the rabbi 's cat ( french : le chat du rabbin ) is a 2011 french animated film directed by joann sfar and antoine delesvaux , based on volume one , two and five of sfar 's comics series with the same title .

it tells the story of a cat , which obtains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot , and its owner who is a rabbi in 1920s algeria .

the voice cast includes françois morel , hafsia herzi , maurice bénichou , fellag , françois damiens and jean-pierre kalfon .

the rabbi ' s cat ( film )

the rabbi ' s cat ( film ) <EOT> inspired by sfar’s jewish heritage , “the rabbi’s cat” tells the story of a rabbi , his daughter , and their talking cat .

cartoon cat : it’s difficult to summarize this fanciful story of a sphynx cat with no name who is known around 1920’s algiers as “the rabbi’s cat” because the story follows several different paths . the cat is loyal to the rabbi but especially to the rabbi’s daughter .

the rabbi’s cat ( le chat du rabbin ) was named best animated film at the césar awards .

families can talk about what the cat teaches the rabbi and what the rabbi teaches the cat . how do they change each other ' s lives ?

lots of plot with this cat the animation in ' the rabbi ' s cat ' is a welcome throwback — there’s enough story here to cover five movies , but the rabbi’s cat stuffs everything into 89 minutes .

to ask other readers questions about the rabbi ' s cat 2 , please sign up .

sfar , joann . the rabbi’s cat . new york : pantheon , 2005 . print .

danish film darling lars von trier ' s melancholia has seven nominations for this year ' s european film awards , including for best european film .

not wanting to be separated from the rabbi’s daughter , the cat wishes to be converted to judaism , but the rabbi isn’t sure that can be done .

the rabbi’s cat 2 by joann sfar , translated by alexis siegel : after the success of sfar’s rabbi’s cat , along with receiving the prestigious jury prize , the eccentric and entertaining gray cat returns to his usual antics and journeys , while a strong , educating , and meaningful story surrounds him . the rabbi’s cat 2 continues on , and increases the humor and fun , but also the fascinating story of this strange cat in north africa . in the first story , while the rabbi is away on his own journey , his cat

we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of the rabbi ' s cat 2 by joann sfar .

this is fine with the rabbi until the cat eats the family’s parrot and starts to speak . the rabbi then realizes the cat is a little too affectionate with his daughter and fills her head with strange notions ( the cat can read as well as speak . )

a french animated film about the unusual quest of a rabbi , a skeikh , and a talking cat to discover the unity of peoples .

the cat is supportive of the rabbi as he takes french dictation tests to remain in his position .

a french animated film about the unusual quest of a rabbi , a skeikh , and a talking cat to discover the essential unity of life .

the story of a rabbi and his talking cat , a sharp - tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi ' s teenage daughter .

the rabbi is reading the story of creation to the cat , and the cat says that the world is billions of years old and that the creation story can ' t be taken literally . there is something very humorous about a rabbi being lectured on science by a talking cat .

the ending cheapens the main character and weakens the film’s commitment to the importance of workplace organizing .

his second film is an animated picture taken from his comic book " the rabbi ' s cat " and will be released next year . it tells the story of a cat that gains the power of speech after swallowing a parrot , and converses with a rabbi who teaches him the ways of the torah .

like the title character , the makers of the rabbi ' s cat follow their noses wherever a new scent leads . their eternal curiosity buoys this cat , then impairs it somewhat , but redeems it by the end .

the animated film presents a philosophical debate involving a thoughtful rabbi and a disputatious feline . their costar : 1930s africa .

if there is a french animated film about a cat you want to see , pick this one over the more lauded a cat in paris . while it may lack the more stylized elements of the previously mentioned along with its terrific jazz / blues score , the rabbi ' s cat makes up in spades with plot and philosophy of the world .

ozon ' s provocative film can do much to improve attitudes towards lgbti people .

the man wishes to find a mythical jewish holy city in africa and so the rabbi and cat and others set out on the adventure .

the rabbi ' s cat explores themes of religion and philosophy and why people should attempt to coexist in peace while respecting one another ' s personal differences in beliefs and politics .

the film , inspired by gibran’s poetry , is a delightful mix of animation styles from some of the world’s top animators .

set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism .

a leading figure in france’s comic book scene , this accomplished artist owes his fame to his comic book series the rabbi’s cat , dungeon and little vampire . his love for film naturally led him behind the camera with the animated adaption of the rabbi’s cat , but also with the very personal gainsbourg : a heroic life , which he presented as being the transposition of his comic book world in the film " with puppets , songs , poetry and costumes – to illustrate my personal vision of gainsbourg’s fantasies " .

the rabbi ' s cat is an entertaining , surreal animated film from france about a pet cat that amazingly gains the ability to speak after eating a parrot , and uses his voice to announce his goal of converting to judaism in order to gain the approval of the rabbi to stay by the side of his daughter , whom the cat has a physical attraction to . sounds pretty strange , right ? it totally is , and that ' s one of the aspects of this film that worked so well for me .

cat in paris , 2011 ( oscar nominee , best animated film ) headed the oscar campaign , and also consulted on the release .

joann sfar ' s beloved , humorous , and wise talking cat is back for more beautifully illustrated adventures in algiers and across africa in the 1930s . while the rabbi is away , his cat tags along with malka of the lions ( the rabbi ' s enigmatic cousin ) , who roams the desert with his ferocious - on - demand lion . some believe malka to be a pious jew , others think he ' s a shrewd womanizer , but the cat will be the one to discover the surprising truth . back in algiers , the rabbi ' s daughter , zlabya , and her new husband fill the house with their fighting , while the city around them fills with a rising tide of anti - semitism . on a whim , the rabbi ' s cat , the rabbi , a sheikh ( also a cousin of the rabbi ) , and a very misplaced russian painter set out on a fantastic journey ( even encountering a young reporter named tintin in the congo ) in search of an african jerusalem . it turns out to be very fortuitous that the rabbi ' s cat is not just a talking cat , but a multilingual talking cat .

sheik mohammed sfar ' s talking donkey disappears as they follow along the rabbi in his journey . he later reappears following the tank , than disappears again along the film .

i really loved the alternating visual styles ! minus one star because i wish the rabbi ' s daughter had been in the film more , she is a great character .

premiered in french cinemas on 1st june 2011 , the rabbi’s cat has been well received by critics , and attracted more than 500 , 000 cinema - goers and awarded in the last annecy international animated film festival the prize for best feature film ; it was also nominated for the 24th european film awards , presented last december in berlin , also in the category of best animation feature film , although the award was finally given to chico & rita .

" the rabbi ' s cat . " no mpaa rating ; in french with english subtitles . running time : 1 hour , 30 minutes . at selected theaters .

awards : nomination au prix du festival du film d ' animation d ' annecy 2011 * nomination aux european film awards 2011 .

the rabbi ' s cat is a clever and episodic cartoon for adults . the cat of a jewish family in algerian family , one day miraculously begins to speak . the rabbi is scared and seeks out the advise of his rabbi . his mistress , zlabia , is charmed by speech . the cat for his part , decides to woo his mistress and her father by getting a bar mitzah . a wacky roadtrip later follows . the movie is charming , if lackadaisical , much like a fairytale .

from there , the story flowers in several directions , with a series of episodic events : the cat demands a bar mitzvah and offends the rabbi’s teacher ; an escaping russian jew turns up in a shipment of russian books ; the rabbi’s cousin and his pet lion come to visit ; the rabbi and various associates mount a months - long quest for a fabled african jerusalem , supposedly the homeland of all blacks and jews . the story sprawls , but the perky tone , sharp dialogue , and easy comedy keep the film moving , and the eponymous cat provides a strong central point of view . like the story itself , he’s protean—devoted to the rabbi’s voluptuous daughter , loyal to the rabbi himself , and generous toward those in need , like the russian painter , but also sly , vain , self - serving , and amoral . in other words , a cat .

