a hit in the box office.
Overseas.
"Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" grossed around $226,000 overseas in 1st weekend.


Round Trip to Mars

Round Trip to Mars is the 80th animated cartoon short subject in the "Woody Woodpecker" series. Released theatrically on September 23, 1957, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.
Plot.
Woody Woodpecker is peacefully relaxing when he is disturbed by Professor Dingledog jamming his rocket. Woody then tricks Dingledog into thinking Earth is Mars. Finally after being tormented by Woody many times, Dingledog begins to cry. Woody states that he can't stand to see him weep and leads him to his rocket ship. The rocket ship turns out to be on a merry-go-round.


Penguin Island (TV series)

Penguin Island is an Australian natural history television documentary series about the little penguin.
The series premiered on 30 June 2010 on BBC TV. In Australia the show airs on ABC TV. The executive producer and series producer is Sally Ingleton and the series director is Simon Target and the director of photography is David Parer. Penguin Island was produced by 360 Degree Films, ABC Documentary, Film Victoria, BBC Television and Arte France. The series comprises six half-hour episodes and was filmed over a year and a half from commencing spring 2007.
Penguin Island uses the latest underwater satellite tracking and Big Brother-style video surveillance to tell the story of several penguin families who live in a colony where relationships are fraught and survival is tenuous.
Over six 30-minute episodes, Penguin Island follows the penguins as a dedicated team of rangers and scientists monitor and protect them through the breeding season.
Filmed over a year by some of Australia's best documentary filmmakers, Penguin Island offers a rewarding insight into the lives of the stars of Phillip Island's internationally renowned Penguin Parade.
Penguin Island first screened in Australia on 30 September 2010.


Maneater (2009 film)

Maneater is a 2009 direct-to-video natural horror film directed by Michael Emanuel and starring Dean Cain, Lacy Phillips, Stephen Lunsford, Christopher Darga, Nicole Moore, Allison Kyler, Conrad Janis, Robert R. Shafer, Shea Curry and Bobby Ray Shafer.
Plot.
A former FBI profiler, now a sheriff of a small town and single parent of a high school-aged daughter, begins to profile a series of unexplained murders only to find out that the monster he's profiling may be himself.
Production.
Dean Cain narrated the film at 2009 Shriekfest Film Festival, which ran from 1 October between 4th, 2009 in Los Angeles.


Juke-Bar

Juke-Bar is a 1989 stop motion musical animated short about cockroaches who party inside a jukebox. The film is directed by Martin Barry and produced in Montreal by the National Film Board of Canada. "Juke-Bar" received the Genie Award for Best Animated Short at the 11th Genie Awards, along with the Special Jury Award and Public's Award at the Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films, the Silver Hugo in the Animation category at the Chicago International Film Festival and the best short film awards at the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski and Montreal World Film Festival.


Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 theatrical film)

