Sonic R

 is a 1997 racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. It is the third racing game in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, and the first to feature 3D computer graphics. The player races one of ten "Sonic" characters in various "Sonic"-themed race tracks as they attempt to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds and enslaving the world. "Sonic R" features single-player and multiplayer game modes, and while similar to kart racing games such as "Mario Kart", it places an emphasis on jumping and exploration. By collecting items and completing objectives, players can unlock secret characters.
Development began after the completion of "Sonic 3D Blast" in 1996 and took nine months. It was the second collaboration between Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team and was designed to take advantage of the Saturn hardware. Sonic Team designed the race tracks, while Traveller's Tales handled implementation and programming using a custom game engine. The soundtrack was composed by Richard Jacques; tracks from the game, most notably "Super Sonic Racing", have been reused in subsequent "Sonic" titles. Sega released the game for the Saturn in late 1997, for Windows the following year, and for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 as part of "Sonic Gems Collection" in 2005.
"Sonic R" was the only original "Sonic" title released for the Saturn; "Sonic 3D Blast" is a port of the Mega Drive game, and "Sonic Jam" is a compilation of the first four "Sonic" games. Initial reviews for the game were mixed, with retrospective reception being more negative. It was praised for its visuals and level design, but criticized for its controls and short length. Meanwhile, Jacques' soundtrack polarized audiences, who alternatively found it catchy and well produced or out of place in a racing game. Fan interest in "Sonic R" would inspire Sega to revisit the racing genre in future "Sonic" games, leading to the development of titles such as "Sonic Riders" (2006).
Gameplay.
"Sonic R" is a racing video game with single-player and multiplayer modes. The player selects a character and participates in a footrace on one of five race tracks, competing for the fastest time ahead of the other racers. Four characters are initially available, while the other six are secret characters that become available when the player completes certain in-game objectives. Although the gameplay is considered similar to kart racing games such as the "Mario Kart" series, "Sonic R" places an emphasis on jumping and exploration, as each track has multiple paths and hidden areas. The tracks, although original creations, are thematically based on the art style and environments of classic "Sonic" games such as "Sonic the Hedgehog's" "Green Hill Zone" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"s "Chemical Plant Zone".
During each race, the player is able to collect items scattered across the track, bestowing advantages. Rings, a staple "Sonic" series item, are abundant; the player can exchange rings to gain a temporary speed boost or open doors leading to short cuts or special items. "Item Panels" give a random temporary advantage, such as a speed increase or shields that grant abilities such as being able to run across water or attract nearby rings. Collection of other special items, such as "Sonic Tokens" and the Chaos Emeralds, may lead to the unlocking of secret characters. "Sonic R" allows the player to select the type of weather seen during races. There is also a "Time Attack" mode, where the player races solo to get the fastest time, and a two player competitive mode, increased to four-players in the "Gems Collection" port. In addition to the standard time trial mode, there are two others: "Get 5 Balloons", where five balloons are scattered across the track and must be located, and "Tag 4 Characters", where the player chases and must catch four others.
Characters.
"Sonic R" features ten playable racers, each with unique attributes and abilities falling in line with their usual abilities. The title character, Sonic the Hedgehog, is the fastest and possesses the ability to "double jump" (being able to perform a second jump in mid-air). Tails is able to fly through the air for a short time, and Knuckles the Echidna can glide through the air upon jumping. Amy Rose, the last initially available character, drives a car, allowing her to hover over bodies of water and receive extra speed from driving over boost spaces. Secret characters include Sonic's archenemy Dr. Robotnik, who flies in a hovercraft and resists differences in terrain; robotic clones of Sonic (Metal Sonic), Tails (Tails Doll), and Knuckles (Metal Knuckles); Robotnik's robotic assistant EggRobo; and Super Sonic, a faster version of Sonic powered by the Chaos Emeralds.
Plot.
Sonic and Tails are about to take a holiday when Tails notices an advertisement for a "World Grand Prix". While not initially interested, Sonic notices that Dr. Robotnik is also participating in the race, which persuades him to change his mind and enter the race. It is revealed that Robotnik has recently learned of the whereabouts of the rare and powerful Chaos Emeralds, with which he aspires to enslave the world, and the World Grand Prix is actually a trap used to distract Sonic. Knuckles and Amy overhear of Robotnik's plan and decide to compete. Together, the four must balance both winning races and obtaining the Chaos Emeralds to keep them out of Robotnik's reach.
Development.
After the completion of "Sonic 3D Blast" in 1996, Sega approached Traveller's Tales about working on another "Sonic" game, this time being a racing game. Traveller's Tales, who coincidentally had been working on a 3D graphics engine without a purpose at the time, found this to be a logical progression, and accepted the project. Traveller's Tales chose to rebuild a Formula One game they were developing into a "Sonic"-branded title. Development started in February 1997 as a joint project between Sega's Sonic Team and Traveller's Tales. The game was originally known as "Sonic TT" (the TT standing for Tourist Trophy). It was first publicly announced as "Phase Two of Project Sonic" (with "Phase One" being "Sonic Jam"). The schedule was tight, and Traveller's Tales requested more freedom than they had with "Sonic 3D Blast".
Sonic Team designed the race tracks and the game's general flow, and Traveller's Tales were responsible for the implementation and programming. Each track was inspired by levels from previous "Sonic" games such as Green Hill and Casino Night, and it was due to the tight schedule that there were only five. Secret areas and exploration phases were added to follow the series' traditions (Sonic Team also wanted a cross between a racing game and a platforming game), and for this reason a map was developed. Sega of Europe producer Kats Sato handled communication with Sonic Team, as he was the only person who could speak both English and Japanese. Discussions led to the reward mechanisms, which Sato believed broadened the game. The courses' look and feel were inspired by other "Sonic" games, including "Sonic 3D Blast". The 3D models were based on 2D sketches from Sonic Team. All models and animations were developed using Softimage, while Traveller's Tales created their own tools for the remaining game development. Implementing the two-player split-screen mode proved difficult; programmer Jon Burton stated that this was mainly because it was difficult to ensure cheating was not too easy, so shortcuts were made challenging, with a penalty incurred if players got them wrong. A major development goal was to maintain a consistent 30 frames per second frame rate during gameplay. A custom game engine was developed to take full advantage of the Sega Saturn hardware, and a graphical technique, described as "12 layer transparency", was used to transparentise distant textures to conceal the Sega Saturn's limited draw distance. Burton claimed that "Sonic R" could not have been replicated on other consoles during the timeframe, such as the PlayStation console, due to the technique developed specifically for the Sega Saturn hardware. Environment mapping was achieved by writing what Burton described as a software version of the PlayStation's hardware rendering, as the Saturn's hardware was incapable of it.
An early build was unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta, Georgia in June 1997, with Sega releasing screenshots of a "40% complete build" to various magazines shortly afterwards. The builds would be largely the same as the final game, with the exception of minor tweaks, such as the ability to play the "Resort Island" level being in sunset, rather than bright sunshine, a change that was made because of the level's music track titled "Can You Feel The Sunshine?" Traveller's Tales had used programming techniques inspired by those (such as a type of fog known as "Pixie Dust") used on the Nintendo 64.
Hirokazu Yasuhara of Sonic Team went to England and fine-tuned the game due to lack of time for communication. Technical and scheduling issues caused Sato to change the game design, leading to a dispute with producer Yuji Naka, and Sato removed his name from the credits. The game's final release would be first in North America on 18 November 1997, with releases in other regions occurring in late 1997 for the Sega Saturn, and into 1998 for the PC version. The PC versions allowed the user to alter graphics details such as allowing to change between software rendering and 3D acceleration or adjusting the game's draw distance, affecting how soon objects in the distance are visible. Like many other previous "Sonic" games during this time period, a largely unrelated "Sonic R" game was released as a Tiger Electronics LCD handheld game around the same time in 1998.
Music.
The soundtrack for "Sonic R" was composed by British composer Richard Jacques of Sega Europe, who had also previously worked on the soundtrack of the Sega Saturn and PC versions of "Sonic 3D Blast". Work on the soundtrack began in March 1997 when Jacques travelled to Japan to meet with "Sonic" creator Yuji Naka to discuss the musical approach to take for the game. The first song written was "Super Sonic Racing," which would be used for the game's reveal in June at E3. British singer TJ Davis provided the vocals for the song, which Naka liked so much that he requested that she be featured in all the game's songs. Jacques wrote all the lyrics for the songs with the intention that they would complement the on-screen action but still be appealing to someone who had never played the game. Tracks were recorded and programmed at Sega Digital Studios, and then worked on for two weeks at Metropolis Studios in London, where a week was spent on vocals, and a week was spent on producing, mixing, and finalising the tracks. Jacques stated that this task was amongst the most difficult in his career because the lyrics needed to "really mean something". "Sonic R" features two separate mixes of each song in its in-game soundtrack; ones with vocals and instrumental versions, giving the player the option to disable vocals. An official soundtrack CD was released on 21 January 1998.
Reception.
The Saturn version of "Sonic R" received mixed reviews from critics at the time of its release, although retrospective commentary has been more negative. It received an aggregate score of 69 per cent from GameRankings, based on six reviews, and the PC version received 70 per cent based on two.
The game's visuals were considered its strongest feature. "AllGame" called the textures vibrant and noted they had "no pop-up or glitching", and "Electronic Gaming Monthly" ("EGM") felt the environmental details were lush. "EGM" and "Sega Saturn Magazine" highlighted the consistent frame rate (which rarely dropped below 30 frames per second) as a noteworthy achievement, with the latter favourably comparing "Sonic R" to the Saturn version of "Sega Rally Championship". "Next Generation" hailed the game as "the most visually outstanding Saturn title" for its use of transparency effects and reflective surfaces, a sentiment echoed by "EGM". "Sega Saturn Magazine" cited the "Radiant Emerald" level, which is made from transparent polygons, as far superior when compared to "Mario Kart 64"s "Rainbow Road". "GameSpot" stated that the cartoonish style of previous "Sonic" games worked well in 3D. "GameSpot", "EGM", and "GamePro" criticised the background's graphical "pop-up", with "GamePro" opining that it ruined the multiplayer mode. However, "Sega Saturn Magazine" praised the two-player mode for maintaining the same speed and graphical detail as its single-player counterpart. "Game Informer" asserted that "the way they hid the background pop through translucent melting is innovative", but they panned the poor quality of the character animation. Finally, "Sega Saturn Magazine" complimented the replay mode's more dramatic camera angles.
Critical reaction to the game's level design was also positive. "Game Informer" found the tracks imaginative and filled with secrets, while "EGM" and them "some of the most well-designed tracks ever". "AllGame", "EGM", and "Game Informer" thought similarly. "Sega Saturn Magazine" compared the level design to that of the 16-bit "Sonic" titles and Sonic Team's "Nights into Dreams...", noting that "far more fun is to be gleamed from the exploration element" than "the temptation ... to leg it through each of the levels in a time trial-like way". In a similar vein, "Next Generation" described "Sonic R" and Nintendo 64 contemporary "Diddy Kong Racing" as "less of a racing title and more of a driving adventure game". "Sega Saturn Magazine" commented on the replay value provided by alternate modes, such as "Get 5 Balloons!", but conceded that "five tracks don't really suffice, even with the reverse mode". "GameSpot", "EGM", and "Game Informer" also expressed disappointment with the limited selection of levels.
The title's controls and overall gameplay were criticised, with some questioning their accuracy and depth. "GameSpot" finished every level in first place within one hour using only one of the four initial characters. While the game also features a hard mode, "GameSpot" concluded that ""Sonic R" has more in the personality department than in the depth department". "GameSpot" and "Game Informer" cited finding the Chaos Emeralds and hidden coins as difficult, but "GameSpot" argued that such optional tasks offered little in return, because the hidden characters "are mostly robot versions of the already playable ones". Moreover, "AllGame" believed the controls took time to get used to, but added: "Start sliding around corners and letting off the gas at the right times and you'll be finding all of the secrets that "Sonic R" conceals in no time". Likewise, "Sega Saturn Magazine" called the controls "initially tricky ... but incredibly playable," "Next Generation" stated "the proper techniques, with time, can be learned," and "Game Informer" concluded "once you get used to it, you'll find a real solid game". "Game Informer" thought the game played better with the digital pad as opposed to Sega's analogue controller. "GamePro" agreed that the controls were responsive, but to a fault: "At high speeds, it's nearly impossible to run in a straight line".
"Sonic R"'s soundtrack was particularly divisive. "Sega Saturn Magazine" described the "storm of controversy [that] surrounds the accompanying music", which "has come in for a bit of a slagging on the Internet recently for the addition of vocals." Although he was not a fan of dance music, Nutter stated that the tracks were "better than most chart stuff", while the included instrumental versions were sufficient "to appease everyone". "AllGame" offered high praise for the soundtrack, which they called "One of the most inspired ... I've ever heard", while "GameSpot" believed the songs gave the game so much more personality". Conversely, "GamePro" deplored the music as "unbelievably annoying". "Computer and Video Games" complimented the music, saying it "fits the Sonic style perfectly", and is reminiscent of "Sonic CD"s soundtrack.
The ported version of the game available in "Sonic Gems Collection" was more negatively reviewed. "Eurogamer" called the game "too awkward to play for any length of time", and "1UP.com" wrote the visuals were grainy—"mak[ing] it hard to tell where you're going"—and the controls were frustrating and imprecise. "GameSpot" described "its laughably bad soundtrack" as "[its] only redeeming quality", and "GameSpy" called "Sonic R" "a concept that works better in theory than in practice"—despite its "fantastic (if not bizarre) soundtrack". Conversely, "Jeuxvideo.com", in a negative review of "Sonic Gems Collection", praised the game, arguing that it was the only decent game in the compilation alongside "Sonic CD". In a 2003 retrospective, "Game Informer" described the game as "decent, but unmemorable", while "GamesRadar" included "Sonic R" in a 2014 list of the top 50 Sega Saturn games, calling it "a technical tour de force". "GameTrailers" ranked it as the second worst "Sonic" game, behind 2006's "Sonic the Hedgehog". Game designer Hirokazu Yasuhara, who helped Traveller's Tales rework the game in response to concerns over the quality of a preview version, has maintained that "the final version of "Sonic R" is actually quite good ... However, I do admit that the base concept of "Sonic R", in which a player 'drives' running characters, is not great".
Legacy.
Despite Sega releasing two "Sonic" racing games prior to "Sonic R", "Sonic Drift" and "Sonic Drift 2", for the Sega Game Gear, developer Takashi Yuda cited fans requesting more racing games in the vein of "Sonic R" would be Sega's actual inspiration for revisiting the genre in future years. This led to the development and release of the hoverboarding game "Sonic Riders", although there are no connections between the two games other than both being racing games. Later "Sonic" racing games include "Sonic Riders" sequels "" and "Sonic Free Riders", and kart games "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing," "Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed" and "Team Sonic Racing."
Songs from "Sonic R"s soundtrack were included in later games featuring Sonic in their original forms or as remixes, including "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", "Sonic Generations", "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing" and "Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed".
The 2019 release "Team Sonic Racing" features several references to "Sonic R", including remixes of songs from the soundtrack (including "Super Sonic Racing" and "Can You Feel the Sunshine") and the use of the distinctive red "R" in the game's logo and on the in-game currency.