" just look at the parking lot . . . " - - rabbi scott

there’s also a man shipped in a box ; the rabbi’s cousin , who travels with a lion ; and simmering colonial tension between the french and algerians .

although the movie ' s many subplots are interesting , a few characters seem unnecessarily introduced - - like the rabbi ' s desert journeyman cousin " lion malka , " who figures prominently in the books but has little to do in the movie . but the cat ' s myriad observations about religion and life are both educational and entertaining ( and occasionally hilarious ) . and audiences will learn as they ' re sucked into a story with messages that are still relevant - - particularly the relationship between the rabbi and his muslim cousin . this cat speaks the truth , and the rabbi ' s cat is an animated adventure worth reading subtitles to see .

i have to say , this film doesn’t get the love it deserves . i think the lebowski fans will pick up on this film after a few tries .

with its winding plotline , unique artistic style , and distinct characters , the rabbi’s cat is not the average comic book . the story follows the lives of a rabbi , a rabbi’s cat , and a rabbi’s daughter . but in actuality , the novel chronicles a much larger narrative , transcending above the individual realm into the philosophical , historical , and universal . rooted in a specific time and place—algeria and paris in the 1930’s—the rabbi’s cat encapsulates an entire jewish world of the past and simultaneously questions and explores the very essence ( or lack thereof ) of jewishness in the present . a close investigation into the narration , artwork , characters , and plot will shed light on the novel’s impactful claims about the fluidity of jewish history and identity . through an emphasis on geography , a continual variation of artistic style , and the diversity of jewish characters , sfar paints a picture of jewishness characterized by historical environment , internal difference and exclusion , and impending cultural loss .

sfar speaks about film - making very much as a learning process for him . he ' s very modest about the film , and despite critical acclaim in france remains focussed on improving .

set in pre - world war ii algeria , the rabbi ' s cat is based on director joann sfar ' s graphic novels and follows the fantastical tale of a rabbi ( voiced by maurice benichou ) and his lovely daughter ( hafsia herzi ) , whose cat gains the ability to talk after swallowing a parrot . with his powers of speech , the cat ( francois morel ) begins to question whether he , like his master and mistress , is jewish . after discovering a young russian jew hidden in a shipping crate , the rabbi and his cat follow the strapping zionist across africa - - with the help of a distant cousin who ' s a muslim scholar - - to find the african jews of ethiopia .

really 3 . 5 stars the talking cat with the big ears who offers insightful commentary on his rabbi master and life in algeria in the early 20th century is back . the rabbi ' s daughter is fighting with her husband ( also a rabbi ) , and the cat is quite happy with that . it means more snuggles from his mistress , zlabya . of course , the talking cat also has a couple of adventures . first he and a snake tag along with the famous malka and his lion on a trek around the desert . then , a stowaway russian jew show

the rabbi adheres to jewish law but considers many other perspectives as well . he respects his distant cousin who ' s a muslim , and he ' s willing to teach his talking cat about judaism , even though his mentor and rabbi tells him it ' s a bad idea . zlabya is a strong female character , as is the russian ' s african wife , both of whom state their mind with conviction . the sfar cousin , like the rabbi , is open minded and abhors violence for violence ' s sake .

straight out of the american film market ( afm ) , we’ve got your first look at french director / author / comic book artist joann sfar’s feature film adaptation of his beloved graphic novel the rabbi’s cat . the french animated film , from one of the most celebrated artists of the new wave of franco - belgian comics , is a tale about a rabbi who has his hands full , and sets off on an adventure to a mythical city alongside some affable companions which include his talking cat . sfar co - directed and wrote the hand - drawn 2d animated film , his second feature after this year’s gainsbourg . don’t let the logline fool you , as his books are famous for diving into the headier themes of life . hit the jump to check out the images , as well as an official synopsis .

sfar made his directorial debut with “gainsbourg : vie heroique , ” a 2010 feature film mixing live action and animation , about the iconic french singer serge gainsbourg . the film won three cesar awards ( france’s equivalent to the oscar ) . he is best - known for his comic book series “the rabbi’s cat” which was adapted into an animated feature and was co - directed by sfar . it won a cesar award .

loaded with all the baggage one would expect from an artsy and religiously - themed french animated feature , the rabbi ' s cat sports just enough quirkiness to remain afloat . based on a comic book series about a rabbi , his daughter , and their cat who have various adventures and philosophical discussions - see , the cat sporadically gains the ability to talk - this film version spends the first three - quarters with a lazy setup , establishing relationships and introducing various eccentric individuals , before it gets anywhere near actual adventures . the characters are charming , including the querulous cat whose opinions tend to lean agnostic and often serve as the progenitor of numerous theological musings throughout the film . animation is an independent , thin - lined and low - framerate pastiche reminiscent of…

the cow that wanted to be a hamburger 2010 . animated short film shortlisted to 10

synopsis : based on a comic book series by co - director joann sfar , this is an imaginative tale about a rabbi’s cat ( voiced by françois morel ) who finds he is able to converse with humans and joins in their adventures while holding fast onto his love for the rabbi’s daughter ( voiced by hafsia herzi ) .

" brave , " " frankenweenie , " " hotel transylvania , " " paranorman , " " rise of the guardians , " " the pirates ! band of misfits , " " the rabbi ' s cat " and " wreck - it ralph " have earned nominations for animated film of the year for the annie awards .

this contains the fourth and fifth chapters of sfar ' s continued tales of the rabbi ' s cat who gained , and then lost , the gift of speech . like the latter half of the first book , these chapters focus less on the cat than on the stories and doings of the humans he travels with . racism and religious intolerance are dealt with here , but again , the philosophical dueling of the cat is missing . i didn ' t find this book as engaging as the earlier volume .

best and worst advice given : the worst advice : “this has nothing to do with comics . ” in fact , it has everything to do with comics . the best advice : “an animated film develops exactly the same way as a live - action film . ” an animated film does develop exactly the same way as a live - action film !

the 40th annie award nominations were announced this morning ( dec . 3 ) and it looks like asifa voters decided to spread the wealth among many of this year’s animated features and tv shows . in the crowded best animated feature category , eight pictures—pixar’s brave , disney’s frankenweenie and wreck - it ralph , sony animaton’s hotel transylvania , focus features / laika’s paranorman , dreamworks’ rise of the guardians , sony / aardman’s the pirates ! band of misfits and gkids’ the rabbi’s cat —received nominations .

the frisky kitty at the heart of “the rabbi’s cat” — an endearingly loopy animated feature from joann sfar and antoine delesvaux — is hairless , bunny - eared and intent on preparing for his bar mitzvah . we know this because the cat , after gobbling his master’s parrot , acquires a voice ( provided by françois morel ) . and hardly ever stops using it .

although the cat has little interest in the story of creation , declaring the biblical version " ridiculous , " he becomes convinced that as a jewish cat he must have a bar mitzvah . at a loss for what to do , the rabbi goes to his teacher for counsel , but this conservative elder recommends drowning the cat for his vanity and lack of respect for essential jewish belief .