Journey to the Center of the Earth (also promoted as Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D or Journey 3D) is a 2008 American 3D science fantasy action-adventure film directed by Eric Brevig and starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem and Seth Meyers. Produced by New Line Cinema, it is an adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 novel (which had previously been adapted multiple times, most notably in the 1959 film of the same name), and was released in 3D theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 11, 2008.
The film also introduced the 4DX movie format, featuring "4D" motion effects in a specially designed cinema in Seoul, South Korea, using tilting seats to convey motion, wind, sprays of water and sharp air, probe lights to mimic lightning, fog, scents, and other theatrical special effects.
The film received mixed reviews from critics and earned $244.2 million against a $60 million budget.
Plot.
Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is a Bostonian volcanologist whose nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. Trevor has forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from Sean's mother. When Sean's mother drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared years before. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father, whom he never really had a chance to know. In the box, Trevor discovers the novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by his late brother. Trevor goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There he realizes that he must go to Iceland to investigate for himself.
He intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at Sean's protest and brings Sean to Iceland with him. They start by looking for another volcanologist. When they get to that scientist's institution, they meet his daughter Hannah (Anita Briem), who informs them he is dead. She also tells them that both her father and Max believed that Jules Verne's books were factual accounts. However she offers to help them climb up to the instrument that has suddenly started sending data again. While hiking the mountain a lightning storm forces the three into a cave. The cave entrance collapses, trapping them, so they have no alternative but to go deeper in the cave, which turns out to be an abandoned mine.
Trevor, Sean, and Hannah investigate farther into the mine until they fall into a deep pit, taking them to the "Center of the Earth". They all continue until they discover a cave dwelling that Max lived in. Trevor and Sean find Max's old journal. Hannah and Trevor discover Max's dead body and bury him. Trevor reads a message from Max's journal that was written on Sean's 3rd birthday (8-14-97). Trevor continues to read Max's journal until he realizes from his notes that they must quickly leave, as the temperature is steadily rising.
Trevor figures that they must find a geyser that can send them to the surface. They must do this in 48 hours or all of the water to create the geyser will be gone. They also figure that they must get out before the temperature rises past 135 degrees. They begin by crossing the underground ocean, and then the two adults become separated from Sean. Sean's guide is now a little bird who has been present since the trio entered the Center, and it takes him towards the river. However, he encounters a Giganotosaurus and Trevor - who desperately is searching for him - saves him. When they arrive at the geyser it is all dried up. All of the water is on the other side of a wall.
Trevor uses a flare to ignite the magnesium in the wall and causes a geyser to shoot them through Mount Vesuvius in Italy. When they destroy the home of an Italian man, Sean gives him a diamond that he had found earlier. Trevor sees that he has many more in his backpack, and he uses them to fund his brother's laboratory. Throughout the adventure, Hannah and Trevor gradually become so attached to each other that they kiss. On the final day of Sean's visit with Trevor (and now Hannah), and he is leaving their new home, which was purchased with some of the diamonds Sean took from the cave, and Trevor handing Sean a book titled "Atlantis", suggesting they could maybe hang out at Sean's during Christmas break.
Production.
Development and filming.
On September 2001, Walden Media announced that Eric Brevig was hired and set to direct "Journey to the Center of the Earth" based on the book of the same name by Jules Verne. Michael D. Weiss, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett wrote the script for the film. Beau Flynn and Charlotte Huggins produced the film with the budget of $60 million for release in 2008. In 2003, Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, Josh Hutcherson, Seth Meyers, Jean-Michel Paré, Jane Wheeler, Giancarlo Caltabiano and Garth Gilker joined the film. Andrew Lockington composed the music for the film. The development and filming of the film was completed in Canada and Iceland in March 2006, followed by principal photography and production which began on April 20. In January 2007, New Line Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film. The film transposes the novel into the present day and is mostly live action, with only the landscape and creatures supplied by computer-generated graphics. The film is projected using Real D Cinema and Dolby 3D.
Josh Hutcherson's character, Sean, is named after the professor and conservation biologist Dr. Sean Anderson.
Release.
Marketing.
The first trailer was shown before screenings of "Meet the Robinsons", the re-release of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the release of "Beowulf", with the "", and during the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. Warner Bros. marketed the film like a theme park attraction. However, the studio had to slightly tweak the campaign (including dropping "3D" from the title) when it became clear that the film would be shown in 3-D in far fewer theaters than anticipated.
Theme parks.
In May 2009, the film premiered as "Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D" at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. It also opened in the motion simulator at Dollywood under the same name on June 12 the same year. It also featured the new 4D Cinema at the Weston Super-Mare Grand Pier in the U.K and was shown in Movieworld on the Gold Coast.
Home media.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 28, 2008, in standard 2D format as well as a magenta / green anaglyph. It opened at #2 at the DVD sales chart, selling 843,224 units in the 1st week which translates to $13,238,617 in revenue. As per the latest figures, 1,642,994 DVD units have been sold, bringing in $25,346,260 in revenue. This doesn't include Blu-ray Disc sales / DVD rentals. The 2008 2-disc BD edition of the movie doesn't conform to the – only later established – 3D Blu-ray specifications, which means that this version doesn't take advantage of any dedicated 3D HDTVs, although it can be watched on 3D HDTVs, as well as on any other TV in anaglyph 3D, by using red-cyan paper glasses (four pairs are included). A 3D Blu-ray version was released on January 17, 2012.
Reception.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 61% based on 158 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Modern visuals and an old fashioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride". Metacritic gave the film a 57 out of 100, based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A-" on scale of A to F.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 stars out of 4, and wrote: "This is a fairly bad movie, and yet at the same time maybe about as good as it could be. There may not be an 8-year-old alive who would not love it." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it 2.5 out of 4, but warned "Remove a star from the rating if you take this Journey without wearing 3-D glasses. That’s where the real fun comes in." Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B- and said "Journey is just the new version of a 1950s comin'-at-ya roller coaster, with a tape measure, trilobite antennae, and giant snapping piranha thrust at the audience."
Box office.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" grossed $101.7 million in the US and $142.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $242 million.
The film opened at #3 in North America, behind "" and "Hancock". The film grossed $21,018,141 in 2,811 theaters in its first week of release with an average of $7,477. 57 percent of the opening gross was taken from theaters which showed the film in 3-D. In second weekend it dropped to $12,340,435 and in third to $9,717,217.
Sequel.
In March 2009, Walden Media announced a sequel to "Journey to the Center of the Earth", "", with Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Luis Guzman, and Vanessa Hudgens. Fraser and Briem's characters did not return, and Jane Wheeler was replaced by Kristin Davis. "Journey 2" was filmed between November 2010 and February 2011 and was released in February 2012. Like the first film, the sequel was shot in 3D, and the script is loosely based on a Verne novel – this time "The Mysterious Island".
"Journey to the Center of the Earth: 4-D Adventure".
"Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure" is a 15-minute 4D film shown at various 4D theatres all over the world. It retells the condensed story of the film with the help of 3D projection and sensory effects, including moving seats, wind, mist and scents. Produced by SimEx-Iwerks, the 4D experience premiered in 2009. Locations included Warner Bros. Movie World (2010–2012), Dollywood (2009–2012), Enchanted Kingdom (2009–), Stone Mountain, and Rainbows End.