Creatures from the Abyss

Creatures from the Abyss (original title Plankton) is a 1994 Italian b-movie directed by Al Passeri and written by Richard Bauman. The film starred Clay Rogers, Michael Bon, Sharon Twomey, Laura di Palma, Ann Wolf, and infamous low-budget movie director and actor Deran Sarafian.
Synopsis.
A group of five teenagers, three girls, and two boys get lost in the ocean with a Dinghy, and a big storm begins. Suddenly they spot a yacht sitting in the middle of the ocean, and they go to investigate and to find shelter. But in fact, the yacht was a secret laboratory studying mutated fish results of radioactive plankton. One of the specimens escapes kills the whole crew, and preys on the unsuspecting teenagers.
Reception.
The movie review website, "b-movies.gr" gave the film a score of 4/5 and said that the film is a must for sea monster fans.
Home video.
Shriek Studio released "Creatures from the Abyss" on 31 July 2007 as part of the "Mutant Monsters Triple Feature" along with "The Dark" and "The Being".


Itsy Bitsy

Itsy Bitsy is a 2019 American horror film directed by Micah Gallo, starring Bruce Davison, Elizabeth Roberts, Arman Darbo, and Chloe Perrin, and featuring Denise Crosby, Eileen Dietz, and Matty Cardarople. It centers on a family, who moves into an old, secluded mansion where they are stalked by an ancient entity that takes the form of a giant spider. The film itself was inspired by the poem The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and was released in the United States on August 30, 2019, by Shout! Studios, and it has received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot.
Live-in nurse Kara and her two children Jesse and Cambria have moved into the home of artifact collector and widower Walter Clark, who has recently purchased a fabled artifact, the ‘Black Egg of Maa-Kalaratri'. During the purchase Clark angered the treasure hunter, who returns to the home and smashes the relic. This releases a large prehistoric spider, which bites the treasure hunter, who manages to make it off the property before dying.
The move has been difficult for Kara, as she blames herself for the death of her son Stevie from a car accident where she was the driver. She is also hiding a secret drug addiction. To calm herself and deal with visions of her son Stevie, Kara steals Walter's OxyContin but still experiences a nervous breakdown in a diner. She is reassured by and bonds with Sheriff Jane Dunne, who notices Kara's addiction.
Jesse begins to bond with Walter and the two piece together the relic. Walter also entertains the boy by telling him the legend of Maa-Kalaratri, an ancient spider goddess who became vengeful when people stopped worshipping her. As he is having fun, Jesse neglects to watch Cambria, who is nearly attacked by the spider. This is discovered by Kara, causing a fight between her and Jesse, during which he reveals that Kara had been fired for stealing medication from her last job.
Kara's theft is eventually discovered and she is fired by Walter. She leaves, at which point the spider attacks and kills Walter. Jane responds to reports of his death after Jesse discovers the body. She questions Kara, who believes that it may have something to do with the treasure hunter while Jesse believes that it was Maa-Kalaratri. Kara later scolds Jesse for scaring Cambria and slaps him, an act she quickly regrets.
Later that night Kara investigates the attic, discovering Jesse freeing Cambria from thick spider webs. They discover an empty exoskeleton shed by the spider and flee the attic, at which point the spider attacks and bites Kara, who passes out from the venom. Jesse manages to call Jane for help but is unable to prevent the spider from biting Cambria's hand. Kara awakens and finds that the spider bit through the child's hand and was unable to inject any venom. She manages to administer an epinephrine shot on herself to counteract the spider venom before passing out once more.
Kara awakens in time to kill the spider as it's attacking Jesse. The trio escape and as Jane arrives with an ambulance, Kara collapses and sees a vision of Stevie. She then finally forgives herself for his death by saving Jesse and Cambria, taking away her need to use drugs. After recovering, Kara and the children move out and swear to stay together no matter what. Unbeknownst to them, however, the spider laid two egg sacs in Walter's house, one in a dollhouse and one in a chest, both of which begin to hatch.
Release.
On April 8, 2019, it was announced that Shout! Studios acquired the North American distribution rights to the film. The film was released in select theatres, digital and on VOD on August 30, 2019.
Reception.
"Itsy Bitsy" received mixed reviews from critics upon its release, with many praising the special effects, cinematography, and atmosphere while criticizing the film's uninteresting characters, and story.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 56% based on reviews from 9 critics, with an average rating of 5.71/10.
Matthew Roe of Film Threat gave the film a negative review, writing ""Itsy Bitsy" has some fantastic human moments inside its bland monster facade and is the only real reason I can recommend the film – however, for some it won’t be enough to redeem the played-out and wonky elements." "Culture Crypt" rated the film a score of 55 out of 100, criticizing its underwritten characters, script, and finale. The reviewer concluded, ""Itsy Bitsy" isn’t going to win any awards or become anyone’s favorite film. It’s too grim to grab the gusto it needs to stand out without edging into over-the-top outrageousness. But it is professionally produced, features a few intriguing pops, and makes for a decent diversion during a weekend’s entertainment." Veronique Englebert from "The Review Geek" scored the film a mixed 5.5 out of 10, writing, ""Itsy Bitsy" is not a bad spider movie but it’s not a particularly great one either. It fails to reach the same creepiness found in movies like Arachnophobia and takes a while to get into the swing of things. However, the welcome practical effects and empathetic characters help but can’t quite save the day for this average creature feature."
Meagan Navarro from Bloody Disgusting commended the film's special effects and camerawork; but criticized the sparse appearance of its antagonist, unresolved ending, and unlikable characters. Concluding her review, Navarro recommended the film based on the special effect, in spite of its faults, calling it "a big step in the right direction". Noel Murray of the "Los Angeles Times" gave the film a positive review, praising the film's gothic atmosphere, special effects, and "existential dread".