another distinct component of judaism articulated by the rabbi’s cat is an anxiety of loss , which proves to be the consequence of excluding diverse modes of jewish identity . through symbolism , sfar demonstrates how the loss of algerian jewish culture materializes through colonial hegemony and an insistence on the uniformity of identity . starting on page 29 , the rabbi’s cat describes a dream . in his dream , the rabbi tells him that zlabya is dead . water rises in the image , ultimately enveloping the cat , the rabbi , and the entire world they live in . of course , this dream foreshadows both the rabbi and the cat’s emotions when zlabya marries jules , a french jew , and moves away from home . to better comprehend the dream , we must understand zlabya as a symbol for the cultural world of algerian jews in the 1930’s . in this dream , that culture is dead . zlabya is not at her piano , in her kitchen , or reading her books , which are all locations of cultural creation ( 33 ) . now , the rabbi’s faith is meaningless , as he says , “don’t give me that garbage , i know it only too well” ( 30 ) . in the bottom left panel on page 31 , the rabbi lumbers through a diminished , small , empty , and colorless city—the algeria that once shaped his entire identity . the final two images of the dream are narrated : “she is in her tomb . and we’re not allowed go inside” ( 33 ) . this scene of exclusion echoes other moments in the book when certain forms of judaism are rejected , like when the rabbi’s rabbi will not convert the rabbi’s cat . this parallel is furthered by that rabbi’s comment that the cat “should be drowned , ” since the dream scene takes place under water ( 14 ) . another similar exclusionary episode occurs when zlabya is in her bedroom with her new husband , jules . she throws the cat across the room and slams the door in his face . just like in her tomb in the dream , zlabya is sealed off and inaccessible . these comparable moments articulate the true threat posed by excluding diverse jewish identities—the loss of an entire jewish cultural world .

with seven nods , the lars von trier film is unlikely to go home empty handed .

debuted at the toronto international film festival to critical acclaim , with the audience also clapping along to the songs .

a book about a rabbi’s cat sounds like it would be cute and whimsical rather than dealing with any serious themes . if you wanted a cute and whimsical book about a cat , there are plenty out there . this is not one of them . joann sfar , who wrote these rabbi’s cat graphic novels , is an award winning author precisely because of his themes . communication is a central theme of this novel . there is a russian character who isn’t understood by the other humans when he first arrives , yet the russian and the

rabbi sfar ( voiced by maurice benichou ) lives with his voluptuous daughter zlabya ( hafsia herzi ) and their mischievous cat . after eating the family ' s talking parrot , the feline ( francois morel ) starts talking in human language , much to the amazement of the rabbi who suddenly finds himself having to answer questions about god and faith .

based on a series of french comic books , the film features voice work by mathieu amalric , who played a nemesis of james bond in 2008’s “quantum of solace . ” the movie received a cesar , the french version of the oscar , as the best animated film of 2011 , and received a nomination in the same category at the european film awards .

it is a good thing that the rabbi ' s cat develops the power of speech when he does , as he soon has to defend himself from charges of having eaten the family bird . but to zlabya , the rabbi ' s daughter , the cat is even more adorable now . not so much to the rabbi , as the cat , being able to count also and realizing he is old enough , begins to pester the rabbi to have his very own bar mitzvah . however , the rabbi soon has bigger problems to worry about like having to pass a french test in order to be recertified which the cat promises to help with . considering that talking animals have been around as long as there have been sound movies , it does seem more than a little strange that it has taken until very recently with " the rabbi ' s cat " to fully explore what that would mean in the real world , especially in this timeless algeria where religions intersect and co - exist mostly peacefully . ( if i had to guess , i would have to say this might be the 30 ' s with the 1925 citroen playing a part , and after the russian revolution but no mention of the holocaust . ) but that ' s not all as this very entertaining film makes great use of hand drawn animation in a variety of styles to detail its world , aided by a very cool soundtrack .

the cat too contributes to the talkathon , having received the power of speech after devouring the family parrot . voiced by françois morel , he ' s a lovable rationalist who engages the rabbi in debates on religious precepts but nonetheless wants very much to be bar mitzvahed .

inspirations : my father’s side of the family are arabic - speaking algerian jews , whose interactions are an inexhaustible source of drama , humor and reflection . the cat is my actual cat—he is on my desk at the moment as i speak to you . the rabbi’s daughter resembles my grandmother , esther malka . malka of the lions is one my great uncles who was a lion tamer in the atlas mountains .

at last i have the sequel to joann sfar’s graphic novel , the rabbi’s cat . in his sequel , sfar once again places his readers and his talking cat in the heart of the jewish community in 1930′s algeria . the cast of characters includes the rabbi , his footloose and mystical cousin malka of the lions , a suspected golem who turns out to be a ( temporarily comatose ) russian painter , a catholic priest , an arab prince , a former slave who doesn’t know where she comes from , and a wandering sheik . if that soun

the title character of " the rabbi ' s cat " is not your everyday cartoon fluffball . he ' s scrawny , apparently hairless and unapologetically disputatious . the animated world he inhabits is no kid - friendly adventure but a philosophical quarrel in the form of a frenetic road trip through 1930s africa .

great observation , paul . this film is as much about being jewish as it is anything else . i would agree that larry having his land encroached upon certainly has meaning in the film beyond larry’s personal personal frustration .

chico and rita , 2011 ( oscar nominee , best animated film ) consulted on the release .

la femme et le tgv , 2016 ( oscar nominee . live action short film )

chen kaige’s the promise , 2005 ( china’s foreign language oscar submission ) golden globe nominee .

a cartoon about a cat who wants to become jewish will face off against major hollywood competition at one of the animation industry’s biggest awards shows .

the cat is back , and this time , he is in search of the lost jerusalem . no matter what adventures the cat and his rabbi may have , beneath the surface of the adventures there is sly and not so sly commentary on issues that were relevant then and , as sfar gently points out , relevant today . yes , tintin and his " moron " dog are made fun of , but watch for the story of the british colonialist , lost in a world that has passed him by and made him foreign to everyone and everything . overall , rabbi ' s cat 2

the second half of the film concerns a russian jewish refugee who escapes to algiers after being the victim of a pogrom .

i knew i wanted to work in animation when : in the ’80s , i discovered jan svankmajer . inspired by him , i got a film camera and made my own animated surrealist short film in my basement . as soon as i got the film back from the lab , i was smitten !

sfar captures the contours of a certain historical moment in algerian jewish culture . he achieves this by endowing geography with significant agency . the power of time and place in the rabbi’s cat reveals the author’s deeper convictions about jewishness . in her essay “borderlands , ” marla harris writes , “jewish identity for sfar is not unchanging and ahistorical , but is shaped by specific social , political , and geographical environments” ( 183 ) . this understanding is evident in many moments in the novel . on page 16 , the rabbi’s cat asks the rabbi’s rabbi for a jewish conversion . on this page alone , readers see the cat from five different perspectives—from behind him , in front of him , under him , next to him , and from far away . in each of these panels , the image of the city outside of the window is more and more highlighted . the building seen through the window is a reddish color with a grid - like pattern . the pattern is reflected onto the trunk the cat sits upon in the top left frame , and it almost completely covers the panel in the bottom left , in which the rabbi tells the cat that his “love of god isn’t sincere” ( 16 ) . in this way , the cat’s physical environment literally surrounds him . the next panel , on the bottom right of the page , breaks away from the previous scenery . suddenly , readers see a panoramic view of the greater city , with a clothesline , a mosque , perhaps a synagogue , homes on a hill , and a wide , blue sky . the cat , narrating , tells us , “i never said anything about love of god” ( 16 ) . this statement of disbelief in god is what eventually prevents the cat from conversion . but with such an important statement , the reader does not even see the cat’s face . rather , we see his city . in this crucial moment , the climax in this discussion of faith , geography moves from the story’s background to its foreground . this page illustrates sfar’s understanding that one’s most intimate beliefs and identities are shaped by the geographical environment .

this review was originally published at the next best book club blog . to see the version of my review that has images from the graphic novel , please click the link ! to prepare for this book review , i re - read the rabbi’s cat ( read my review at tnbbc here ) . it was just as marvelous and charming as the first time i read it , if not more so . the cat’s facial expressions are funny and thoughtful while he discusses religion with his master and other jews in algiers in the 1930s . random “cat moments” pop

le chat du rabbin is a movie starring mathieu amalric , hafsia herzi , and françois damiens . set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism .

this french animated film is charming but a bit mature for young eyes , so parents may wish to view this film first before setting their kids in front of netflix to view .

camera q & a : hampton fancher on his l . a . film and tv career

along with producer antoine delesvaux and the ceo of ateliers granovsky , dimitri granovsky , joann sfar will chat with the audience about the progress he’s made on his upcoming film .

including “wreck - it ralph , ” “brave” and “paranorman” for the top prize at february’s annie awards , handed out by the international animated film association . in addition to a nomination in the best animated feature category , the film has also earned a directing nod for joann sfar .

proudest of : since i am unable to choose a section of the film that i prefer ( screenplay , set design , animation , directing , editing , musical direction , etc . ) , i believe that i’ve succeeded with my film . it’s the first time that this has happened to me… ! it’s also the reason why i have a particular fondness for the artists and technicians that made this film with me .