Planet of Dinosaurs

Planet of Dinosaurs is a 1977 science fiction film. Set in an unspecified future, the film follows the journey of Captain Lee and his crew after they crash land on a planet with similar life conditions as Earth, but millions of years behind in time. Encountering a wide variety of dangerous dinosaurs, the crew decides that its best chance for survival lies on finding higher ground and setting up a defensive perimeter on a higher plateau for refuge to wait for when (or if) their rescuers arrive. They soon encounter a deadly "Tyrannosaurus" and must figure out a way to defeat the creature and survive on the planet.
The film's director, James K. Shea, instructed most of the budget to be spent on the special effects for the film, which included an array of award-winning stop motion dinosaurs, leaving little money for props or even to pay the main actors. James Whitworth and Max Thayer had the most film experience of the actors. Modern reviews have generally been negative, although there is agreement that the stop motion dinosaurs were the most notable and enjoyable aspect of the film.
Plot.
After a mechanical failure aboard the spaceship "Odyssey", Captain Lee Norsythe (Louie Lawless) is forced to crash land on a planet with atmosphere and conditions much like that of Earth, although it is many light-years away. As the ship sinks into the lake that it landed in, communications officer Cindy (Mary Appleseth) realizes that she forgot the radio in the ship and attempts to retrieve it, with the assistance of fellow crew-member Chuck (Chuck Pennington). En route, Cindy is attacked and killed by an unidentified aquatic creature, prompting Chuck to return to shore without the radio.
Realizing that they are stranded, the remaining eight people aboard the ship decide that survival is their primary goal and begin to explore the planet that they have landed on. Derna Lee (Derna Wylde) slips while going through a swamp, dropping the laser gun that Mike (Max Thayer) had given her in the water and rendering the gun unusable. They eventually come across a "Brontosaurus", which leads them to deduce that the planet is following a similar evolutionary track as the one on Earth, but is millions of years younger. Later, Charlotte (Charlotte Speer) determines that the plant life, especially the berries, is poisonous. After another dinosaur encounter, Lee decides that the best option is to climb up the mountains and reach a higher plateau, where he believes the large creatures will be unable to reach them.
During the ascent, Nyla (Pamela Bottaro) slips and loses the entire supply of food rations, which Lee refuses to retrieve. Near a cave higher up in the mountains, Vice-President of Spaceways Incorporated Harvey Baylor (Harvey Shain) discovers a nest full of eggs. After stealing an egg, Harvey is attacked and killed by a "Centrosaurus". Soon after, much to ship engineer Jim's (James Whitworth) dismay, Lee decides to halt the expedition and settle at what he considers to be a defensible area. Lee expects to hold out until they are rescued, but Jim believes them to be trapped forever on the planet, and advises that they begin a new civilization. Lee triumphs and the remaining crew begin to build a defensive stockade around a cave. After several more encounters, a large "Tyrannosaurus" arrives and kills Derna, demolishing the stockade in the process.
The crew finally agrees with Jim that the best way to survive is to kill the predator. Their first plan, devised by Lee, is to attempt to poison the dinosaur by smearing poison from the berries on a dead "Polacanthus" and leave it outside of the "Tyrannosaurus" lair. The plan backfires when the beast attacks from behind, killing Mike. Jim's plan is to set up large, wooden stakes and coat them in the poison, then lure the predator into them to be impaled. After some initial troubles the plan works, killing the "Tyrannosaurus". Years pass and the survivors have set up an agricultural settlement. Chuck and Charlotte now have a son named Mikey. Charlotte wonders aloud if they will ever be rescued, to which Nyla comments that it does not seem important anymore.
Production.
Most of "Planet of Dinosaurs" budget went towards the special effects, particularly the stop motion dinosaurs. Included among the dinosaurs was a model that paid homage to Ray Harryhausen's "Rhedosaurus" from "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms". Since most of the budget had been spent creating the stop motion effects, all of the actors had to sign partial deferments for their contracts and at least one actress (Derna Wylde) claims that she never received the balance of what was owed to her. In addition, the low budget was reflected in many of the props. The "fermented berry juice" used in the film was grape Kool-Aid, but it tasted "like liquid cardboard." Filming took place in the Vasquez Rocks area of California's desert, in an area previously used to film several episodes of "".
"Planet of Dinosaurs" did not have a theatrical release. The film is registered as copyright to Deathbeast Productions in the United States Copyright Office database. Works published after 1978 do not need a copyright notice displayed to be considered copyrighted, so long as there is a registration in the Copyright Office database.
Reception.
The film won the 1980 Saturn Award, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, in the "Best Film Produced for Under $1,000,000" category, taking specific note of its stop motion effects. The film was first released on DVD in 2001 and again by Retromedia Entertainment on September 25, 2007 as a "30th Anniversary Edition" in widescreen format that was initially mislabeled as the "20th Anniversary Edition". The latter contains bonus features, while the former does not.
Reviews of the film were negative, with a particular focus on the acting, dialogue, and overall aesthetic, although the stop motion dinosaurs were generally praised. When the film was released with a RiffTrax audio commentary in 2010, Steven Biodrowski of "Cinefantastique" reviewed the movie and called it "pure 1970s camp", but claimed that the dinosaurs "are fun to watch in a nostalgic kind of way". Both Allmovie and TV Guide gave it 2 stars out of 5. The film maintains a rating of 4.2 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database as of October 2017.


