10 animal movies animal lovers probably haven't seen
10 movies animal lovers probably haven't seen.
image source: tumblr
I'll never forget how much my father wanted to see Dances with Wolves when it first came out. Although the movie received rave reviews, I had no interest. I got nervous at the mention of going. The poor guy went alone. When he came home, he said "Kristen, don't ever see that movie."
I knew exactly why. I could watch the goriest or horror flicks and the most suspenseful nail biters, but, as my dad so rightly put it, I'm "not good with movies where animals get into scrapes." I have followed my dad's advice, and I still haven't seen Dances With Wolves.
In my teens, I became a vegetarian after seeing City Slickers. And not just for a day. For three years! Oh, Norman!
Why is it that some of us can watch human actors die slow, sad deaths or be slaughtered by some dude with an ax with no problem, yet when we see an animal die in a movie, it creates–at minimum–a week of depression?
I have a theory.
There are some amazing human actors out there. They make us cry and laugh and feel things deeply. But we can almost always see the acting. And we know who they are. We know that if Leonardo DiCaprio bites the dust in this movie, he'll win an oscar for next year's flick. In contrast, animals don't usually become ultra-famous. They just are who they are. And you can't see the acting. I'm fully aware that "no animals were harmed in the making of this film," but those animals in those scrapes are so much more believable. And, chances are, we won't see them in next year's big blockbuster. When they fade on screen, that's it. We really do, in a sense, lose them.
So here are ten movies I've never seen. Most are classics and I'm sure should be seen. But, no thank you.
Old Yeller (1957)
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Turner & Hooch (1989)
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
My Dog Skip (2000)
Marley & Me (2008)
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Do you have a theory about why these movies are so hard to watch? Which of these movies have you seen? Which others would you add to the list?
All movie poster images sourced from IMDb.
an unconventional family bonded by a dog: childsplay's "super cowgirl and mighty miracle"
I figured that the littles and I would enjoy any play where one of the main characters is a dog (played by a human), but I didn't realize how touching and thought-provoking a seemingly simple tale could be. We knew going in that Childsplay's Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle would likely be fantastic. When we saw The Velveteen Rabbit a few months ago, we were blown away. What surprised me about this production was how playwright José Cruz González took serious current social issues and made them approachable for young audiences and how Childsplay's actors communicated the story in such a way that these beginning theater-goers could "feel."
Childsplay summarized the play:
When a stray dog appears on the doorstep, it's love at first sight for six-year-old Cory, and the last straw for Grandma Autumn. Life hasn't been easy lately for either of these two, facing absent parents and lost homes. But in a delightfully surprising story filled with humor and heart, Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle reminds us love makes almost anything possible, even in hard times.
The subject matter couldn't be more timely.
We had the honor of listening to González speak about the play before it began. He explained how he wanted to tackle current issues that are facing so many in our country. He wanted to illustrate an unconventional family both in terms of multiple generations and in terms of race and culture.
My children (ages five and seven) were quite entertained throughout the performance. There were no untimely bathroom requests or declarations of starvation. They were riveted. They laughed a lot, and felt the tension that some parts of the story required. I enjoyed watching their faces as much as I enjoyed watching the performance. With such complex, sensitive issues being raised I wondered how much my children absorbed. I asked them what the play was about (possible spoilers):
Quotes from my seven-year-old:
• "The girl had to live with her grandma because her mom was dead and her papa had to go to another country to work. They didn't have a lot of money, so that must have been hard."
• "I thought it was cool how they went to all the different places and just switched a couple of things on the stage so you could tell where they were."
• "The girl helped the dog, and the dog helped the girl and her grandma, too, so they became a real family. They all loved each other."
Quotes from my five-year-old:
• "Love...and family."
• "The play was about the dog saving the girl's life just like she saved his life."
• "The girl and the grandma didn't get along so well at the beginning, but then they loved each other."
• "My favorite part was when the grandma stepped in the dog poop!"
photo provided by Childsplay
I must say, the poop part was pretty funny. There were several points during the show that had the whole audience roaring. Despite–and perhaps partly because of–the hilarious antics, the kids were able to understand that the story was about love and family.
Aside from the fabulous performance that Childsplay put on, I love the fact that they make theater approachable for kids. After the performance, the actors took their traditional bows, but then remained on the stage. They first asked the children in the audience specific questions about the play that made them think how they, as individuals, could relate to the story. Some of the questions required detailed comprehension of the story, and some didn't, so there were questions for all ages. Everyone had the opportunity to participate. The children then had the chance to ask questions of the actors. The actors were approachable and said "ask us anything!"
My favorite question came from a young man: "How old are you?"
It was clear that Osiris Cuen, who played "Cory," a six-year-old girl, was no where near that age. Yet during the performance, she made us believe she was. "I'm twenty-two," Cuen told the young man. Carlos A. Lara, who played the dog, reported his age as "twenty-four." Perhaps we can figure that out in dog years. And Chanel Bragg, who played "Grandma Autumn" was a mere thirty-one! Now I really feel old. It was wonderful to see the children in the audience asking questions that adults would typically take for granted. Not only are the children learning at an early age how to think thoroughly about a production, but adults get to view a live production through the eyes of inquisitive children. How rewarding for all!