Devil Monster

Devil Monster (1936) is an American adventure film directed by S. Edwin Graham. The working title of the film was The Great Manta and it was shown in Great Britain as The Sea Fiend in 1938. Also, a Spanish-language version entitled El diablo del mar, directed by Juan Duval using some of the same actors and footage, was released in the United States in 1936 by Cinexport Films.
An edited version of the film was released in 1946 as "Devil Monster", a low-budget South Seas drama spiced up with stock footage inserts including half-dressed native girls who were also featured in the film's trailer. The Hays Code, which banned nudity in American films, apparently tolerated partial nudity in "ethnographic" scenes of "native" life. This version of the film is now in the public domain and is available online at Internet Archive.


Dog Squad

Dog Squad is a reality TV show following working dogs and handlers as they go about their daily duties. It is set in New Zealand and focuses on dog-handler pairs working for the New Zealand Police, Department of Corrections (New Zealand), New Zealand Customs Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand), Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, Department of Conservation (New Zealand), and Search and rescue.
"Dog Squad" currently airs between 8:00-8:30pm on Mondays on TV One. It was created by the same people who created "Border Patrol". The first episode of "Dog Squad" aired on 25 July 2011. The show also screens in Australia on Channel 7, under the title "Dog Patrol".
References.


Howard Huge

Howard Huge is a cartoon series written by Bunny Hoest and illustrated by John Reiner. Created by Bill Hoest, the series had 80 million readers, since it ran in the Sunday supplement magazine, "Parade" from 1980 to 2007, continuing on a website.
Characters and story.
The single-panel cartoons feature Howard Huge, an enormous but lovable dog, his family and neighborhood kids. Karen L. Miller, writing in the "Reading Eagle" (October 9, 1983), described the dog:
According to Bunny Hoest, the character was based on a real pet acquired when the family was looking for a Labrador Retriever as a companion to an aging black Lab. The kennel was vibrant with lively Labrador puppies, but a quiet, little animal was alone in a small cage. When they took the furry, disheveled dog out for a stretch, he tried his paws and immediately sprawled on his belly.
The kennel owner speculated that the dog had been sent to the wrong kennel (where he remained unwanted) and had been taken from his mother too soon in the breeder's haste to find a Christmas buyer. The family was appalled, and with something less than enthusiasm, they kept looking at the playful Labrador puppies. But the littlest girl held the disheveled dog on her shoulder, where he promptly fell asleep. Without being able to come to a decision, the family started to leave and told her to put the dog back. The good-natured animal kissed her face and lay quietly alone. The family was captivated.
This good-natured, placid puppy was a Saint Bernard who eventually became an enormous, loyal and lovable member of the family for the next 13 years. "Howard Huge" is based on that Saint Bernard.
Books.
The collection, "Howard Huge", was published by Ballantine Books in 1982. Bunny Hoest did the character as a children's book, "Howard Huge Comes to Stay", published by Random House Books for Young Readers in 1992.
Television.
Howard Huge was mentioned in an episode of "Family Guy". It was in Season 7, Episode 11, "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven".


The Crocodile (film)

The Crocodile (Khmer: នេសាទក្រពើ) is a 2005 Cambodian horror-action film written and directed by Mao Ayuth. First released in July 2005, it had been periodically re-released in Cambodian cinemas since July 2007, and remains unreleased on DVD or digitally.
Plot.
A group of villagers live by a river heavily infested with crocodiles which have killed many of their relatives. A local farmer, San, decides to become a crocodile hunter following the death of his wife, family members, neighbours and friends, with the aim of finding and killing the Crocodile King.
Production and release.
The film's budget was US$100, 000, a high level for a Cambodian production; a significant amount of this went towards the film's lead actor, Preap Sovath. The film was written, produced and directed by Mao Ayuth, who was one of the few filmmakers from the golden age of Cambodian cinema to survive the Khmer Rouge regime. The film was first released in July 2005 in six theatres across Cambodia. It has subsequently been released several more times since then. As of March 2021, the film has not been released on DVD or streaming platforms; a viral Facebook post asked for the film's release using the hashtag "#releaseនេសាទក្រពើ".
Awards.
"The Crocodile" won six awards at the Khmer National Film Celebration, including Best Movie, Best Director and Best Writer for Mao Ayuth, and Best Actor for Preap Sovath.


Ultimate Custom Night

Ultimate Custom Night is a point-and-click survival horror video game created by Scott Cawthon. It is the seventh main installment of the "Five Nights at Freddy's" video game series and is chronologically set after the events of the sixth game. The game was released on June 27, 2018 for free on Steam and Game Jolt. A mobile port for iOS and Android was released on April 28, 2020, with console ports released on April 30, 2021. The game was originally intended to be DLC for "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator", but was later developed into its own separate game. A sequel, "", was released on May 28, 2019.
Gameplay.
The game allows the player to choose from 50 characters from all six main "Five Nights at Freddy's" games and "FNaF World", and set their difficulty levels for the night from a minimum of "0" to a maximum of "20". The full roster includes "Five Nights at Freddy's" characters Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" characters Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, Mangle, BB, JJ, Withered Chica, Withered Bonnie, the Puppet, and Golden Freddy, "Five Nights at Freddy's 3" characters Springtrap, Phantom Mangle, Phantom Freddy, and Phantom BB, "Five Nights at Freddy's 4" characters Nightmare Freddy, Nightmare Bonnie, Nightmare Fredbear, and Nightmare, plus Jack-O-Chica, Nightmare Mangle, Nightmarionne, and Nightmare BB from the game's Halloween Edition, "FNaF World" character Old Man Consequences, "" characters Circus Baby, Ballora, Funtime Foxy, and Ennard, and "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator" characters Trash and the Gang, Helpy, Happy Frog, Mr. Hippo, Pigpatch, Nedd Bear, Orville Elephant, Rockstar Freddy, Rockstar Bonnie, Rockstar Chica, Rockstar Foxy, Music Man, El Chip, Funtime Chica, Molten Freddy, Scrap Baby, William Afton (also known as Scraptrap), and Lefty, with the last character being the Phone Guy. During the night, the player must keep track of several mechanics, such as doors, ventilation systems, and air duct systems to avoid being attacked by the animatronics. The player can earn "Faz-Coins" to buy power-ups, plushies to stop certain animatronics, and a "Death Coin" to eliminate an animatronic of the player's choice from the current night. The player is also able to select the office setting, choose power-ups that may help them during the night, and select 16 challenges available to them. The objective is to survive from 12 AM to 6 AM, with each hour in-game lasting 45 seconds. In the final release, 59 characters from the franchise were included, with some appearing without the player's choice. Of these extra nine, Dee Dee from "FNaF World", has the ability to randomly spawn and summon either a character that isn't currently active or one of six that are unavailable to the player, with a new form of her named XOR being able to summon all of the extra six. These six include RWQFSFASXC/Shadow Bonnie from "Five Nights at Freddy's 2", Plushtrap and Nightmare Chica from "Five Nights at Freddy's 4", Minireena and Lolbit from "Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location", and Bonnet from that same game's Custom Night. An Easter egg involving using the Death Coin on Golden Freddy when he's the only active character on a night and set to "1" difficulty triggers a jumpscare from Fredbear, the earlier incarnation of Golden Freddy who had previously only appeared in minigames.
Plot.
Although the game seems to be non-canon to the franchise, many elements in the game suggest that it is actually be part of the series' timeline, taking place after the previous installment. After the player dies by certain characters, they speak certain lines that suggest that the player character is actually William Afton, who was killed in a fire at the end of the sixth game and his soul is now trapped in a purgatory-like state, tortured by various animatronics as consequences of his actions. Some of the speaking antagonists mention an unknown entity, referred to as "the one you should not have killed", who is thought to stay with Afton to torture him. The entity is widely regarded to be the spirit living inside Golden Freddy because, after unlocking every intermission cutscene, a cutscene of Golden Freddy, twitching and surrounded by darkness, is shown. A rare screen also shows an obscured face of a small, grinning child thought to be the "vengeful spirit". During the night, if Old Man Consequences is set to "1" and all other characters are inactive, then, after catching a fish, a scene from "FNaF World" will be shown, with Old Man Consequences talking to a bear sprite (possibly Golden Freddy), telling him to leave the "demon" (Afton) to his own demons and rest in peace. It's implied that the other children's spirits have already moved on, but Golden Freddy refuses to do so.
However, the anthology novel series "Fazbear Frights" implies that the game is actually Afton's repeating nightmare, and not hell or purgatory. This comes from the fifth book, "Bunny Call", which has a story called "The Man in Room 1280" where a burned man is kept alive by a shadow child despite the fact that he should be dead and suffers nightmares. In the following book, "Blackbird", the epilogue confirms that the man is actually William Afton. Although it was never confirmed if the "Fazbear Frights" series is canon or not, Cawthon confirmed that it's supposed to reveal mysteries from the previous games.
Development.
In February 2018, after the release of "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator", Cawthon announced in a Steam post that he would think about gaining help from larger publishers in making future games. In an edited version of the same post, he added that he would be developing an "ultimate custom night" add-on for "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator", which, as revealed on his website, would have more than 50 animatronics from the entire series attacking the player. After some time, he decided that it would be too big an update for the game, so he made it a separate game. As he was programming the characters in the game, he would update the "progress bar" on his website, along with a brief description of the characters on a Steam post.
Reception.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun deemed the game "an intriguing mess", with "PC Gamer" calling it "a neat, customisable take on the classic survival horror formula".