“ adventures in zambezia ” “brave” “ delhi safari ” “dr . seuss’ the lorax” “frankenweenie” “ from up on poppy hill ” “ hey krishna ” “hotel transylvania” “ice age continental drift” “ a liar’s autobiography : the untrue story of monty python’s graham chapman ” “madagascar 3 : europe’s most wanted” “ the mystical laws ” “ the painting ” “paranorman” “the pirates ! band of misfits” “ the rabbi’s cat ” “rise of the guardians” “ secret of the wings ” “ walter & tandoori’s christmas ” “wreck - it ralph” “ zarafa “

the cat is a very insightful and intelligent individual , and he is consistently more intelligent than his human companions .

in this volume ' s first story , cat travels with malka and his lion , observing how their role in the world is changing as they age and how they might cope with the changes . cat is not his prickly , philosophical self , and the story could ' ve been told by any cat . the second story sees cat accompany new and returning characters on a quest to a mythic religious city . there ' s much more adventure and philosophic wonder , as well as satisfying developments in the series ' larger plot . neither story feels a

roger ebert became film critic of the chicago sun - times in 1967 . he is the only film critic with a star on hollywood walk of fame and was named honorary life member of the directors ' guild of america . he won the lifetime achievement award of the screenwriters ' guild , and honorary degrees from the american film institute and the university of colorado at boulder .

middle east audiences will not have to wait too long to see the film for themselves – it will be screened at the closing night gala of the ajyal youth film festival in doha , which runs from december 1 to 6 .

the coens also use the theme of dichotomous thinking to show how we never really know the true nature of things . this theme is most prominently featured in the film’s opening parable with the dual ( and dueling ) perspectives of velvel and dora—those of the rational and the " serious " ( the film’s synonym for " pious " ) —and in the lyrical contradiction of the verse " when the truth is found to be lies " of jefferson airplane’s " somebody to love " that is featured multiple times in the film . it is also found in larry’s realization that " everything that i thought was one way turns out to be another , " his revelation that the erotic film he once saw " wasn’t even erotic , though it was in a way , " and in the way that rabbi marshak refers to danny as a boy immediately after the bar mitzvah that made him a man . this theme of dichotomous thinking plays heavily into the film’s climax , specifically in the way the ending will be perceived by the individual perspectives of those who see it .

france’s favorite kosher kitty gets a big screen 3d grooming in the rabbi’s cat ( le chat du rabbin ) , author and co - director joann sfar ’s adaptation of his highly successful comic book series . though this gorgeously animated affair showcases the artist’s freewheeling style and colorful arabesque imagery , its rambling episodic structure is not quite the cat’s meow , even if it remains a thoroughly enjoyable take on judaism in early 20 th century north africa . gallic tykes will lap up this second sfar outing ( after last year’s serge gainsbourg biopic ) , which should find sufficient bookings and fest play following an international premiere at taormina .

subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken the rabbi ' s cat official us release trailer # 1 ( 2011 ) - animated movie hd set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism . cast : mathieu amalric : urltoken director : antoine delesvaux antoine delesvaux joann sfar producer : antoine delesvaux clement oubrerie antoine delesvaux joann sfar writer : sandrina jardel joann sfar editor : maryline monthieux cinematographer : jérôme brézillon composer : olivier daviaud

february 25 , 2016 : the american humane society has announced the winners of their annual pawscars . cat winners include buttercup from the hunger games for best repurring cat performance and a mention of the cast of cinderella , including lucifer , for best ensemble performance . congratulations to this year ' s winners !

the 24th european film awards will take place in berlin on december 3 . they are run by the european film academy , which has its secretariat in berlin . this is the first time the ceremony will be held back in berlin since 2007 .

the other five nominees for the top prize are michel haznavicius ' s the artist , the dardenne brothers ' the kid with a bike , tom hooper ' s the king ' s speech , aki kaurismaki ' s le havre and susanne bier ' s in a better world . each has four nominations .

the great delight of the first book was the cat ' s arguments with humans about religion , but he ' s far too quiet here , letting the humans do too much talking . also too many # # scary muslims # # . there ' s a few good lines though , and sfar ' s art is always rad .

maybe – or maybe pixar’s brave , sony’s hotel transylvania , or disney’s wreck - it ralph will be among the final nominees . today , the academy announced the twenty - one features which have been submitted for consideration in the animated feature film category . five will be selected for nomination .

the film ends up defining loïe fuller less by her innovations than by her willingness to suffer for her art .

on the aspect of the movie he’s proudest of : i’m pleased about the spirit of the film . the attitude and the way the movie approaches life is very joyous . it seems like it has a great energy and sense of fun .

if zlabya represents the diverse algerian jewish culture , shaped by historical geography , that the rabbi has known and nourished all his life , then her marriage to jules represents this culture fading away . this notion is furthered in sfar’s depiction of geography . first , the detailed and colorful world of algeria becomes messy , broken , abstract , and almost entirely disintegrated in the background of the panels on pages 92 and 93 , when the cat narrates his anxiety about zlabya’s marriage to jules . with each close up of the rabbi’s cat , both the background and the cat’s appearance increasingly lose form . connecting this to the symbolism of geography and physical appearance discussed before , it is clear that in these pages , the cat’s cultural world and his familiar individual identity are melting away . much of the rabbi’s cat’s underwater dream is also echoed in the geography of paris . in fact , on page 104 in the middle left panel , the heavy rain skews the figures , so they appear to be drowning underwater as well . paris is depicted as grey , wet , and cold , imitating the muted colors underwater in the dream . throughout these scenes , zlabya’s bright red clothing serves as a symbol of their lasting algerian culture , but even this fades away . on page 107 , all of the characters , including zlabya , are completely grey , as if they have absorbed the geography surrounding them . this occurs only when the rabbi decides to leave zlabya , who says “let him go” ( 107 ) . indeed , zlabya feels anxious about her cultural difference from jules and his family , so she purchases parisian clothing on shabbat , representing the east’s gradual adoption of western jewish culture under colonial pressure .