I Taw a Putty Tat

I Taw a Putty Tat is a 1948 Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.
The short was released on April 2, 1948, and stars Tweety and Sylvester.
Both Tweety and Sylvester are voiced by Mel Blanc. The uncredited voice of the lady of the house (seen only from the neck down, as she talks on the phone) is Bea Benaderet.
This is the first film whose title included Tweety's speech-impaired term for a cat.
Plot.
Sylvester awaits the arrival of a new canary after the previous house bird has mysteriously disappeared (one of several such disappearances, according to stencils the cat keeps on a wall hidden by a curtain, confirmed by his "hiccup" of some yellow feathers). Upon the arrival of the bird, Sylvester pretends to play nice in order to abuse and eventually make a meal of the naive canary.
A series of violent visual gags ensues in which Tweety physically subdues the threatening cat by smoking him up, hitting him on the foot with a mallet, feeding him some alum and using his uvula as a punching bag.
A couple of racial or ethnic gags are included. Sylvester imitates a Scandinavian-sounding maid, who feigns complaining about having to "clean out de bird cage." He reaches into the covered cage and grabs what he thinks is the bird. The canary whistles at him. The confused cat opens his fist to find a small bomb, which promptly explodes, covering the cat in "blackface" makeup. His voice pattern then changes to something sounding like "Rochester", when he utters, "Uh-oh, back to the kitchen, ah smell somethin' burnin'!" just before passing out in the doorway. (This gag is often edited out for television broadcasts.)
A more subtle gag occurs when Tweety, inside the cat's mouth, yells down its gullet. The answer comes back, "There's nobody here but us mice!", which is a reference to the Louis Jordan hit "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" (1946).
At the climax, Tweety has managed to trap Sylvester inside the birdcage, and has introduced a "wittle puddy dog" (rhymes with "puppy dog"; a not-so-little "pug dog", an angry bulldog - in his first appearance). Their deadly battle occurs under the wrap the bird has thrown over the cage.
The film ends with the lady of the house calling the pet shop again, this time ordering a new cat, while Tweety lounges in Sylvester's old bed. Overhearing the woman telling the pet shop that the cat will have a nice home here, Tweety reveals the silhouette of a cat now stencilled on the wall, and closes the cartoon with a comment to the camera, "Her don't know me very well, do her?" a variant on one of Red Skelton's catchphrases by his "Mean Widdle Kid" character from radio.
History.
This cartoon is a color remake of a black and white short film titled "Puss n' Booty" (1943) which was directed by Frank Tashlin and written by Warren Foster (who would later be the main writer for most Tweety/Sylvester cartoons in the 1950s, such as "Tweety's S.O.S.", "Snow Business" and the Oscar-winning "Birds Anonymous"). In this previous version, a generic cat and canary team called Rudolph and Petey were used but the plot along with some gags and story elements were re-used. "Puss N' Booty" was notable as it was the final black and white cartoon ever released by WB.
After winning the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 1947 for "Tweetie Pie", a film which combined for the first time two of the studio's latest animated stars, Tweety Bird and Sylvester, there was a demand for more short films using the characters. Freleng himself said he could not imagine Tweety working with any other partners than Sylvester (in contrast, Sylvester still had his fair share of cartoons without Tweety and later Speedy Gonzales).
"I Taw a Putty Tat" was Freleng's second film teaming the characters and was released less than a year after "Tweetie Pie". It is noticeable that while this cartoon was directed by Friz Freleng, the Tweety we see in it is by far closer to the aggressive little bird used in his first few cartoons directed by Bob Clampett than the more subdued and naive character he would become a few years later as the series progressed.
The short is also the first time in a Sylvester/Tweety short where Sylvester speaks.
Production.
Bea Benaderet provided the voice of the housemistress but she did not get credit as with most voice actors at the studio, Mel Blanc being the exception. Amongst the musical quotations in the Carl Stalling film score (with or without lyrics accompanying them) are extracts from "Singin' in the Bathtub", "She Was an Acrobat's Daughter" and "Ain't We Got Fun".
The animators for the cartoon were Ken Champin, Gerry Chiniquy, Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross, and an uncredited Pete Burness. Paul Julian was the background artist, while Hawley Pratt was the layout artist.


Endangered Species (TV series)

Endangered Species is an animated series produced by Nerd Corps Entertainment and distributed internationally by DHX Media. The series premiered March 3, 2015 on Teletoon, In the UK, it airs on CBBC, where it premiered on July 13, 2015.
Production.
The original idea for the series was conceived in 2010 and was centered more heavily around themes of environmentalism than the finished product. Among some other differences was the fact that the character Merl was not present in the original draft, and the names and appearances of the other two main characters were different from the final version.


Bokays and Brickbatz

Bokays and Brickbatz is a 1925 silent short animated film featuring Krazy Kat. It is among the few films of the character to be directed by Bill Nolan who earlier worked on Felix the Cat films. The title is a play on the phrase "bouquets and brickbats" which is used as a section in some newspapers.
Plot.
Krazy wants to take a shower. However, he is being disturbed by a pesky rat. When Krazy chases the rat to the outside of the house, the rodent manages to tie a string around his tail. The rat hangs Krazy on a tree branch by his tail. After Krazy cries so much, the rat shows mock sympathy by cutting the string, causing the cat to drop. Krazy retaliates as he pounds and throws the rat onto a wall. The rat speaks and vows retribution.
The rat enters a hole in the wall he was thrown on. Inside, there's a pack of other rats whom he negotiates with. Shortly, the other rats agreed as they march out of the hole and towards Krazy's house.
Krazy is still in the bathroom of his house, trying to work on the piping system. The rats gather outside the house, armed with pistols. When one of the rats lands a shot, Krazy, who is also armed with pistols, leaps out a window and goes into a chase.
After gunning down a few during the run, Krazy chases the rats to a mountain. The rats, who are on top, begin rolling down boulders. Krazy, however, is able to dodge the rocks, and even manages to throw one back. Krazy then finds a skunk around which he momentarily hurls towards the rats. The rats are quite afraid of the skunk as they jump into a lake.
Krazy is back at home, resuming to shower. As he turns on a valve, regular water come out at first. But a few a seconds later, rats also rain down, much to his surprise.