Related: adopt a friend and get a free ticket: childsplay teams up with the arizona animal welfare league
Disclaimer: I am a Childsplay Mom2Mom Blogger. My family and I were provided tickets to this performance in exchange for my honest opinion. This review was also posted on Childsplay's Mom2Mom Blog.
wordless wednesday: so there
"no more woof:" are you buying it?
At first I thought it was an SNL sketch.
No More Woof claims to be "the first device to translate animal thoughts into human language."
Are my childhood dreams finally coming true? No...wait...this is a joke, right? Of course, I had delve in. This would either be satisfaction of my wildest fantasy (sad, I know) or a good laugh. Turns out it might be both.
No More Woof is being developed by a Scandinavian team called the Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery (NSID). They say:
The idea behind NSID is simple: The world is changing. Yesterday's giants are today's dwarfs. Only 24 companies listed on Fortune 500 in 1970 is still around. Ten years ago, Nokia was the highest valued brand in technology; nobody had heard of Facebook or the iPhone. Together with engineers, product developers and visionaries, NSID has set a goal: To find, invent and develop RADICALLY new and awesome products with the potential to change the world.
As much as I love dogs, I'm not certain that a translator is going to change the world, but we'll let that minor point slide. What might our dogs be thinking?
"Feed me."
"Feed me now."
"Feed me again."
"This smells good."
"Can I compare that aroma to the one emitting from your butt?"
"Don't you feel like BBQ-ing up some juicy steak for me?"
"HEY! HEY! HEY! THERE'S A DOG ACROSS THE STREET! HEY! HEY! HEY! HE MIGHT COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW AND KILL US ALL DEAD! HEY! HEY! HEY! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF THIS SITUATION! HEY! HEY! HEY! YOU ARE THE DUMBEST HUMAN ON THE PLANET. WE'RE ABOUT TO ALL BE KILLED AND YOU'RE JUST SITTING THERE! HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! UM...HEY! HEY! UM...WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT? HEY! Don't you feel like steak for dinner? HEY!"
or
"I think it's feeding time."
I'm just guessing, here. Our pooches might know the answer to world peace or the solution to global warming. Anything is possible.
It turns out that NSID has about ten products currently in development, including a flying carpet, which totally adds to their credibility, doesn't it? They say that No More Woof is their "definitely our most revolutionary invention so far." More so than the flying carpet? This thing must really be awesome.
Check out their informational video, since I can't describe it any better:
These people are smart, attractive (and funny) dog lovers. So forget the absurdity, and let's go with it!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT NO MORE WOOF
• I might find out what swear words N.A.S.H.A. knows when she's dead-legging me.
• Perhaps our pooches will finally claim their toots. They seem like the type to be proud of that sort of thing.
• We could learn the background and psychological history of our adopted friends (this might require a larger investment in therapy).
• We'd know what the floor really smells like.
• That world peace thing.
WHAT I'M NOT SO SURE ABOUT
"No More Woof...how may I help you?"
• How do you get them to actually wear that thing? Unless they are being paid the big bucks at a call center, of course.
• Suppose Fido wants steak and lobster with drawn butter for every meal and that's not in my monthly budget? What then?
• What if I find out my dog secretly hates me? Will I be able to afford the therapy that revelation requires?
• What if all my dog is really saying is "HEY! HEY! HEY!" Will I be able to afford the therapy that revelation requires?
• Could this be a violation of U.S. privacy acts? We'll have to check with the government on that. On second thought, we're probably all good, there.
Even if No More Woof is not the cure for global warming, it's sure to be as much a source of good old fashioned entertainment as the Ouija Board, right? At the forefront of this device's entertainment value are the voice concepts, which can be heard on their home page. I think they've nailed most of the voice possibilities we all imagine, though I'd love to see a Spanglish option, which is how I imagine most of Phoenix's chihuahuas to speak. Perhaps that's with language development.
In all seriousness, I love this thing! Imagine the possibilities! NSID has imagined future applications and accessories:
• Getting to personalize the device to distinguish even more thoughts, and combination of thoughts, like "Who is that woman? She looks nice!"
• Using the device to let hurt or disabled pets control artificial limbs or other appliances.
• Two-way communication. This is The Holy Grail for us. Not only should you be able to understand your pet. Let them understand you. A similar device can be hooked up on humans translating our thoughts into dog, or other animal tongue like–oh sweet thought–a dolphin!
• Recognition of advanced thought patterns.
• Uncensored edition: hear your dog spelling out its horny thought. Perfect opener in the park: "hey, bitch, wanna play?"
• The Pavlovian Training Kit (with the use of play and classical conditioning, you and your pet will understand each other even more. By letting the...(original instructions by Ivan Pavlov are provided).
So however impractical and crazy this whole shenanigan may seem, they've got it all figured out.
Want one? Here's the bottom line: You can preorder. Prices range from the ultra-affordable $65 to the nearly bank-breaking $1,200, depending on your translation needs and pocketbook. The No More Woof web site clearly lets us know that the actual product is a long way from being mass-produced, so we shouldn't get our hopes up, but these prices might be peanuts for what the potential may be.
Go back to your childhood and just imagine...
What would your dog say to you? Please tell us!
Connect with NSID on Facebook and connect with No More Woof on Twitter.