“what a phenomenal film , thank you salma hayek for making this happen , ” said mehreen khawaja .

although the 3d boost adds little to what’s essentially old - fashioned , 2d animation , it makes some of the film’s more vivid moments stand out , with certain scenes ( including a disturbing itchy & scratchy - like recreation of a russian pogrom ) remaining embedded in one’s memory .

the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

the announcements monday for the 40th annual annie awards , presented by the international animated film society , asifa - hollywood , encompass 30 categories including film , tv production , commercials , short subjects , video games , student films and honorary and achievement awards .

when i thought the rabbi’s cat 2 couldn’t get any better than the first one , i was wrong ! in the end , nothing is as it seems – simply look at malka of the lions , the rabbi’s cousin . the cat who is still nameless regains his speech and suddenly speaks a variety of languages , which we will see comes in handy . although he’s often to hold his mouth shut . how familiar does that sound ? comparing it to our modern society ? what about a nice reminder of how easily we judge others , people who are different ? religions ? and how thin the line is between double standards and racism ? great portion of history , culture and humour !

one of the many things i like about sfar ' s rabbi ' s cat works is how he depicts people from various cultures getting along as friends , disagreeing with each other , discussing their different faiths , arguing and agreeing and in the end , being adults about it . there are some fanatic characters which are there to highlight the more reasonable ones , too . the titular cat is there to philosophise and argue with the best of them . this is a magical realism series - apart from the talking animals ( the shi

fatma al remaihi , the acting chief executive of the doha film institute , said : “it has most of the elements of something that you would want to represent doha film institute , with the voices from the region , with the quality it was made in and using the local talent that we have . ”

in reading your essay , i’m led to believe that we might not be in as much disagreement as you think in regards to the quote you cited . i definitely believe that the ending of the film is a fitting one . what i meant with the statement quoted above was that the plot doesn’t really resolve itself in a typical manner , which is why a lot of people come away from the film frustrated . however , the ending completely resolves the film on a thematic level . plot - wise , the ending is ambiguous . the film doesn’t offer the “why” to the major questions posed in the last two scenes . it’s that ambiguity that ties the entire film together as “a parable about the unknown and how we all must accept the not - knowing through whatever method makes the most sense to us . ”

urltoken [ return ] [ return ] a compilation of two albums telling two quite different stories . the first , " heaven on earth " , is a bit of a meditation on stories and telling them through the mysterious figure of malka , the rabbi ' s cousin whose companion is an aging lion , set against the real background of the rise of an anti - semitic regime in algiers in the mid - 1930s . in the second , " africa ' s jerusalem " , the rabbi , his cat and friends set off to explore their continent

subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken the rabbi ' s cat us release trailer 1 ( 2012 ) - animated movie hd set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism . cast : mathieu amalric : urltoken director : antoine delesvaux antoine delesvaux joann sfar producer : antoine delesvaux clement oubrerie antoine delesvaux joann sfar writer : sandrina jardel joann sfar editor : maryline monthieux cinematographer : jérôme brézillon composer : olivier daviaud

the film’s plot centers around not only larry’s suffering but , more importantly , his search for answers . that search eventually leads to larry’s meeting with the rabbis of his synagogue and to his assumption that the suffering he is enduring is all part of god’s will . as larry puts it , " the boss isn’t always right , but he’s always the boss . " but the coens find the absurdity in our inability to understand the nature of our existence and pepper the film with clues about how the will of god isn’t so abundantly clear . when larry meets with rabbi scott he is told that his problems stem from the fact that he’s simply lost the ability to see hashem ( the jewish word for " the name " of god ) in the world . the scene is played for laughs as rabbi scott instructs larry to look out the window and see hashem in the parking lot , a ridiculous notion for a rational man such as larry . later in the film , before he goes to visit the second rabbi , rabbi nachtner , larry is involved in a car accident at precisely the same moment as the car accident that kills sy . the coens edit together the scenes of larry and sy driving toward their impending crashes in a way that confuses the relationship between the two , making it seem as though the two scenes are connected before larry’s crash abruptly signals the false logic behind such a connection . the absurdity of larry’s question to rabbi nachtner— " is hashem trying to tell me that sy ableman is me , or that we are all one , or something " —further emphasizes the notion that if you go looking for a message from god you’re going to find one whether it actually exists or not .

to discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television , join us on facebook and twitter .

sfar and his co - director amplify the story with a succession of visits to the rabbi ' s house by guests and encounters with strangers . the rabbi hosts his cousin malka of the lions ( jean - pierre kalfon ) and on a pilgrimage to a saint ' s tomb , joins another cousin , mohammed sfar ( fellag sheik ) , a sufi lover of god whose openness to the variety of faiths is admirable . the sheik ' s donkey also talks .


rattlers is a 1976 horror film starring sam chew , elisabeth chauvet , tony ballen , dan priest , ron gold , darwin joston , and gary van ormand .

the film was produced , directed and co-written by john mccauley .

harry novak , head of boxoffice international pictures was the executive producer .

the film features an early score by golden globe nominated film composer miles goodman .

rattlers ( film )

rattlers ( film ) <EOT> this article is about the british film . for the american film , see cherry bomb ( film ) .

espanola coach manny medina saw the rattlers play against the horsemen on saturday and is preparing for a good and tough game with the rattlers . the rattlers get off the ball well and have some defensive and offensive schemes that are hard to adjust to , said medina .

shock’s lee gambin takes a thoughtful , sociological look at the 1976 eco - horror rattlers .

adding to the issues of the rattlers was their performance on special teams . with blocked kicks and miscues , the rattlers gave away momentum with out - of - sync efforts on special teams .

l the rattlers will play against the sundevils at 7 p . m . , friday at espanola .

the film was so incredibly bad - nearly every aspect was evidence of poor decision . . .

the ending of the film turns out to be the opening sequence to the film . although we only see bits and pieces of the ending interrogation , the audience gets to hear of malachy ' s and luke ' s final words on the incident before the film cuts out . [ 6 ]

with the headline : film review : natural born killers ; young lovers with a flaw that proves fatal .

the rattlers had a rocky start to the season with a 40 - 7 loss to the 3a st . michael’s horseman saturday .

l the tucumcari lady rattlers ( 0 - 1 ) will play 4 : 30 p . m . , thursday at elida .

some of these pictures and descriptions may give away plot details that you might not want to know before watching the film .

traverse city — they’ve been based in los angeles the past three years , but the michigan rattlers aren’t shy about showing off their roots .

l the logan longhorns ( 0 - 1 ) next game is 4 p . m . , saturday against the tucumcari rattlers at logan .

rattlers - regia di john mccauley - cast . sam chew jr - dan priest - ronald gold - fantascientifico - colore - stati uniti - trailer

the rattlers had just 262 yards of total offense , their lowest fcs output of the year . after nearly a week of interrupted practice due to hurricane irma , which followed a bye week , the rattlers did not pick up where they left off with an admirable performance against the arkansas razorbacks .

i prefer the traditional siren as well , however ; the siren in " the alien factor " will make you laugh . so will the jokes and the riffs and unspecial effects and the lack of a budget of and kind at all . this movie must have been made by high school kids , i would have given them an " a - " for effort . this film made by people that are legit in the film industry ? wow ! just no . production values : none , check . actors , probably friends or the unforgiven that gave money to make the film or some folks walking by when there was film in the one camera , check . i would say , that if someone made a film that did none of things done in this film , you might be on the way to actual film making . go opposite day . one of the best from cinematic titanic . the " live " factor makes it even better .

“we made some mistakes against st . mike ' s but we are already working on fixing those mistakes , ” said rattlers coach dub smith . “we watched the film of the st . mike ' s game on monday and went over what we needed to work on with the players . ”

despite the loss , the rattlers are moving forward , said smith . the team is now concentrating on their next challenge of espanola , said smith . espanola’s coach has done an outstanding job with the team , said smith . winning against espanola would be a giant step forward in the season for the rattlers , said smith .

having experienced cinematic titanic live for two different shows in 2013 i immediately wanted to get cinematic titanic live - rattlers and the ct crew did not let me down .