Deflocked

Deflocked is a comic strip written and illustrated by Jeff Corriveau, which follows the adventures of four major characters, described as "deliriously funny yet seriously dysfunctional." The strip, which Corriveau originally based loosely on Hippocrates' Four Humours attempts to detail relationships similar to Norman Lear’s "All in the Family" through the exploits of Mamet, a wayward sheep, the dog siblings Cobb and Rupert, and Tucker, an 8-year-old boy raised by the dogs. The strip was syndicated in May 2008.
The strip is set in the American suburbs on an old farmstead called Lubberland Farms which has a secret home for displaced, disenchanted, and disoriented outcasts. Mamet, a self-absorbed sheep, is the main character who acts recklessly and at times insults the other characters. He interacts with the mature, morally centered dog Cobb and Cobb’s immature but devoted younger sibling Rupert. The two dogs raise Tucker, a human boy with a dark and twisted disposition.
History.
"Deflocked" made its debut in the "La Canada Valley Sun" newspaper in California in 2006. Corriveau had been writing comedy for "Saturday Night Live", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and as head writer for "Talk Soup." Since the paper was unable to pay for the strip, Corriveau provided it to them without charge. In May 2008, "Deflocked" was picked up by King Features and is now available in many newspapers.
Corriveau’s "Deflocked" has also appeared since June 16, 2007 in the PETA blog, written by Jack Shepherd. Once the comic strip was available through King Features syndication, PETA stopped featuring the strip, although Corriveau has continued to supply the organization with cartoons and artwork on other issues such as horse racing.
Main characters.
Mamet.
Mamet is an opinionated sheep with a biting comment and point of view about everyone and everything. He is out for himself, cynical, and arrogant, and willing to share his ignorance with all.
Cobb.
Cobb is a mature dog, older sibling and father surrogate to Rupert, and the voice of morality and reason in the group. Cobb seeks peace and balance in the world but is constantly distracted from his goal by a crazy world and obnoxious sheep.
Rupert.
Rupert is the younger sibling of Cobb. He wanders innocently and naïvely around while upsetting Mamet’s theories and being led into schemes and activities by Tucker.
Tucker.
Tucker is the only human in the group and only eight years old. He was mysteriously dropped on the doorstep of Cobb and Rupert who have raised him as their own. Tucker is young and willing to go along with anything especially his "Uncle" Mamet’s questionable adventures from which Cobb and Rupert try to protect him.
Subject matter.
"Deflocked" follows the often odd and bizarre adventures of the four main characters. Corriveau frequently has his characters supporting the animals’ view of issues rather than the human view. While penning the strip for PETA, Corriveau often focused on mulesing, the practice of removing flesh from the buttocks of merino sheep to avoid flystrike, a practice used almost exclusively in Australia.
Family life.
Corriveau lives in Montrose, California with his wife Karen, their daughter Amelie, and Beemer, a cat.


XTNCT

XTNCT is a comic strip set in the Far Future which involved genetically modified dinosaurs. It was created by Paul Cornell and D'Israeli and published in the "Judge Dredd Megazine".
Synopsis.
In the far future, the remnants of the human race use genetically engineered animals to fight for them. The character of Father uses special dinosaur commandos to fight on his behalf. A raptor from one such group of commandos accidentally kills a human and Father orders the death of the entire group. They escape and decide to hunt down and kill all the remaining humans on the Earth.


Marmaduke

Marmaduke is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson from June 1954 to 2015.
Publication history.
The strip was created by Anderson, and sold to the John F. Dille Co. (later known as the National Newspaper Syndicate) in 1954. Anderson said he drew on Laurel and Hardy routines for his ideas. Anderson illustrated the strip, writing it with help from Phil Leeming (1955–1962) and later Dorothy Leeming (1963–1969), and, after August 2, 2004, Anderson's son Paul.
The strip on Sundays also has a side feature called "Dog Gone Funny", in which one or more panels are devoted to dog anecdotes submitted by the fans.
Brad Anderson died on August 30, 2015, at the age of 91, leaving the long-term fate of the strip unknown; strips co-drawn with the help of his son, Paul Anderson, continue to be syndicated.
Reception.
Brad Anderson won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Newspaper Panel Cartoon in 1978, and the George Arents Pioneer Medal for Syracuse University alumni in 1999.
As of 2015, "Marmaduke" continues to be widely syndicated, and is popular with readers. Attempts to cancel "Marmaduke" have drawn protest, such as those by readers of "The Toronto Star" in 1999, of the "Sarasota Herald Tribune" in 2007, and of the "Chicago Sun-Times" in 1986.
Criticism.
The strip's longevity and perceived monotony have been noted by satirical publications such as "The Onion" and have made it the butt of jokes. It has become "a hot source of retro-ironic-subversive humor." For example, a blog called "Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke" deconstructs the strip to offer an alternative explanation for what is happening in the drawing. Another blog called "Marmaduke Can Vote" gives each panel a political slant, while another called "Poignant Marmaduke" changes all the captions to make the comics sad. Additionally, "The Marmaduke Project" re-imagines Marmaduke in other forms.
In his satirical analysis at "The Comic Strip Doctor", David Malki of "Wondermark" ranked "Marmaduke" among "the worst newspaper comic strips," alongside "Heathcliff", "Family Circus", and "Dennis the Menace".
Adaptations.
Animated series.
Ruby-Spears produced "Marmaduke" segments for the 1980 animated series "Heathcliff", whose title character was also based on a comic strip character. In this animated version, the male characters were voiced by Paul Winchell and the females were voiced by Russi Taylor.
Films.
A live-action "Marmaduke" movie, in which the Winslows and their dog move from Kansas to California, was released on June 4, 2010. The film featured Owen Wilson as the voice of Marmaduke, Lee Pace as Phil Winslow, Judy Greer as Debbie Winslow, Caroline Sunshine as Barbara Winslow, and Finley Jacobsen as Brian Winslow.
It was announced on the Andrews McMeel website that an animated film adaptation of "Marmaduke" is planned to be released sometime in 2020. The film will feature Pete Davidson as Marmaduke, J.K. Simmons as Zeus, and David Koechner as Phil Winslow.


Tarka the Otter

"Tarka the Otter: His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers" is a novel by Henry Williamson, first published in 1927 by G.P. Putnam's Sons with an introduction by the Hon. Sir John Fortescue. It won the Hawthornden Prize in 1928, and has never been out of print since its first publication.
The novel describes the life of an otter, along with a detailed observation of its habitat in the country of the River Taw and River Torridge in North Devon (the "Two Rivers"); the name "Tarka" is said by Williamson to mean "Wandering as Water" (p. 10). Though often now characterised as a children's book, "Tarka" has influenced literary figures as diverse as Ted Hughes and Rachel Carson.
Plot summary, style.
The book is separated into two main parts, "The First Year" and "The Last Year". It begins shortly before the birth of Tarka in an otter holt on the River Torridge, near the Rolle Canal aqueduct on the Beam estate. After a period learning to swim and hunt, and losing a sibling in a trap, he is separated from his mother and wanders around North Devon alone. His first mate is an elderly otter called Greymuzzle, who is killed during Tarka's first winter, which is unusually harsh. In his second year, he fathers a litter of cubs with his second mate, White-tip. Throughout the book Williamson juxtaposes Tarka with his main enemy, the local otter hunt, and particularly the pied hound Deadlock, "the truest marking-hound in the country of the Two Rivers" (p. 23). The book ends with a climactic nine-hour hunt of Tarka by the pack, and a confrontation between Tarka and Deadlock. Williamson's attitude to the hunt is somewhat ambivalent: while admiring them for their own regard for and knowledge of the otter, and despite being personally friendly with his local hunt, the violence and cruelty of some of his descriptions of hunting is clear.
Locations featured in the book include Braunton Burrows, the clay pits at Marland, Morte Point, Hoar Oak Water and the Chains. The book begins and ends in the vicinity of Torrington.
Williamson wrote with a descriptive style which some, such as Ted Hughes, have characterised as poetic: in his memorial address for Williamson, quoted by Roger Deakin in his book "Waterlog", Hughes described him as "one of the truest English poets of his generation". His writing is also characterised by a lack of sentimentality about the animals it describes; Williamson is generally careful to avoid anthropomorphising them and rarely attempts to present any but their most basic or instinctual mental processes.
History and reception.
Williamson, who was born in London and had moved to Georgeham, Devon, in 1921, began making notes for "Tarka" about two years later: although he was usually a rather rapid writer, the book took him around four years to write thanks to the large amount of detailed research needed. Williamson often claimed that he was inspired to write "Tarka" after rescuing and raising an otter cub, but the truth of this story is uncertain and it seems likely that the 1909 book "The Life Story of an Otter", by Cornish naturalist John Coulson Tregarthen, was a more substantial influence. Nevertheless, Williamson spent a great deal of time gathering information on otters' habits and behaviour.
The original edition featured illustrations by Charles Tunnicliffe. The book was extremely well-received on publication, attracting praise from Thomas Hardy and T. E. Lawrence, amongst others. Although not written for children, the book soon became popular with young readers.
At the time the book was published, otters were generally regarded as vermin, but "Tarka" (and more specifically its later film adaptation) is credited with inspiring a transformation in public attitudes to otters. The book remains well-known, and is often used to promote the area of North Devon where it is set. The Tarka Line railway line to Barnstaple, and Tarka Trail long distance footpath and cycle path, are named after the book.
Influence.
Although Williamson's reputation as a writer was affected in the wake of his support for Oswald Mosley and many of his works are now little read, "Tarka" has continued to be an influential work. Rachel Carson once wrote that Williamson's work had "deeply influenced" her and said that "Tarka the Otter" and "Salar the Salmon" would be two of three books she might take to a desert island. Ted Hughes, who later became friends with an elderly Williamson, repeatedly cited reading the book as an important experience for him, while the author Roger Deakin wrote that he admired the "beauty and ice-clear accuracy" of Williamson's writing and described "Tarka" as a "great mythic poem".
Others to whom the book was significant included the nature writers Kenneth Allsop and Denys Watkins-Pitchford, who described it as "the greatest animal story ever written".
The book has led to Britain's Tarka Trail and to the establishment of the Tarka Country Tourism Authority in North Devon.
Audiobook.
In 1978 Sir David Attenborough narrated an audiobook version of the story, released as a double audio cassette.
Film adaptation.
The novel has been adapted into a film: "Tarka the Otter". In 1974, Williamson began working on a script for a film treatment of the novel, but it was not regarded as suitable to film. Having previously rejected two separate offers from Walt Disney, Henry finally accepted an offer to make the film from English wildlife documentary film-maker David Cobham, whom he trusted.
The movie, narrated by Peter Ustinov, was released in 1979, with a screenplay by Gerald Durrell. One of Williamson's sons, Richard, and his daughter-in-law appear in the film. It was voted the 98th greatest family film in a Channel 4 poll. The soundtrack for the film was composed by David Fanshawe and performed by Tommy Reilly.