The Basil Brush Show

The Basil Brush Show is a British children's television sitcom series, starring the glove puppet fox Basil Brush. It was produced for six series by The Foundation, airing on CBBC from 27 September 2002 to 25 December 2007. The show is a spin-off from the original 1960s–1970s BBC television series, but without any of the original cast.
Overview.
The series is set in a colourful modern penthouse flat, which is jointly owned by Basil and his sidekick, Stephen (Christopher Pizzey). Living with them are Stephen's niece and nephew, Molly (Georgina Leonidas), and Dave (Michael Hayes). They are left under the care of Stephen so that Molly & Dave's parents can go on a round the world trip.
Other characters include Anil (Ajay Chabra), the owner of a greasy-spoon café under the name of 'Anil's', where the main characters would frequently be seen dining. Ella (Tisha Martin) is Basil & Stephen's neighbour who loves to sing. She is later replaced by Maddison (Laura Evans), an American fashion designer. Basil Soper also appeared in several episodes, playing a different character every time.
Notably, the series takes a "laissez-faire" attitude towards the show's atmosphere, and the fourth wall is frequently broken; characters often reference the fact that they are on a studio set, and several episodes feature scenes and segments where the show's cameramen and crew become involved in the storyline.
As the show was re-vamped in later years, two other characters were introduced. Liam (Michael Byers) replaces Stephen as Basil's new sidekick, with Lucy (Janine Vieira - Series 5 & Madeline Castrey - Series 6) debuting as Anil's niece.
Key characters.
Basil Brush.
Basil Brush is a red fox, rendered as both a glove puppet and an animated character.
Stephen.
Stephen is the uncle to Dave and Molly, and is left in charge of them when their parents go on a round-the-world tour. He was on the show from 2002–06. He is often the main subject of Basil's or another character's jokes, much to his annoyance. He was also not very clever as he did not seem to know a very simple sum (as established in the episode "Bing Trouble", when Molly told him that 2 + 2 = 4 to which he said "Does it?"). He was played by Christopher Pizzey and left at the end of series 4. He appeared briefly in series 5 when Basil mentioned that he has been snapped up by Hollywood. But this later reveals he is working at a Hollywood burger van. His cousin Liam arrives shortly after to take his place. He is usually referred to by Basil as "Mr. Stephen".
Liam.
Liam is a distant cousin of Stephen's and replaces him as Basil's sidekick. He took the place of Stephen in the fifth series of the show and was part of the show from 2006–07. Liam is just trying to get a hand of these exciting things which are yet to happen to him but all of it is a mystery. While Liam is still dumb in some aspects, he is quite a smart person; several episodes revolve around some of his near-impossible inventions like a time machine and a shrink ray; he is also good at chemistry. A recurring joke is he will make mention to some odd or absurd night class he has been to, with the line "I knew those (whatever is relevant to the story) night classes would come in handy." In the episode "Ballroom Basil", it is stated that his surname is O'Dingleberry. He is played by Michael Byers.
Dave.
Dave is one of the original characters that features in the old comeback. He is fourteen years old. He is regularly shown to have a flair for business, and has, throughout the course of the series, set up a media empire which was later destroyed by Basil and Stephen in the episode meeja mougul, imported stolen goods and even started his own TV show; he is usually addressed as a 14-year-old multi-billionaire entrepreneur. He is portrayed by Michael Hayes.
Molly.
Molly is Dave's older sister and Stephen's niece. She is 16 years old portrayed as the sensible character, trying to reason with the characters whenever they make a bad decision and can sometimes be very violent. Molly is one of the most popular characters on the show. She is very clever and very witty. From Series 5, Molly appears in only a few episodes as a recurring character, with Lucy partially replacing her character-type. Molly only appears in two episodes in the final season, in "Ballroom Basil" where she says she is going to get some milk and she may be gone for some time, and in Basil Christmas Dinners where she returns and explains there was a worldwide milk shortage and she had to go all the way to Timbuktu which is why she was so long. She is portrayed by Georgina Leonidas.
Madison.
An American who was introduced as 'Madison Square-Gardens', Madison is a fashion student living in the flat upstairs. She was on the show from 2004–07. The character of Madison is played by Laura Evans, a singer/songwriter from Aberdare in South Wales. Her initial designs were thrown out by Basil, having mistaken them for rubbish. Madison is Stephen's third love interest in the show. She pronounces Basil's name in the southern US way, as "Bay-zull". When things start going wrong, she often protests that the only reason she is still in the UK is because she has lost her passport. Her name comes from Madison Square Garden.
Anil.
Appearing in every series of the show, Anil is the owner of Basil's local hangout, Anil's Caff. Like Mr Stephen, he is shown to have a less than average intelligence, and a running joke through the series is the terrible quality of his food. It is revealed that he is sexist in "Bend it like Basil". He is played by Ajay Chabra. In the episode "Camping" it is revealed that Anil wears a wig, has a glass eye, false teeth and a prosthetic wooden leg.
Lucy.
Lucy is Anil's niece and currently lives in Basil's flat. Lucy was Anil's "slave" but was "rescued" by Madison. She can be quite stubborn at times but loves hanging out in the flat with Basil and the rest of the gang. She hates cousin Mortimer's pranks and Dave's cons. Lucy replaces Molly after she left the show after series 4, and aired on the show from 2006–07. The character of Lucy is played by Janine Vieira in Season 5 and Madeline Castrey in Season 6.
Ella.
Ella is Stephen's second love interest, only appearing in the second series (2003). She is also good friends with Molly. It is revealed that she is a football prodigy in "Bend it like Basil". She is played by Tisha Martin.
Semi-regular and recurring characters.
The Voice-over Man.
The Voice Over Man was an unseen character who often voiced over at times when he annoys the gang but occasionally he undid some mistakes that Basil and his friends made. He was part of the regular cast from 2002–05, quietly retiring from the show after Series 4. He was credited as Basil Soper.
Mortimer Brush.
Mortimer is Basil's cousin and recurring antagonist.
In the first series finale, he arrived and pretended to be kind and helpful to the local people but secretly he was stealing things and getting Basil into trouble. In the second series, he was released from prison and he was still causing havoc. His catchphrase is "Bang! Bang!", followed by the sound of two projectile ricochets.
In the third series he and Basil had to get along for 24 hours without fighting and arguing but they over-wound the wind-up clock and they fought one minute too early . He also appeared at Basil's wedding when he was marrying evil Kelly Foxwell but in the end, Kelly liked Mortimer more than Basil. He returned in the Christmas special. He appeared in the fourth series in prison. He is voiced by Don Austen.
He appeared in the 2005 and 2006 Christmas specials.
In the first series finale, his full name is revealed to be Mortimer Trouble Brush.
Bingo Brush.
Basil's playful and hyperactive nephew fox cub. Often says "Bing bing!". Bingo has a twin brother called Bungo whom Basil says is "much, much worse", who only appeared at the end of Bingo's first story. Bingo appeared on the show multiple occasions, starting from 2003. Bingo is voiced by Don Austen.
Roxy.
Roxy is Basil's girlfriend, but unlike the other foxes in the show she is an Arctic fox. She has only been seen in four episodes of the fifth series (2006), including the 2006 Christmas Special. She pronounces Basil's name as Ba-Zeal.
Mr Rossiter.
Mr Rossiter is the landlord who own the flats the main characters live in. He is named after Leonard Rossiter, who famously played the landlord Rupert Rigby in the sitcom Rising Damp. He is played by Milton Johns.
India.
India is a waitress who works at Anil's Cafe (Basil's local hangout). She is a terrible cook like her boss but has a beautiful singing voice, as shown to perform songs occasionally throughout the series. India was only mentioned for a brief portion of the final season (2007). She is played by India de Beaufort.
Amanda.
Amanda first appeared in the first episode in Season 1. She is a restaurant critic and Stephen's first love interest. In the series 1 finale, Amanda sides with Mortimer when he takes over the show and turning it into a seedy backdrop. She dresses up as a club harlot and breaks the fourth wall, claiming she "can't afford to be out of work". When Stephen orders her to "get those cloths off!", she indignently leaves and is never seen again. She is played by Jodie Scott.
Spin-offs.
"Basil's Swap Shop/Basil's Game Show".
Basil's Swap Shop is a remake of the cult-classic children's Saturday morning show, "Multicoloured Swap Shop". The show was presented by Basil Brush and Barney Harwood and was produced for three series by the Foundation (the same production company that produced the Basil Brush Show) and aired live from 5 January 2008 to 25 September 2010 on BBC Two and the CBBC Channel. "Basil's Game Show" was the cut-down version of the show that featured just the games, as well as some of the comedy segments.