" we have not seen any film of house so that will be a challenge for us , " said san jon ' s coach waymond ragland .

a film i got from the mill creek drive - in 50 - pack collection . mutant rattlesnakes attack people while sam parkinson , a noted herpetologist , and ann bradley , photographer and die hard feminist are hot on the trail in search of the answers . the film started out just " ok " then entered ann bradley into the picture and i was turned off . ann bradley is quite irritating with her in your face feminism . as soon as you are introduced to the character ann bradley you will hear a sermon all about women ' s lib with a crappy attitude towards men and basically the world . she ' s hateful and irritating . if she was not in this film then i might like it better . i could not stand listening to her gripping yakety - yak - i was wanting a horror film not a film on feminism . she ruins an otherwise " ok " but not great film . 2 / 10

" the ballad of narayama " is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…

the african americans : many rivers to cross is a film by kunhardt mcgee productions , thirteen productions llc , inkwell films , in assocation with ark media .

scott levenson ( l ) and jordan yale levine attend the producers reception during the 2016 tribeca film festival on april 19 , 2016 in new york city .

cherrybomb is a 2009 british drama film directed by lisa barros d ' sa and glenn leyburn . it stars rupert grint , kimberley nixon , robert sheehan and james nesbitt . filming began on location in belfast on 7 july 2008 , and lasted four weeks . [ 2 ] the film includes nudity , drinking , drugs , shop - lifting and car theft . [ 3 ] it was released to dvd on 23 august 2010 in the united kingdom . it premiered in the united states in september 2009 at the los angeles irish film festival . [ 4 ] the film ' s theme song is " cherry bomb " by the runaways .

arizona rattlers v . salt lake screaming eagles when the arizona rattlers made the leap from the arena football league last offseason , they knew well what they were leaving behind — a foundering league that they had dominated for years . this season , however , they’re discovering what they’ve gotten themselves in to . not only is the competition stiffer , there’s also twice as many teams to contend with in the indoor football league . still the rattlers have fared well in their inaugural run , winning six of their first 10 games . and with conference punching bags the salt lake screaming eagles visiting talking stick resort arena , 201 east jefferson street , at 6 p . m . on saturday , may 20 , the rattlers face a golden opportunity to pad the win column as they battle for their first ifl playoff berth . tickets are $ 8 and up . visit the arizona rattlers website or call 602 - 379 - 7800 for details . rob kroehler

the rattlers had a tough schedule like this last year but still did well going into the playoffs and beat one the state ' s best teams last year which was capitan , said smith .

rattle snakes are attacking in droves and unprovoked . a militarily bio - lab is in the area . sam chew jr . and elisabeth chauvet investigate . this is a pretty straight forward , not too mysterious film with cut footage of rattlers added , but not as obvious as a fine ed wood production . i watched the film on a 50 dvd set and the sound was not restored , hollow in some areas , uneven in others , and a buzz at the end . film quality could have been better too . it does contain the classic woman in the tub scene as snakes come into the tub and she doesn ' t even try to get out . guide : no swearing of nudity . implied sex .

rattlers is an suspenseless creature feature that goes on for too long , even though it only lasts 82 minutes . long story made short , something in the desert is turning rattlesnakes into killing machines . a male female research team is called in to find out what . although the beginning of the film has a rapid series of snake attacks , midway through it gets bogged down in conspiracy subplots and a budding romance between the two leads . when people watch a movie called " rattlers " they want to see snake bites , not gumshoeing . to make matters worse , the characters talk about how gruesome the victims ' bodies are , but the corpses are never shown . the film might be rated pg , but keep in mind this is a 70s pg , which could be stretched for a lot of gore ( e . g . jaws ) . also , there is no real final confrontation with the snakes , which is a prerequisite for this kind of film .

the film has garnered good reviews from critics but holds no rating on rotten tomatoes , although the audience rating is currently at an average of 3 . 1 / 5 . [ 7 ]

rattlers seems to be obsessed with male / female relations – ann is assertively feminist in her opinions about women shattering the glass ceiling , and her constant vocalization of her political beliefs are incessantly pitched throughout the film . this however , does not make her character repetitious , instead it heightens her motives , grounds her relationship ( both professionally and romantically ) with the male lead and her cool handling of heated situations shows us the audience that this is a woman who doesnt let misogyny get in the way of her work as she investigates the snake attacks that become increasingly popular as the film progresses .

this roman polanski classic revolves around jack nicholson ' s dogged attempts to unearth the identity of the nefarious individual who owns valuable water rights in the san fernando valley . it takes nicholson the entire film to figure out that john huston is the puppet master here . today , all this stuff about crooked developers and water rights would already be on thesmokinggun . com , so no feisty gumshoe would be needed . the film would simply never get off the ground . " forget it , jack , " would be the final line in the film . " it ' s wikileaks . "

special to the record - eagle / shelby goldsteingraham young and adam reed are the michigan rattlers . the petoskey high school friends were named by rolling stone as one of “10 new country artists you need to know . "

“the rattlers had a few mistakes ( saturday ) , like dropping the ball , but we know that they will be working on correcting those mistakes and will be ready to play come friday , ” said medina . “we have a lot of respect for coach smith and the rattlers . we know that each week they are working at getting better just like we do and they are one of the toughest 2a football teams in the state . ”

despite their lingering affinity for the great lakes state , the pull of los angeles’ music scene drew them to the west coast after college , with young settling in california first before convincing reed to join him to start michigan rattlers .

hilarious , simply hilarious . the film was so incredibly bad - nearly every aspect was evidence of poor decision making on the part of the film ' s producer , director , and casting directors that it was rife for riffing . joel and the gang broke into giggles frequently which makes for even greater fun . the scene in the bar with the rock band will have you rolling . not one disappointing moment .

after seeing the film at sundance , as i reported at the time , i got in a conversation with three women who said they thought it was " existential . " " existential ? " i asked .

tampa , fla ( sept . 16 ) – florida a & m couldn’t solve the offense of the tennessee state as the tigers defeated the rattlers 24 - 13 in the inaugural famu tampa classic in front of over 17 , 000 fans at raymond james stadium . the defense , which had early indicators of being the strength of the rattlers , gave up 514 yards to the tigers who used a balanced attack to keep the team from honing in on a defensive solution .

bowers led the rattlers on the ground with 34 yards rushing . stanley followed with 12 yards . brandon norwood led the receivers with 76 yards on eight receptions . famu redshirt freshman , chad hunter , had 46 yards on two receptions .

this is really a zero star film , but i got two stars of ironic entertainment out of this hilariously bad nature - gone - wild story about a deadly horde of rattlesnakes . a scientist discovers that the titular snakes have become infected by nerve gas dumped in the desert by the military , causing them to become highly aggressive . the film does get points for doing the unacceptable act of killing off children in the opening scenes , and it gets bonus points for filming those opening death scenes in a most supremely incompetent manner . overall , " rattlers " is not scary , has a ridiculous story , but is a must - see for connoisseurs of bad cinema .

special to the record - eagle / anna sink for local spins the michigan rattlers at south by southwest in austin , texas . the group , formed in petoskey , currently based in l . a . , will tour northern michigan venues this summer .

i am so pissed off with hollywood now . hundreds of script writers who are churning out one golden egg after another on tv , yet are wearing a creative straight jacket by film producers too scared to invest in anything approaching originality .

cherrybomb premiered at the 2009 berlin international film festival , but was initially unable to find a distributor . an online campaign by grint ' s fans was credited with helping to secure a deal for distribution in the united kingdom . [ 5 ]

could not help but prove a money - maker for novak , who distributed the film to more than a dozen foreign markets , among them the philippines , japan , taiwan , greece , egypt , italy , iran , israel , and portugal .