Reserved for the Cat

Reserved for the Cat (2007) is a novel by American writer Mercedes Lackey, part of her Elemental Masters series. It is set in England and is based on the fairy tale Puss In Boots.
Plot summary.
Ninette Dupond was a dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet who was chosen to be the lead when the prima ballerina Mademoiselle Jean-Marie Augustine is injured. Despite the good reviews her performance receives, she is fired because Augustine becomes jealous of her. Poor and desperate, Ninette is surprised when she finds a tomcat that is able to psychically talk to her. The cat, Thomas, convinces Ninette to migrate to England and become a premier dancer there. With no better options, Ninette takes the chance despite her disbelief in magic.
On the way, Thomas teaches her English, instructs her on the basics of the magical world and convinces her to adopt the identity of the Russian ballerina, Nina Tchereslavsky. Thomas is also able to convince the owner of a music Hall, Nigel Barret, who is an Elemental Master of Air to take 'Nina' on as the main act of his show. In a ploy based on the fairy tale, Nigel and his partners discover Ninette posing as "Nina" supposedly shipwrecked on a beach near Blackpool. Inspired, Nigel and his partners, Arthur (who is in charge of the orchestra) and Wolf (a parrot who supposedly is the reincarnation of Mozart), create a production based on the experience. They set Ninette up in a nice apartment with a maid named Alsie McKenzie (who has no magic, but has the abilities of a Sensitive, which means she can see Elemental beings and the like ) and start rehearsals, with Ninette also doing some dancing acts on the stage in the meantime.
Nigel enlists the help of Elemental Master of Fire and stage magician, Jonathon Hightower, both for the production and that he suspects the shipwrecking was actually an attack on Nina. The threat becomes real, when the real Nina Tchereslavsky discovers Ninette's impersonation. The danger in this is that the real 'Nina' is a rogue dark earth elemental, a troll. This troll possessed the ability to absorb people's identities and their memories. Using the intelligence gained from said absorptions, 'Nina' escaped the bonds of the earth master who summoned her and has been living multiple lives, absorbing many people, and growing in magic power. When 'Nina' discovers Ninette's usurpation of her person, she is furious and vows to destroy the imposter.
The Troll uses many different types of attack, including magical and non-magical to try and destroy Ninette and Nigel's show. Meanwhile, Ninette's latent Talent awakens allowing her to share an emotion connection with her audiences and with Thomas the cat. It is revealed that Thomas is actually Ninette's father, and had been permanently enchanted into the form of a cat by an evil Master prior to Ninette's birth. He had been doing his best to protect his wife and child ever since, but Ninette's mother had died by the time of the events of the book. Eventually Thomas follows a lead back to the Troll's hideout on his own. He gets trapped in the Troll's magic but his emotional distress alerts Ninette to his peril. Ninette goes to rescue Thomas armed with a revolver with bullets crafted to fight evil magic. While Thomas distracts the troll with flattery and praise, Ninette is then able to get close enough to shoot the Troll. However this frees the troll's earth elemental servants who then try to kill Ninette and Thomas. Jonathon arrives to save the day and the burgeoning romance between the two is acknowledged.


The Little Lion Hunter

The Little Lion Hunter is a Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" cartoon released to theaters on October 7, 1939. This short was the first of a series of five films featuring the Inki and mynah bird characters.
Plot.
Little African boy Inki is out hunting in the jungle with his spear, but has some difficulty in capturing any animals. He is also oblivious to the fact that a ferocious lion has selected him as prey and is sneaking up on him.
Home media.
"The Little Lion Hunter" is available in an unrestored version on both the VHS tape "The Best of Bugs Bunny and Friends" and the laserdisc "The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2" (side 4).