Fidra Books

Fidra Books is a publisher based in Edinburgh. It specialises in reissuing bygone children's books, mainly those from the 1940s onwards.
Foundation and range.
Fidra was set up in 2005 by Malcolm and Vanessa Robertson, who also opened Edinburgh's one dedicated Children's Bookshop in November 2007, and in 2010 a general bookshop in the same street.
The firm's first publication was Margot Pardoe's "The Far Island", which originally appeared in 1936. Its other output includes pony books by authors such as K.M. Peyton and Josephine Pullein-Thompson and titles in classic genres such as adventure and school stories.
Fidra Books' other authors have included Olivia FitzRoy, Anne Digby, Victoria Walker, Primrose Cumming, Elinor Lyon, Mabel Esther Allan, and Ruby Ferguson.


Ignatz Mouse


Animal Practice

Animal Practice is an American sitcom television series which aired on NBC from August 12 to October 24, 2012, on the network's Fall 2012 television schedule. The series premiered after the end of the 2012 Olympic games (which the network was showing) and was produced by Universal Television and American Work. The series starred Justin Kirk and is set at a veterinary office.
The series was canceled on October 18, 2012, due to low ratings, and the series was replaced by "Whitney" on November 14, 2012. A total of nine episodes were produced, and the three unaired episodes were released on NBC.com and Hulu on November 20, 2012.
Development and production.
The show was originally known as "Animal Kingdom" when it was in development. The network placed a series order in May 2012.
Amy Huberman played the role of "Dorothy Crane" in the original pilot; however, the role was recast with Joanna García.
Crystal the Monkey's character was originally known as "Dr. Zaius" but the rights to the name could not be obtained. At the time of production, Crystal was known for her appearances in a number of motion pictures, most notably the "Night at the Museum" series.
Marco Pennette replaced Gail Lerner as showrunner after the third episode had been shot.
Promotion.
While promoting the show to ad buyers, NBC told them that "Crystal" the capuchin had had "powerful reception among test audiences", and "is perhaps the best-known element about the new show—and, maybe, NBC's entire fall season."
NBC ran a sneak preview of the series on August 12, 2012, as a lead-out for the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics; controversially, the already tape-delayed and abridged broadcast was interrupted to air the pilot, causing the finale (which featured a performance by The Who) to be preempted after late local newscasts.
Reception.
According to Metacritic, the show has received a score of 48/100 and mixed critical reviews. Drusilla Moorhouse, of entertainment news website Zap2It, wrote that "It's too cringe-worthy for overempathizing animal lovers, but general audiences might tune in for a lighthearted, escapist laugh." While Moorhouse's review was more positive, Robert Bianco of "USA Today" gave a negative review, stating "The shame is that "Practice" has a fine human cast...but Kirk and his cohorts quickly get taken down by the barrage of stupidity the show sends their way."
International broadcasts.
In the UK, "Animal Practice" aired on ITV2 beginning February 11, 2013.