the rattlesnakes first kill an old man off - screen . they then ( in our film ' s opening sequence ) kill two ten - year old floppy - haired boys who were stupid enough to go out wandering in the desert and fell into a nest of rattlers . with their small bodies , it wouldn ' t take more than a few bites to kill them , but we learn later that the corpses show dozens and dozens of bites , as if the snakes swarmed them , biting and slashing and poking , even post - mortem .

anyway , we need to get these rattlers wrangled so let ' s meet our film ' s hero , dashing young herpetologist tom from ucla . no , he doesn ' t study herpes ( that ' s your mom ) , he studies snakes and snake related things . tom is a walking , talking wikipedia entry for " 1970s fashions " and in almost every scene he ' s wearing a different far - out tweed and polyester outfit ( surely fetching big coin in any trendy la vintage shop now ) . his hair also seems to be a sentient being .

the rattlers , after the extended layoff , will have two games in 12 days as they begin conference play in savannah , ga . , on sept . 23 and return to bragg stadium on thurs . , sept . 28 to take on the 2016 meac champion north carolina central eagles on espnu .

jeffrey sammons talked about his book , harlem’s rattlers and the great war : the undaunted 369th regiment and the african american quest for equality , in which he recounts the first african - american regiment to fight in world war i , the 369th infantry regiment . the unit was dubbed the “harlem hellfighters , ” a nickname the author said the regiment eschewed for the “harlem rattlers . ” in his book , mr . sammons examines the regiment’s leadership , its actions in the field of battle , and the challenges the men faced following the war . jeffrey sammons spoke at medgar evers college in brooklyn , new york . close

cinematic titanic : rattlers is a movie starring trace beaulieu , frank conniff , and joel hodgson . something is very wrong in the southwestern desert ! it starts when rogue rattlesnakes attack two young boys , and it goes downhill from there . the local authorities summon herpetologist dr . . . . see full summary »

mr . harrelson and ms . lewis deal as captivatingly as they can with the film ' s wavering attitudes toward their characters . both hit the requisite raw nerves , and both also make sense of the material ' s occasional romantic reveries . used in a labored effort to give this story a spiritual dimension is russell means , as the only character in the film whose life means anything to mickey and mallory . balthazar getty is seen briefly as a young man who gets killed at a gas station , which probably qualifies as some kind of black joke .

okay , i ' m exaggerating when i call this a classic , but i like these ' 70s revenge - of - nature films . i remember seeing the trailers for films like " rattlers " and " grizzly " and " empire of the ants " on tv when i was a kid . but would my parents ever let me attend these gems ? heavens no ! so now i ' m making up for lost time as an adult , rediscovering these terrible films from my youth . in many ways these films are like a time machine to another era - - an era with bad clothing , terrible dialogue , cool cars , and in - your - face feminism , buster ! while you can ' t really destroy the plot of " rattlers " ( rattlesnakes attack people , duh ! ) , i would urge you to watch the film for the " performance " of the main female lead . you haven ' t seen cardboard until you ' ve seen her . wow . awesome .

in takashi miike ' s excellent 2003 film – the 2008 american remake is not quite up to snuff – innocent japanese kids get phone messages from beyond the grave warning them that they are next in line to die a horrible death . phone messages make great cinema , due to the evocative power of the human voice . but one missed text ? one missed tweet ? just not the same . another thing : in more than one asian horror flick , photographers developing film in their dark rooms get murdered by people who unexpectedly come to life during the developing process . those days are gone . thanks , digital camera .

and for some inexplicable reason , our film decides that it needs to stop being a rampaging monster movie and instead become a romantic comedy ! off to las vegas ( vegas , huh ? ) now as tom casts off his inhibitions and gets down to the business of giving ann the business end of his . . . uh , business . what the holy hell is the point of this ten minute interlude ? did the focus group who test audience ' d this film ( ha ! ) say they needed more kissy - kissy and less hissy - hissy ? were the producers worried that the housewives in the audience ( of

while ann learns all there is to know about snakes , tom learns something about acquired feminism and the burgeoning womens movement in response to the issue of the workplace situation during americas grueling recession post - vietnam . what makes the tom character interesting and complicated is that his sexism is somehow inherit and undiagnosed ; ultimately he is likeable and liberal minded and yet the film presents him as a man who discovers his personal misogyny through his partners fervent feminism . ann and tom both learn and that is the fundamental centerpiece of what could superficially simply be ranked as straight up exploitation ; in many regards , rattlers makes a hefty point and delivers this point with entertainment clearly in key focus .

jaws also had an engaging leading man playing someone who is ill - equipped to deal with a deadly force of nature , yet must for the greater good . rattlers has someone with standard ’70s helmet - hair who is also a bit of a smarty - pants type . jaws had , at times , a sense of humor where rattlers is as serious as a heart attack , and thus cannot be taken seriously at all , which makes it perfect for cinematic titanic . the team of joel hodgson , trace beaulieu , mary jo pehl , j . elvis weinstein and , yes , home video’s frank conniff have worked together for many years so you can expect they will be at the top of their game ( s ) .

near the end of his career , and with hardcore pornography having eclipsed his comparatively modest gains in the raincoat market , novak put his money behind the occasional horror film , guaranteed money - makers in inner city grindhouses and on the southern drive - in circuit . novak produced a softcore remake of the roger corman killer plant classic

a snake expert and photographer are tasked with investigating a series of fatal snake attacks in the mojave desert . their detective work leads them to a nearby military base . i found rattlers to be a lot of fun . its story is simple but it basically works . it never gets boring and essentially delivers the requisite snake action you would expect . its budget restrictions means that some of these scenes might seem a bit clunky at times but it didn ' t bother me to tell you the truth . the story kept me interested the whole time and the explanation for the psychotic snakes was ultimately decent enough . i guess you could say that rattlers essentially does what it promises to do and that is present a film with a series of snake attack scenes . for those of you with a taste for low budget 70 ' s american horror films then this one should suffice . there is also a bit of male / female bickering about the merits of liberated women which puts it firmly in the decade it was made but which is also quite amusing to watch now .

i guess they included that opening title for a little fan service . they have to acknowledge the original film for fans , along with dropping references within the movie to it , like slimer and a big twinkee sign in times square . it’s become this unspoken mandatory rule when remaking a movie to be sure to reference the original movie .

los cinco titanic brought their presentation of rattlers to morristown , new jersey’s mayo center for the arts in 2011 . that performance is not the one seen on this disc but the jokes are scripted . it is the same performance in most ways , excepting the circumstances that no two audiences are the same and laughing along with a real audience works differently than with one on your television screen .

to illustrate this point , in the following paragraphs we will examine instances where mobile phones and twitter and facebook and google and linkedin and droids and ipads and the internet in general would have altered , and in many cases destroyed , the plots of classic motion pictures down through the ages , often making it impossible to film them in the first place .

in the natural horror film or the ecologically themed horror film  a subgenre that truly came to mass fruition during the tumultuous and turbulent seventies – there were character archetypes typically found within the narrative fabric that were extensions and bi - products of societal conditions and the cultural climate . one of the most popular of these prototypes is the sympathetic specialist or the intellectual independent presented as a smart , savvy , beautiful and self - possessed young woman . these characters are generally linked in some way to the natural order , or have a deep understanding of the featured animal / threat and therefore can lead or assist in controlling the devastation that has been unleashed upon unsuspecting civilians tormented by hordes of killer bees , dogs , spiders and so forth .

as played by mr . downey with a thick australian accent and perfect lip - smacking unctuousness , wayne is one of the film ' s more deft inventions . but he , like everything else about " natural born killers , " is allowed to go overboard . after their operatic arrest in a ghastly , green - lit drugstore ( another of mr . stone ' s genuinely disturbing images ) , mickey and mallory go to prison and are manipulated by a leering detective ( tom sizemore ) and a publicity - happy warden ( tommy lee jones ) . even before it culminates in an actual riot , this section of the film becomes hysterical , to the point where it even features the rare out - of - control performance from mr . jones .