The Hideous Sun Demon

The Hideous Sun Demon (sometimes billed as The Sun Demon, or in the UK as Blood on His Lips) is a 1958 science fiction horror film written, directed, and produced by Robert Clarke, who also starred in the film. It also stars Patricia Manning, Nan Peterson, Patrick Whyte, and Fred La Porta. The film focuses on a scientist (portrayed by Clarke) who is exposed to a radioactive isotope and soon finds out that it comes with horrifying consequences.
The film was inspired by the financial success of "The Astounding She-Monster" in which Clarke had starred. The film's crew was made up of University of Southern California film students, and the film's cast were either unknowns or Clarke's family and friends. The film was shot during 12 consecutive weekends and was shot by three different cinematographers. Originally budgeted at $10,000, it ended up costing $50,000. "The Hideous Sun Demon" premiered on August 29, 1958 as part of a double bill with Roger Corman's "Attack of the Crab Monsters". The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release, but has since become a cult film and has been referenced and parodied many times. An unauthorized sequel, the 1965 short film "Wrath of the Sun Demon", was produced by Donald F. Glut. Two redubbed versions of the original film have been released: the comedic "Hideous Sun Demon: Special Edition" and "What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon" (also known as "Revenge of the Sun Demon"), the latter of which was produced with Clarke's permission.
Plot.
When research scientist Dr. Gilbert "Gil" McKenna (Clarke) falls unconscious after accidentally being exposed to radiation during an experiment with a new radioactive isotope, he is rushed to a nearby hospital. Attending physician Dr. Stern (Robert Garry) is surprised to find that Gil shows no signs of burns typical for five-minute exposure to radiation and informs Gil's co-workers, lab assistant Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) and scientist Dr. Frederick Buckell (Patrick Whyte), that he will keep the patient under observation for several days.
Later, Gil is taken to a solarium to receive the sun's healing rays. While he naps, he transforms into a reptilian creature, horrifying the other patients. Fleeing from the scene, Gil discovers his new appearance. Stern notifies Ann and Dr. Buckell about the incident, theorizing that the exposure to radiation caused a reversal of evolution, transforming Gil into a prehistoric reptile after exposure to sunlight. Stern suggests that Gil can control his symptoms by staying in the dark and remaining in the hospital, but admits that the patient cannot be held against his will.
Having reverted to normal, a disconsolate Gil notifies Ann of his resignation. Confining himself to his house and only coming out at night, Gil spends his hours drinking and wandering aimlessly around the grounds of his estate. He later drives to a bar where sultry piano player Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson) is performing.
Buckell soon receives word that noted radiation-poisoning specialist Dr. Jacob Hoffman (Fred La Porta) has agreed to help Gil and plans on arriving in the area within a few days. When radiation poisoning studies offer no leads on solving Gil's own particular symptoms, the distraught scientist contemplates suicide, but soon changes his mind. Instead, Gil returns to the bar where Trudy joins him for a drink and comments that the evening is not over because it is "never late until the sun comes up." Although Gil is disturbed by the comment, his loneliness draws him closer to her. When bar patron George insinuates that he has purchased Trudy's company for the evening, Gil defends her, causing a fight between the two men. After knocking George unconscious, Gil flees with Trudy into the night. Later that evening, after walking the shoreline, they make love, falling asleep in the sand until the morning light awakens Gil. Horrified, Gil flees in his car leaving Trudy stranded on the beach. Arriving at the house, Gil runs in, but not before the transformation occurs.
Ann soon arrives, discovering Gil cowering in the cellar in a state of shock. Believing that he is beyond help, Gil at first refuses to see Dr. Hoffman, but after Ann's tearful pleading, Gil reluctantly agrees. During the examination, Dr. Hoffman orders Gil to remain in the house at all times as a precaution until he can return with help. Feeling guilty for leaving Trudy, Gil returns to the bar but is brutally beaten by George and his gang. Gil regains consciousness the next morning and discovers that Trudy, having felt sorry for him, brought him home to her apartment. George soon arrives and, upon seeing Gil, forces him at gunpoint out into the daylight. Transforming into the creature, Gil murders George in front of the horrified Trudy before fleeing into the hills. Returning to the house, Gil finds Ann, Dr. Hoffman and Buckell waiting there and returns to his normal human state. A disturbed Gil later admits to the murder, with the others assuring him that he acted in self-defense, but when the police arrive with an arrest warrant, the hysterical Gil flees from the grounds in his car and accidentally hits a police officer.
Hiding inside an oil field shack while police comb the area and set up roadblocks, Gil is discovered by young Suzy who offers to fetch him cookies. Hurrying back to her house, Suzy is caught hoarding cookies by her mother and is forced to reveal who they are for. While her mother calls the police, Suzy slips out of the door to return to Gil. Her mother chases after her into the oil field, and police cars soon arrive. Realizing Suzy is endangered by being with him, Gil carries the girl out of the shack into the sunlight where he lets her go. He soon transforms into the creature. In the ensuing police chase, Gil slaughters one of the officers and then climbs the stairs to the top of a tall natural gas tank, where the remaining officer chases after him. As Gil begins to strangle him, the officer shoots Gil in the neck. Mortally wounded, the mutated Gil falls several stories to his death while Buckell, Hoffman and a sobbing Ann watch in dismay.
Production.
Development.
Development for "The Hideous Sun Demon" began after the 1957 release of "The Astounding She-Monster", a science fiction film starring Clarke. In his contract for the film, Clarke was promised five percent of "She-Monster"'s profits in addition to his salary. Although Clarke later admitted that the film was awful, it was a financial success, with Clarke receiving a sizable sum from the film's box office returns. Inspired by that film's financial success, Clarke decided to direct his own low-budget science fiction film. According to Clarke, the story for the film was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", which dealt with multiple personalities. Clarke and co-writer/director Tom Boutross (although some sources, including Clarke himself, say his friend Phil Hiner co-wrote the first draft) wrote the first draft of the screenplay, then-titled "Saurus" or "Sauros", names taken from the Latin word meaning "reptile". Other working titles for the film included "Strange Pursuit" and "Terror in the Sun". Boutross, who is also credited as one of the film's co-directors, later edited films like "Rat Fink" (1965), "A Man Called Dagger" (1967) and 1974 hit "The Legend of Boggy Creek". The first draft of the script was significantly different from what would be shown in the finished film. The original storyline centered on an explorer and a female lawyer searching for uranium in the country of Guatemala. While there, they are tormented by a man who had been mutated by experiments conducted on him by his scientist father, who is an expert in radiation, and when the young man is exposed to the sun, he transforms into a reptilian creature.
The film's crew consisted of students from the University of Southern California. Clarke pitched the story idea to Robin Kirkman, a student at USC, who liked the idea. The two men formed the production company Clarke-King Enterprises, and Kirkman worked as the film's associate producer.
E.S. Seely, who later directed the 1961 film "Shangri-La", wrote the final draft of the film's screenplay, which was then rewritten by Doane R. Hoag who "polished the dialogue", according to Clarke. The film was initially budgeted at $10,000, but by the end of production, it had cost $50,000 in total. The film was Clarke's first and only effort as writer or director.
Casting.
Clarke, the film's director, writer and producer, also starred in the lead role of Dr. Gilbert McKenna. A veteran actor, he wanted his character to seem realistic and multi-dimensional, with both bad and good qualities. "I acted the part as if I wouldn't let anything get in my way", Clarke later recalled. The rest of the cast consisted mostly of aspiring actors and actresses from around USC, with some characters played by Clarke's friends and family. Actress Nan Peterson, in her acting debut, was cast in the role of Trudy Osborne because of her voluptuous figure, according to Clarke. Originally, singer Marilyn King of The King Sisters, who was Clarke's sister-in-law, was cast for the role, but she dropped out due to her pregnancy at the time of production. King, however, did write and perform the song "Strange Pursuit", featured in the bar scene in the film, providing the vocals for Peterson's character. Peterson had previously worked as a model for Catalina Bathing Suits and was touring nationwide as "Miss Vornado" for the Vornado air conditioning company. Xandra Conkling, who played the little girl who befriends McKenna in the film, was actually the daughter of Clarke's wife's sister. Pearl Driggs, who portrayed an old woman on the hospital roof, was Clarke's mother-in-law. A radio announcer heard in the film was played by Clarke's sister-in-law's fiancé, and Clarke's nephew played a newsboy in the film.
Filming.
Principal photography for "The Hideous Sun Demon" commenced in 1957, lasting over a period 12 consecutive weekends on rented equipment. At the time of production, Clarke was busy acting in other films during weekdays while the student film crew attended school. A decision to film during the weekends was made, since it was the only time that both Clarke and the crew were free. The cast and crew were paid $25 per day. Due to the film's low budget, items such as clothing and make-up were provided by the film's stars themselves. "I had to do my own make-up, [and] use my own clothes ... it was a very low-budget film", Peterson later recalled. The film was shot by three different cinematographers, all credited at the end of the film: John Morrill, who Clarke later stated shot at least half the film; Vilis Lapeniks, who also shot "Eegah" and the 1966 horror film "Queen of Blood" before working on bigger projects like "Newman's Law" (1974), "Capone" (1975) and "Kiss Daddy Goodbye" (1981); and Stan Follis, in his only film credit.
The film was one of the first to use practical locations during shooting. According to Clarke, "When we needed a scene in a bar, we went to Santa Monica and asked a guy how much money he would charge to let us come in and shoot scenes in his bar". Because Clarke also acted in the film, editor and co-writer Tom Boutross served as co-director on the film. The main character's home in the film was located on Lafayette Boulevard in Los Angeles, which is no longer standing. The four-story rooming house was rented for 5–6 weekend days for $25 per day. The exterior shots of the character's house were shot in a different location around Glendale Hill. A scene in the film where a transformed McKenna graphically crushes a rat with his bare hands was not in the script, and was improvised while on location. The effect was accomplished by placing ketchup on the rat; Clarke would then gently squeeze the rat, making the ketchup ooze from his fingers. This scene was removed from prints that were released on television, but was later restored.
Coastal scenes were filmed at Bass Rock and near Trancas, while other scenes were filmed near Signal Hill. The film's climax was filmed around the area of the Union Station train depot. The large gas tank, which stood over 300 feet tall, was made available to the cast and crew by the Southern California Gas Company. Filming at this location proved to be a challenge, as the cast and crew had trouble communicating with each other, with Clarke attempting to direct the film crew while on top of the large structure.
The title monster was designed by production designer Richard Cassarino, who created the suit for $500, and was built over a diver's wetsuit. Conditions inside the suit were very hot; combined with the humid weather, this caused Clarke, who performed his own stunts in the film, to sweat profusely. The original mask is currently owned by archivist and occasional actor Bob Burns. Cassarino later worked as production designer for the 1958 film "Hell Squad", and also was responsible for designing the sea creature costume in the science fiction film "Destination Inner Space" (1966).
Release.
Theatrical release.
Clarke initially had no distribution deals set up for the film. Clarke's brother – a sales manager at an Amarillo, Texas, television station – put him into contact with the owner of several local drive-in theaters. Clarke agreed to premiere his film in Amarillo, and it played on a double bill with the Roger Corman film "Attack of the Crab Monsters", under the alternate title "The Sun Demon", on August 29, 1958. Peterson and Clarke appeared at the premiere, and, after the film, performed an interview together. While the audience was distracted, Clarke changed into his costume and made an appearance as the Sun Demon. After this success, Clarke declined a distribution deal with American International Pictures and instead chose a competitor, Miller-Consolidated Pictures, who distributed it across the US and UK in December 1959. Clarke made additional personal appearances as the Sun Demon. However, 18 months after the company started distributing the film, it went bankrupt. Because of this, Clarke never saw any income from the deal.
Clarke later sold off the films rights to various distributors. In the United Kingdom, the film was distributed by D.U.K. and released with the title "Blood on His Lips".
Home media release.
"The Hideous Sun Demon" was released on VHS as a part of "Elvira's Movie Macabre" by Rhino Home Video on September 8, 1993. It was later released by First Look Home Entertainment on September 18, 1997. The film made its debut on DVD on March 21, 2000, issued by Image Entertainment. It was later re-released by Image Entertainment as a two-disc double feature on December 30, 2003, paired with a comically redubbed sequel titled "What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon" or "Revenge of the Sun Demon". This version of the film was later released on DVD by Image Entertainment on July 15, 2003.
Reception.
Critical reception for "The Hideous Sun Demon" has been mostly negative. In a contemporary review, the "Monthly Film Bulletin" gave the film a negative review, saying that "wordy dialogue, poor acting, uneven photography and sub-standard sound all add to the disadvantage of a hopelessly illogical plot".
Bob Stephens of the "San Francisco Chronicle", in a 2000 review, criticized the film's narrative slightness and Peter Similuk's casting, but also wrote that he "must confess that I enjoy "Demon". Its naivete is a more reliable pathway to wonder than the cynicism and condescension of contemporary fantasy films could ever be".
"TV Guide" gave the film a negative review, awarding it 1.5 out of 4 stars and calling it "laughable", but also commented that the monster costume was good.
Leonard Maltin gave the film a negative review, criticised the film's production values, calling it "hideous".
In his book "The Encyclopedia of Monsters", author Jeff Rovin called it "a clever twist on the Wolfman theme" and an "effective and gritty film [that] boasts an excellent monster costume". Allmovie gave the film a positive review, calling it "a staple of TV horror programming since the early 1960s" and praising the film's claustrophobic feel, editing and actor/director Clarke's performance as the lead character, while criticizing the film's stock characters and "clunky" dialogue. In "Cult Horror Films", Welch D. Everman wrote that the film expresses traditional 1950s themes: a warning about the dangers of nonconformity and a mixed message about nuclear energy. Chris Barsanti wrote in "The Sci-Fi Movie Guide" that the film distinguishes itself from other 1950s radioactive monster films by being an allegory for alcoholism. The film has developed a cult following over the years since its release.
The full story of the making of the movie (complete with interviews with some of the participants) plus the script and pressbook are featured in the book "Scripts from the Crypt: 'The Hideous Sun Demon'" (BearManor, 2015) by Tom Weaver.
Legacy.
"Wrath of the Sun Demon".
In 1965, seven years after the release of the original film, a student short film serving as an unauthorized sequel was made by amateur filmmaker Don Glut, after he discovered the Sun Demon mask in Bob Burns' collection. Filmed in black and white with a running time of three-and-a-half minutes, "Wrath of the Sun Demon" starred Burns as the Sun Demon. The short film was made with the support of the University of Southern California, where Glut was a student at the time. The plot centered on a man (presumably McKenna) transforming into the Sun Demon and terrorizing several people before falling to his death off a cliff. The film also starred John Schuyler as the film's hero and Burns' wife Kathy.
Burns and his wife had been friends with Schuyler before production of the film. According to Glut, Schuyler had recently purchased a new sports jacket and did not want it to get soiled or damaged during production. During the fight scene, in order to avoid stepping on and damaging it, Schuyler would remove the jacket and carry it over his shoulder. When the time came for the film's climax, where the Sun Demon fell to his death off a cliff, neither Burns nor Glut wanted to do the stunt, and neither wanted to damage the mask by putting it on a dummy. So Burns modified a G.I. Joe action figure so that it resembled the Sun Demon, and Glut then shot the figure in slow motion tumbling down a hole that resembled a valley. The original film's soundtrack was later added to the remake during post-production, with Glut's friend Bart Andrews supplying the Sun Demon's voice.
Parodies.
Two redubbed versions of the film have been released. Years after Clarke sold off the film's rights, they were purchased from Wade Williams by Hadi John Salem and Gregory Steven Brown, who released a redubbed version of the film titled "Hideous Sun Demon: The Special Edition". Unlike the original film, this version was intended to be a comedy.
Writing for "Cinefantastique", David J. Hogan described plans for the original footage to be redubbed using a new screenplay written by Mark and Allan Estrin, with Clarke's character Gil renamed Ishmael Pivnik. This version was to center on Pivnik, whose formula for an oral suntan lotion transforms the hapless scientist into a monster. Salem and Brown were inspired by Woody Allen's redubbing of the 1965 Japanese spy thriller film "", which Allen then transformed into his directorial debut comedy film, "What's Up, Tiger Lily?". The resulting redubbing was titled "What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon" (also known as "Revenge of the Sun Demon"), which was released with the original director's permission. Salem and Brown were not credited as the producers in this version, which was produced by Jeffrey A. Montgomery and written by Craig Mitchell. New footage for this version was shot with Clarke's son Cam along with Googy Gress, Mark Holton and Susan Tyrell. Actor and talk show host Jay Leno provided the uncredited voice for McKenna.
Image Entertainment released this film on DVD twice in 2003, first by itself on July 15, and later as a double feature with "The Hideous Sun Demon" on December 30.
In other media.
Clips from "The Hideous Sun Demon" appeared in the film "It Came from Hollywood", while
part of the film's soundtrack was used during the cemetery chase scene in "Night of the Living Dead". The film appeared on "Elvira's Movie Macabre", a television series in which the title character comments on the films that are shown, and the screenplay for the film was published as "Scripts from the Crypt: The Hideous Sun Demon" by BearManor on May 1, 2011. A modeling kit of the Sun Demon character was released by Resin from the Grave in 1988, sculpted by Fred Hinck.
In an interview with UK publishing company PS Publishing, author Bruce Golden credited "The Hideous Sun Demon" as inspiration for his book "Monster Town". According to Golden, he previously wrote a short story titled, "I Was a Teenage Hideous Sun Demon", which he described as a "dark satire" of the film. The band Hideous Sun Demons was named after the film.
References.
Bibliography
External links.
Wrath of the Sun Demon
What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon?/Revenge of the Sun Demon