Mossflower

Mossflower is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1988. It is the second book published and third chronologically in the "Redwall" series.
Plot summary.
The story begins in the Mossflower Wood, where a community of animals suffers under the tyranny of a ruling wildcat named Verdauga Greeneyes. When a mouse from the north, Martin the Warrior, comes to Mossflower Woods, he is captured and brought to the castle Kotir, where his sword is broken by Verdauga's daughter, Tsarmina, and he is imprisoned within the Kotir dungeons. Meanwhile, Tsarmina poisons Verdauga with the help of the vixen Fortunata and blames it on her brother Gingivere. She places her brother in prison and takes the throne for herself.
While in the dungeons, Martin eventually meets Gonff the Mousethief, who was imprisoned for stealing food from the Kotir storages. Meanwhile, Abbess Germaine and the surviving members of Loamhedge, an abbey stricken with a plague, arrive and join the woodlanders. Martin and Gonff escape with help from the Corim (Council Of Resistance In Mossflower) and join with Young Dinny the mole on a quest to find Boar the Fighter, Badger Lord of Salamandastron. Bella, Boar's daughter, believed only her father could defeat Tsarmina and put an end to her cruel reign.
The crew sets out on the quest to find Boar. They are pursued by Splitnose the stoat, Blacktooth the ferret, and their leader, Scratch the weasel. The trio eventually dies- Scratch by a swan, and Splitnose and Blacktooth in a duel. The crew eventually comes to a river with a ferry, where they meet a snake and a newt who threaten to kill the travellers. A shrew emerges and scares away the duo into the river, and introduces himself as Log-a-log Big Club, a former village leader, escaped oar slave and current ferryman. He joins the group on its quest. They sail on his boat, "Waterwing" to the mountains. The ship is broken in a waterfall. When Martin comes to, he is in a huge mountain ruled by bats, called Bat Mountpit. After Martin, Dinny and Log-a-log help scare away the tawny owl that nests on the rooftop, they leave. They get ambushed by toads, and get thrown into the "Screamhole", where they reunite with Gonff. They meet the Snakefish, the massive eel who is trapped in the hole, and formulate a plan to escape. They eventually escape with the help of the Snakefish, who wreakes havoc among the toads. The group reaches the beach. They trek through the sand, attacked by birds. Deprived from food and water, they witness gulls kill a rat. They stay at the rat's hut, and continue the next day, with Salamandastron very near. The companions reach Salamandastron with the help of a few hares, and meet with Boar the Fighter. Boar introduces them to the hares that live in the mountain, and then reforges Martin's broken sword with metal from a meteorite, but is killed while fighting his mortal enemy Ripfang the searat who had attacked Salamandastron several times before. Ripfang's former oarslaves and several members of Log a Log's former tribe take over the sea rat ship, "Bloodwake", with help from Martin and his allies. They return to Mossflower Woods, where Martin kills Tsarmina and destroys Kotir by both flooding it and knocking over its walls with a ballista. In the final battle with Tsarmina, Martin is left near death. With the help of the woodlanders, he eventually recovers, but his memory is never the same thereafter, as evidenced in "The Legend of Luke."
The book ends with Bella's son, Sunflash, finding Salamandastron and becoming its ruler.
Reception.
Publishers Weekly described the book as "rousingly old-fashioned", and stated that fans of Redwall would enjoy it. "Kirkus Reviews" praised Jacques' ability to skillfully switch between multiple plot strands and characters without confusion, as well as his well-individualized characters. However, they also commented on the simplicity of the book's philosophy.


Max and the Cats

Max and the Cats is a 1981 novella by Brazilian writer and physician Moacyr Scliar. It was first published in Portuguese, then published in English in 1990. It tells the story of Max Schmidt, born in Berlin in 1912, who comes of age just before the Nazis take power. After offending them by having an affair with a married woman, Max is forced to flee the country. He ends up on a ship bound for Brazil that sinks as part of an insurance scam and finds himself trapped in a dinghy with a jaguar—one of a number of zoo animals caged in the hold—but after being rescued and making a life for himself in Brazil continues to find his German past impossible to escape.
The novel came to widespread public attention in 2002 when Canadian writer Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize for "Life of Pi". Martel's novel is about a boy, Pi, who finds himself trapped on a boat with a tiger after the ship he and his family are sailing on sinks. The family were zookeepers, and the animals they were transporting in the hold sink with the rest of the ship, except for a tiger and some others who make it onto the lifeboat with Pi. In "Life of Pi"'s acknowledgments, Martel thanked Scliar for "the spark of life," but later said he had not read Scliar's novel, only a review of it.
Plot.
Max is forced to leave Nazi Germany after he and his friend, Harald, have an affair with Frida, whose husband denounces them to the secret police for inappropriate behaviour. He flees the country on the "Germania", a ship bound for Santos, Brazil, with zoo animals in the hold and very few passengers, but the captain is involved in an insurance scam, and the ship is deliberately sunk. Max finds a dinghy on board with some provisions, and manages to lower it into the sea. The next day the sun is beating down on him, and he fears for his life without cover. He reaches out for a large closed box that has fallen from the ship next to him, hoping he can use it for shelter, but when he opens the padlock, something jumps out of the box and into the dinghy, knocking him unconscious. When he opens his eyes, "[t]he howl that he let out resounded in the air." Sitting on the bench in front of him is a jaguar.
Max and the jaguar are stranded on the dinghy together for days, with only some basic provisions stored in the dinghy for emergencies. Max decides to start fishing to make sure the jaguar is not hungry, and briefly wonders whether he could train him. A shark approaches at one point, but the jaguar bats it away, saving them both; Max is so grateful that he hugs the animal, then pulls himself away in horror. At the very moment Max decides he cannot stand being alone with the jaguar anymore—after watching him tear a seagull apart—the jaguar appears to have a similar thought, and they both lunge at each other, colliding in midair. Max loses consciousness, and when he opens his eyes finds he has been rescued by a Brazilian ship. He asks about the jaguar, but the sailors assume he is delirious.