The Underdog Show

The Underdog Show was a six-week television series presented by Julian Clary and his dog, Valerie. The series was produced by the independent production company Splash Media.
Format.
The show on BBC2 featured celebrities Julia Sawalha, Anton du Beke, Clive Anderson, Huey Morgan, Mishal Husain, Selina Scott, Kirsty Gallacher and Theo Paphitis pairing up with untrained rescue dogs for a Crufts-style competition. Every week, one duo was eliminated by a panel of three professional judges Kay Lawrence, Annie Clayton and Peter Purves and the viewers via telephone voting. The outgoing dog being put up for adoption to find a new home with a viewer, although Theo, Kirsty and Clive adopted the rescue dogs they were paired with.
Steve Mann of Alpha Dog training School was the successful trainer of eventual winners, Selina and Chump.
Steve Mann, a full-time professional Dog Trainer is considered one of the best dog trainers in the UK.
A spin off show on CBBC replaced the celebrities with eight children paired up with eight rescue dogs and eight professional dog trainers.
The numbers in brackets e.g. (8th) denote the final position the celebrity finished in, not the order they were eliminated.
Series 2.
A second series aired on Living instead of BBC Two. It was hosted by Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Mark Durden-Smith.
Raef, Jason, Brian and Kevin all adopted the dogs that they were paired with.
The numbers in brackets e.g. (10th) denote the final position the celebrity finished in, not the order they were eliminated.


Crocodile Love Story

Crocodile Love Story is a 2013 Indian film directed by Anoop Ramesh and produced by Anurag Motion Pictures. It features Praveen Prem and Avanthika Mohan in the lead roles, with crocodile in supporting roles. The music and background score is composed by Arun Sidharrth. The movie, which used the technique of Animatronics for the first time in Malayalam cinema released on 19 July 2013.
Plot.
Kiran (Praveen Prem), son of retired Government staff Parameswaran (R. K. Thayyil) is working in a hardware firm after completing his B.Tech course, with no responsibilities and aims in his life. Nithya (Avanthika Mohan), only daughter of bank manager Narayanan Namboothiri (Ashokan) and Gayathri (Maya Viswanath) is working in a private IT firm after completing her M.Tech. These two childhood friends meet each other and eventually fall in love. But the parents of both their families are against the love between them, being very conventional. They elope to a distant remote place near to a forest. There a crocodile enters between them, and thus crocodile love story begins. The interesting incidents and unexpected twists happening after crocodile's entry forms the rest of the story.
Production.
The pooja of the film was held in Thiruvananthapuram on 2 January 2013, which was attended by many special guests such as director Shyamaprasad, director Shaji Kailas, producer Suresh Babu of Revathi Kalamandir, his wife and old Malayalam actress Menaka, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation mayor Adv. J. Chandrika and also by most of the cast and crew of the film. The first schedule which also included the shooting of one song started on 9 January 2013 at Thiruvananthapuram with Corporation Mayor Adv. J. Chandrika, mother of director Anoop Ramesh switching on the camera and completed in various places of Thiruvananthapuram within 24 days. The second schedule shooting was done at Malampuzha dams in Palakkad in March with a duration of around 18 days, mainly shooting the scenes of crocodile. The editing and dubbing works have been completed in Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai.
Soundtrack.
The music and background score for the movie is composed by Arun Sidharrth, while Sreeprasad C penned the lyrics. Audio and video of the song has been released on 5 July 2013.
Critical reception.
Crocodile Love story getting mixed reviews from critics.
tikkview.com gives 2.8/5 for this movie. They have given good ratings for visual graphics, music and cinematography.


Spongiforma squarepantsii

Spongiforma squarepantsii is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae, genus "Spongiforma". Found in Malaysia, it was described as new to science in 2011. It produces sponge-like, rubbery orange fruit bodies that have a fruity or musky odour. The fruit bodies reach dimensions of wide by tall. Like a sponge, they will resume their original shape if water is squeezed out. The spores, produced on the surfaces of the hollows of the sponge, are almond-shaped with rough surfaces, and measure 1012.5 μm by 67 μm. The name of the fungus is derived from the Nickelodeon cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants from the show of the same name. "S. squarepantsii" is one of two species in "Spongiforma"; it differs from "S. thailandica" in its color, odour, and spore structure.
Taxonomy and classification.
The species was first described scientifically online in May 2011 in the journal "Mycologia", authored by American mycologists Dennis E. Desjardin, Kabir Peay, and Thomas Bruns. The description was based on two specimens collected by Bruns in 2010 in Lambir Hills National Park, in Sarawak, Malaysia. The species had first appeared in the literature in 2010 in a study of the ectomycorrhizal mushrooms in a tropical dipterocarp rainforest in Lambir Hills, although it was not formally described in this publication. Because of its unusual form, Desjardin and colleagues were initially uncertain whether the new species was a member of the Basidiomycota or the Ascomycota. Further analysis showed that the species was aligned with "Spongiforma", a genus that was newly described from dipterocarp forests of Thailand in 2009. The similarity between the species collected in Borneo and "Spongiforma thailandica" was confirmed with molecular analysis, which showed a 98% match between ribosomal DNA sequences of the two.
The genus name "Spongiforma" refers to the sponge-like nature of the fruit body, while the specific epithet "squarepantsii" is a Latinisation of the well-known Nickelodeon cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants, whose shape was purported to share a resemblance to the fungus. Additionally, the authors note that the spore-bearing surface (the hymenium), when viewed with scanning electron microscopy, somewhat resembles a "seafloor covered with tube sponges, reminiscent of the fictitious home of SpongeBob". Although the epithet was originally rejected by the editors of "Mycologia" as "frivolous", Desjardin and colleagues insisted that "we could name it whatever we liked".
Description.
The fruit body of "Spongiforma squarepantsii" is bright orange coloured, roughly spherical to oval, and measures wide by tall. Although it lacks a stipe, it has a rudimentary "columella"—a small cord of sterile tissue that extends to the center of the fruit body. The surface of the fruit body has deep ridges and folds somewhat resembling a brain. It is sponge-like and rubbery—if water is squeezed out, it will resume its original shape. The surface has irregular, relatively large cavities (locules), lined with fertile (spore-producing) tissue. The locules are between in diameter. The ridges of the locules are pale orange or lighter and ciliate (having hairlike projections). Fruit bodies have a strong odour described as "vaguely fruity or strongly musty". The mushroom tissue turns purple when a drop of 3% potassium hydroxide (KOH) is applied. In mass, the spores are a reddish-brown or deep mahogany colour. The edibility of the fruit body is unknown.
The almond-shaped spores are typically 10–12.5 μm by 6–7 μm with thick walls measuring between 0.5–1.2 μm. They have a small central apiculus (a depressed area when the spore was once attached to the basidium via the sterigma). When mounted in distilled water, they have a coarsely warty surface and appear rusty brown in colour. When mounted in a 3% KOH solution, the spores are pale lilac grey, and the surface ornamentation forms swollen pustules that loosen and dissolve. Spores are dextrinoid (meaning they turn reddish-brown when stained with Melzer's reagent) and cyanophilic (red in acetocarmine). The basidia are club-shaped, and four-spored with sterigmata up to 9.5 μm long. The ridges of the locules comprise erect cystidia mixed with chains of erect cylindrical hyphae measuring 4–6 μm in diameter. The cystidia are roughly cylindrical, and have dimensions of 20–60 μm by 4–9 μm. There are no clamp connections present in the hyphae of the fungus.
Similar species.
The related species "Spongiforma thailandica", newly described in 2009, differs from "S. squarepantsii" in several ways: it has larger fruit bodies, wide by tall; its gleba is initially pale greyish-orange to brownish-grey before darkening to reddish-brown or dark brown; and it smells of coal tar. Microscopically, "S. thailandica" has spores with less prominent surface warts.
Habitat and distribution.
"Spongiforma squarepantsii" was found growing on the ground in Lambir Hills National Park (Sarawak State, Malaysia), northern Borneo (). This tropical rainforest receives about of rain yearly, with average temperatures ranging from . The structure of the fruit body allows it to quickly revive when dry by absorbing moisture from the air. The distinctive odour of the species may indicate that spore dispersal is mediated by animals.


Wattoo Wattoo Super Bird

Wattoo Wattoo Super Bird is a French cartoon series created in 1978. Consisting of 60 five-minute episodes, the series was intended to teach morals to children.
The eponymous Wattoo Wattoo is a black and white ovoid bird. He comes from a cube-shaped planet called Auguste. In the first episode he becomes aware of the very stupid and extremely wasteful race called Zwas. The Zwas are goose-like creatures (in French, "les Zwas" sounds like "les oies" = the geese) that live on the Earth in cities very much like our own. They have exaggerated human characteristics, they are irascible, badly behaved and generally thoughtless. The Zwas are not without kindness however and many of them keep pets called Credo who are spheroid cats, dogs and other similar creatures. Often the actions of the Zwas puts the Credos in danger.
Throughout the series Wattoo Wattoo helps the Zwas overcome their problems through the use of his seemingly magical powers. He is able to transform himself into any shape. Should he need the help of others of his race he has only to whistle. Other identical birds respond to the call and come down from space like comets. As they fly down they vibrate and duplicate themselves until they are a flock ready to take on whatever challenge is required of them.
The series was written and directed by René Borg, co-written by Hubert Ballay and narrated by Dorothée in the original French language version.


The Turners of Prospect Road

The Turners of Prospect Road is a 1947 British drama film directed by Maurice J. Wilson and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Helena Pickard and Maureen Glynne. A pet greyhound wins a major race meeting. It was shot at Walton Studios. As of 1996, it was missing from the National Film Archive. It was shown on Talking Pictures TV on 16 May 2021.
Premise.
A London cabby finds a greyhound puppy in his cab, and gives it to his daughter. She raises it and trains it up at the race tracks, and in spite of crooked rival owners, the dog eventually wins the Greyhound Derby.
Critical reception.
"TV Guide" noted, "there are some fine moments of humor in this simple film and the acting is good, though not extraordinary. Made on an obviously limited budget, this is a good example of generic filmmaking, its amiable and predictable story populated by cutout characters."
The film was criticised by sectors of the greyhound industry for stereotypical portrayal of greyhound racing. The filming took place at Clapton Stadium and White City Stadium.