The Mighty Jungle (Canadian TV series)

The Mighty Jungle is a Canadian puppet series created by Jeff Rosen and Jason Hopley. The narrative of the story is largely crafted by a group of preschoolers who appear in live-action segments interspersed between puppet-acted scenes. It is co-produced by Halifax Film and Decode Entertainment, both DHX Media Companies, and produced in association with CBC Television. The series is broadcast in Canada on CBC Television, a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national English-language public broadcaster, in the Kids' CBC programming block, and in the United States on Sprout.
Plot.
Babu, along with his friends Bruce and Rhonda, explore many of the same issues that very young children face, such as wanting to win, feeling silly, or not knowing how much is "too much" of a good thing. As the story illustrating the day's theme is played out, the narrative occasionally pauses so that the live-action preschoolers can suggest a course of action for the puppet characters to take, and often the puppets will react to the advice they receive.
Episodes.
=Season 1=
=Season 2=


Barnacle Boy


Fish Hooks

Fish Hooks is an American animated television series created by Noah Z. Jones that originally aired on Disney Channel from September 3, 2010 to April 4, 2014. Twenty-one episodes were ordered for the first season. The first season premiered on September 24, 2010.
On September 23, 2013, Mr. Warburton announced that the third season would be the last, as they had finished the final episode.
Plot.
The series revolves around a fun-personified fish named Milo, his nervous brother Oscar, and their "overly dramatic" best friend Bea Goldfishberg, with whom Oscar is infatuated. They attend a school known as Fresh Water High, submerged in an aquarium in a pet store named Buds Pets. The series chronicles their daily lives as they deal with typical teen problems, such as romance and homework, as well as havoc conjured with other animals in the pet store.
Production.
In 2009, Disney Channels Worldwide's President of Entertainment Gary Marsh said of the show, "The "Fish Hooks" team has created one of the most original, inventive animated series on television – bringing an ingenious twist to the classic archetypes of high school life." The series will be produced using a mix of 2D digital animation and photo collages. The series is created and co-executive produced by children's book illustrator Noah Z. Jones and developed for television by Alex Hirsch and Bill Reiss. Main and recurring cast were announced in a Disney Channel press release on August 26, 2010.
Broadcast.
The series airs worldwide on Disney Channel. An 11-minute preview was shown on September 3, 2010, following the Disney Channel Original Movie, "". It also premiered on ABC Family on January 15, 2011, at 7/6c. The show premiered in the United States on Disney Channel on September 24, 2010 and on Disney XD on January 14, 2011.
The show previewed in Canada on September 3, 2010 and premiered on September 25, 2010. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on November 6, 2010. It previewed in Australia and New Zealand on October 2, 2010 and premiered on November 23, 2010. In Southeast Asia, the show premiered on April 1, 2011. It previewed on January 15, 2011 and premiered on February 12, 2011 in South Africa.
The entire series was released on Disney+ on April 3, 2020.
Reception.
In "The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows", David Perlmutter writes, "While this program started out well, given the veteran talent involved, it quickly faltered, becoming so obsessed with plotting the minutiae of its own self-created fishbowl universe that it abruptly lost its creative touch." He criticizes the voice acting as "incredibly shrill; loud; and, above all, hammy," and says that the show "was a shotgun wedding between the typically hyperspace-paced narrative approaches of Cartoon Network... and the more measured and balanced style typical of Disney."


Archibald the Koala

Archibald the Koala is an animated children's television series produced by Millimages in association with HiT Entertainment. The show began in 1998 and starting airing on ITV on its children's block CITV. The show is based on the books written by Paul Cox. The show was made in both French and English versions.
In the United States, the show was seen on Cartoon Network's international showcase program aimed at pre-schoolers, 'Small World'.
Plot.
This series is set on a secluded island called Rastepappe that is populated by Koalas and Badgers. Its city Koalaville is filled with various strange characters including a nervous mayor, a hopeless inventor, a lazy fisherman, a short-tempered chef and a bossy painter. The stress of the mayor's job causes him to have trouble with migraines, or "meeegranes" as he pronounces it.
There are always strange things going on, so Archibald, the trustworthy detective, is put on the job!
Characters.
There is a population of approximately 500 other civilians on Rastepappe.
DVDs.
There is a volume for each season (1-6)
External links.