Martin the Warrior

Martin the Warrior is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1993. It is the sixth book in the "Redwall" series. It is also one of the three "Redwall" novels to be made into a television series, alongside the self-titled novel (Season 1) and "Mattimeo" (Season 2).
Plot.
"Martin the Warrior" tells the story of a young mouse named Martin, a slave in Marshank under the cruel stoat Badrang the Tyrant. When Badrang leaves Martin to be tortured by the weather and the birds, a young mousemaid named Laterose, or Rose (with whom Martin falls in love) and a mole named Grumm hear his cry of defiance. They become instrumental in helping Martin, along with a squirrel named Felldoh, and Rose's brother Brome, escape Marshank. When that is accomplished, they decide to travel to Noonvale to rouse an army to attack Marshank. However, in the ocean, Felldoh and Brome are separated from Rose, Martin, and Grumm. Felldoh and Brome meet up with the Rambling Rosehip Players, a travelling band of creatures, and join forces with them, eventually freeing the slaves as Brome bluffs his way into and out of Marshank, disguised as a rat from Badrang's horde. Meanwhile, Martin, Rose and Grumm meet a hedgehog named Pallum after being imprisoned by pigmy shrews. They are eventually freed by saving the life of the Pygmy Queen's son, Dinjer, along with Pallum, who in turn joins up with them.
After a long series of adventures, the four adventurers reach Noonvale, Rose and Grumm's home. They gather an army there, but it is not large enough. But all is not lost. Boldred, a scholarly owl whom they met on the way to Noonvale, helps gather a huge army, including the pigmy shrews and the Gawtrybe (a group of savage squirrels). The entire army then sails to Marshank and reach it in good timing, since the Rambling Rosehip Players are in a predicament. Badrang and all of the vermin under his command, with the exception of mad Cap'n Tramun Clogg, are slain.
Rose is killed in the final battle by the very tyrant she had gone with Martin to defeat. After the battle, Martin, along with Ballaw, Rowanoak, Brome, and Keyla all stay in Polleekin's treehouse for the short rest of the season. Martin is devastated, his one love gone, and has nowhere to go. He declines going back to Noonvale with the rest, the memory of Laterose lingering too strong, not to mention he'll have to tell Urran Voh what had happened to his daughter. He makes a vow not to tell anyone about his friends or Noonvale, to protect them from enemies. He decides simply to relate a tale of living by the sword in the caves until the time came to move on southward.
The story of Martin and Rose is later brought to Redwall during the time of Abbot Saxtus by Aubretia, a descendant of Brome, and Bultip, a descendant of Pallum, who brought a sprig of climbing-rose culled from that which grew on Rose of Noonvale's grave. This becomes the Laterose of Redwall. In the passing of Spring to Summer, it blooms year round a bit later than the rest, and that is why it is called the Laterose.
Animated series adaptation.
In February 2021, Netflix announced that an animated streaming television series based on the novel is in the works.


Sheeep

Sheeep is a British children's animated television series that aired on CBBC, within the United Kingdom and produced by Grand Slamm Children's Films and HIT Entertainment. It is based on the book "Sheep in Wolves' Clothing" by Japanese author Satoshi Kitamura. The show followed the adventures of three sheep called Georgina, Gogol and Hubert who often end up thwarting the scheme of the wolves or even Moze's companions mess them up.


Hatch Up Your Troubles


Teddybears (TV series)

Teddybears was a children's television programme broadcast on ITV from 1997 to 2000, based on the books by Susanna Gretz. The show was about the life of five coloured teddy bears and their dog Fred. The show was filmed by Meridian Broadcasting. Journalists have compared "Teddybears" as being similar to and a rival of "Teletubbies" which was also produced around that time. However the series was targeted at older children.
History.
"Teddybears" is based on Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage's teddy bear books, the first of which was published almost 30 years before the TV programme's creation. "Teddybear"s inaugural season began on 5 January 1998.
A 1999 article in the "Bristol Post" said "Teddybears" "have become a huge hit with young viewers", having captured 64% of the target audience. Link Licensing, a United News & Media spinoff, began making toys, books, and other merchandising several months before the programme's debut. Rights and merchandising company ProVen Private Equity has from Link Licensing the rights to make Teddybears products. In 2000, Link Licensing sold the rights to Teddybears to the TV network Trio which bought 26 episodes.
Comparison with "Teletubbies".
The producers of "Teddybears" asserted that "Teddybears" is not an immediate rival of "Teletubbies"; the "Daily Record" and "The Sun" consider it a rival. The "Daily Record" noted that the two TV series have several parallels. Whereas the Teddybears eat "hot cross buns, honey, pancakes, jelly and ice cream", the Teletubbies eat "tubby toast and tubby custard". The Teddybears sing "The Teddybear Song" while the Teletubbies sing "Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"". A difference between the two TV series is that "Teddybears"s intended audience is older children.
The shows' similarities sparked "intense" coverage by the media. Newspapers and TV shows requested interviews with the teddybears, who all appeared on Richard and Judy's "This Morning".
Characters.
The five teddybears in the series are William, Sarah, Louise, Robert, and Charles. They wear "brightly-coloured furry suits" and live at No. 8 Green Street, Bearbridge. According to actress Louise Conran, who played Sarah, she had to "wear a lycra body suit, padding on top of that and then the costumes which are about half an inch thick". Since the teddybear masks were fastened to their faces with glue, the teddybear actors had to keep the masks on the entire day, even when eating dinner. From the second series the costumes were changed because of this. The actors are adults but play child-sized bears on a set in which everything they interact with is oversized.
Puppeteers Cheryl Blaize, Louise Conran, Tim Hulse, James O' Donnell, Carl Matthewman, John Tobias, Sarah Jane Honeywell, Rae Grant, Grant Mason, Simon Snellings, Kathy Ryan, Rebecca Clow, and Lee Crowley all worked on the series.


Mattimeo

Mattimeo is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1989. It is the third book in the "Redwall" series. It is also one of the three "Redwall" novels to be made into a television series, alongside its self-titled novel (Season 1) and "Martin the Warrior" (Season 3).
Plot summary.
Slagar the Cruel.
"Mattimeo" is a direct sequel to "Redwall "and" Mossflower", taking place eight seasons (two years) after the events of the first novel. The peaceful woodland creatures of Redwall Abbey are busy preparing for a feast during the summer equinox. Matthias and Cornflower have had a son named Mattimeo, who has been generally spoiled throughout his life by the inhabitants of Redwall. Meanwhile, the masked fox Slagar the Cruel and his gang of slavers are planning to enter Redwall Abbey during one of their feasts. Slagar, a villainous fox craving revenge for a crime never committed against him, intends to capture slaves from Redwall and take them to an underground kingdom ruled by a mysterious, god-like figure named Malkariss to be sold as slaves. After drugging the Abbey residents, he kidnaps Mattimeo, Tim and Tess Churchmouse, Cynthia Bankvole, and Sam Squirrel. They meet Auma, (a young badger maid) and Jube, (a hedgehog), who were also kidnapped by Slagar the Cruel. Upon discovering the children missing, Matthias, Basil Stag Hare and Jess Squirrel with the help of a few friends, leave the Abbey to hunt down Slagar and return the children back home. They encounter Cheek, an ottercub Matthias describes as "Cheek both by name and by nature".
On their journey, they meet up with Orlando the Axe, the father of Auma, and Jabez Stump, the father of Jube. As they journey, they find the Guerrilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower (Guosim), and convince them to aid the travellers on their quest.
General Ironbeak.
Meanwhile, at the Abbey, a horde of rooks, magpies, and crows led by General Ironbeak have come to conquer it. They instantly capture most of Redwall, starting from the top and working their way down. Then, Baby Rollo, Cornflower and Mrs. Churchmouse get kidnapped by the rooks, but the remaining Abbeydwellers manage to capture the Magpie brothers Quickbill, Diptail and Brightback with drugged strawberries, courtesy of Sister May. When the magpies went to forage for food for Ironbeak's crew, they ate the strawberries. The two forces then negotiate a hostage exchange. After that, the Abbey's residents take refuge in a basement called Cavern Hole, stocked with many supplies. Then Cornflower has an idea to dress up as a ghost and scare the rooks; they succeed, but General Ironbeak doesn't fall for the trick. He traps Constance in the gatehouse, then slips his army through the barricade.
Malkariss.
After a long journey up cliffs, fighting a horde of archer rats, and crossing a desert and a gorge, Matthias's gang finally arrive at the underground kingdom of Malkariss, where Slagar has been trading his slaves. There, the heroes fight the massive army of rats, while Matthias frees the slaves held there and is reunited with his son. Then while they fight Matthias fights a large fiend called the Wearet and is thrown off a walkway into a pit where he confronts Malkariss who is revealed to be an ancient and somewhat repulsive polecat. Malkariss is about to kill Matthias with his own sword when the tyrant's slaves appear and destroy their master by pelting him with the stones and rocks which they had been using to build. Matthias frees the slaves and a great battle ensues during which Malkariss' kingdom is destroyed and his minions defeated. Later, Slagar reappears and kills Vitch, a rat slaver he worked with. Matthias and Orlando attempt to kill Slagar, who flees, only to plunge to his death down a well shaft.
The company return to Redwall after Stryk Redkite kills Ironbeak and his seer Mangiz and the woodlanders of Redwall send off the remaining ravens with iron collars around their necks.
The book ends with the residents of Redwall celebrating with a feast. Father Abbot declared the season Autumn of the Warriors' Return.
Reception.
Publishers Weekly said the book is a "truly thrilling conclusion" to the Redwall trilogy, and praised the characters as being "realistically drawn" and "full of personality". The Kirkus Reviews also offered some praise, calling it a "treat for Redwall's fans", but criticized its writing as being "wholly simplistic" and lacking depth.


Sniffles and the Bookworm

Sniffles and the Bookworm is a 1939 Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on December 2, 1939, and stars Sniffles the mouse.
This is the third cartoon with Sniffles, although the plot is more in line with the "books come to life" entries from around this period.
Plot.
Mother Goose characters come to life late at night in a bookshop, serenading Sniffles the mouse, and his bookworm friend (in his first appearance) with the swing song "Mutiny in the Nursery" by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren, until the Frankenstein monster intrudes.