famu quarterback , ryan stanley , is looking to get the team back on track for the beginning of meac play . ‘we’re 0 - 0 in the conference and still have a long season ahead of us . i haven’t even seen them on film yet . we’ll come out and see what they do and go get that first conference win next week , ” he said .

killer rattlesnakes of the american southwest gather up in large numbers and start unprovoked attacks on people , and it ' s up to a male expert on reptiles and a female photographer to find out why and stop them . " rattlers " has a thin , one - note script that can barely sustain even the 79 minutes of its running time , and the snake - attack scenes aren ' t anything to write home about either , though at least the snakes are real which is instantly preferable to the obvious cgi we would probably get in a similar film today . the print i saw was in pretty poor shape , and made a constant crackling sound , as if someone was burning it up ; the movie is not offensively bad ( apart maybe from the scene near the end where the two heroes are enjoying a carefree romance in vegas without having done anything to stop the snakes first ! ) , but it is so unremarkable that if someone did burn the master print up few people would probably notice . on a side note , the female lead is absolutely gorgeous . i was somewhat surprised to find out that she never made another film . ( * * )

this was a film i knew i wasn ' t looking forward to seeing since i ' m not a fan of feig ' s nor of wiig ' s or mccarthy ' s . simply , i have never found these two funny whatsoever . but i might just be surprised , i mean it ' s good to keep an open mind on a few things . but after seeing the trailer , my close mindedness might win out . not only is this a remake , but the jokes are simply not funny . a few seconds in and crack jokes are already on display , not to mention the stereotyping of these characters is not only wrong , but so outdated that this film has a far more backward mentality than some sex comedies of the 80s . after seeing this trailer twice , i went on youtube and looked up my favourite ghostbusters scenes and you know what , the jokes are filled with wit and humour and the characters are very likeable and actually try to transcend stereotyping . sorry but from this trailer this film is going to suck , and i bet all the critics will be championing just so that they don ' t seem sexist .

while they conceded it hasn’t always been easy gaining “natural traction” in los angeles , the duo has turned some heads . the michigan rattlers released an acclaimed five - song ep last fall that was produced by johnny k ( plain white t’s , 3 doors down ) and were named by rolling stone as one of “10 new country artists you need to know , ” compared to the likes of ryan adams , early wilco and old 97’s .

the most difficult thing the cinematic titanic crew needs to do is to latch onto a movie that is so bad mocking it becomes easy , but not so bad that the overall awfulness envelops their jokes . that was the problem with the crew’s prior riff - spin on war of the insects . i’m pleased to say that is not the case with rattlers . i will say , however , the dvd experience is not as good as the live experience .

tsu got on the board in the first quarter with a field goal with 3 : 29 remaining . the second quarter , the rattlers took the lead on a devin bowers one - yard touchdown run . the extra point was blocked with an errant snap and hold . tsu would regain the lead for good with 1 : 55 remaining in the half on a 44 - yard touchdown , which featured a spectacular run and catch by steven newbold . the gave tsu a 10 - 6 lead going into halftime .

animal scorpius dance theatre’s newest show , animal , explores the interactions between beasts and humans — and the behavior and physicality of domestic and wild animals through nine dance pieces . the show also explores the connection between pets and their owners through a series of funny interludes and a short film . inspired by artistic director lisa starry’s love of animals , the show is upbeat in tone but also delves into the experiences of caged animals through a multidisciplinary piece combining dance and film at phoenix theatre . a visual art display in the lobby will feature animal - inspired artwork by metropolitan arts institute students , and a portion of the proceeds from the show will go to the lost our home pet rescue . showtime is 8 p . m . on saturday , may 20 , at 100 east mcdowell road . tickets are $ 25 and up . for more information , call 602 - 254 - 2151 or see the scorpius dance website . laura latzko

once learning that it is indeed a remake has also upset and disappointed fans . the more casual fans who haven’t been following the evolution of this movie for decades are just getting clued in on this . despite the original film coming out thirty - two years ago , a lot of fans wanted to see a continuation of that story and to be treated to seeing as much of the main cast back in their roles as feig managed to shanghai . that ain’t happening .

with more sophistry than poetry , oliver stone apotheosizes these trash archetypes in " natural born killers , " his supposed satire about an america despoiled by violence and exploitation . satire ? in his skill as a manipulator of thoughts and images , in his short - circuiting ordinary narrative , and in his intuitive visual brilliance , mr . stone could well turn out to be the most influential american film maker of his generation . but as a satirist , he ' s an elephant ballerina .

tom and ann go to talk to a glider pilot in the local hospital . this man says he landed his glider in the desert nearby and was attacked by a swarm of rattlesnakes , just barely escaping with his life . his story lends credence to tom ' s theory that for some reason the rattlesnakes of this area have become kill - crazy . oddly , the man playing the pilot is by far the best actor in this entire film , reading his lines with great gusto and enthusiasm .

then he joins in , as mr . stone pumps up the music , switches film stock , lets the camera sway vertiginously , shows a bullet circling playfully toward the scared face of someone about to die , and so on . grand flourish : when the spree is over , mickey and mallory dance together to " la vie en rose , " with fireworks exploding romantically behind them . mini - witticism : mickey may have killed almost everyone in sight , but when he spoke to the waitress , he ordered nonfat milk .

here is the central paradox in all this : directors have no problem getting an audience to believe in ghosts , vampires , succubi , extraterrestrials , poltergeists , gremlins , wizards , giant worms , latter - day dinosaurs or rustic werewolves who seem to have unlimited access to steroids ; all that is deemed perfectly logical and believable . but it is impossible to get anyone to believe that a character in a horror film or thriller would not be armed with the technology needed to foil the depredations of his rampaging , bloodthirsty stepfather .

there will most likely be constant nods to the original film bouncing around all over the place . so much for feig doing a completely clean reboot , establishing his own ghostbusters movie and not wanting to be tied to the earlier films like he has said . we’ll be constantly reminded of the originals i’m betting . but the inclusion of fan service within in the trailer kind of gives the false illusion this is a sequel and that has perplexed some people as to what this movie is going to be . bad call on sony’s part .

meanwhile , how can anything mr . stone says about his characters be dismissed as tasteless or unfunny , since they themselves are meant to be embodiments of a tasteless world ? " i love mallory , " a grotesque sitcom version of mallory ' s childhood , with rodney dangerfield in stained underwear as her lecherous father , is fairly typical of the film ' s light touch . arriving on the scene as the prince charming who will rescue mallory by helping to murder her parents , mickey shows up carrying a dripping 50 - pound bag of raw meat .

scratch the frenzied , hyperkinetic surface of " natural born killers " and you find remarkably banal notions about mickey , mallory and the demon media . ( " media ' s like weather , only it ' s man - made weather , " says mickey , delivering one of the rare memorable lines in the screenplay . ) to wit : born bad . blame society . the sins of the fathers . lost innocence . true love . wild horses , deadly rattlers , fireworks , freight trains . elements like these would appear more honestly threadbare if mr . stone were not a match for mickey and mallory in the area of overkill .

sultry psychopath jessica walter doesn ' t get a chance to harass clint eastwood every night by calling him on the phone and purring , " play misty for me , " because eastwood puts her on the no - call list , a tactic that was not possible in 1971 , when the film was shot . so she calls another dj , maybe somebody like jon voigt , who doesn ' t know about no - call lists , and play misty for me does not jump - start eastwood ' s directing career and none of us get to see those sondra locke movies .

, an outdoorsy type played by james franco finds himself trapped in a mountain ravine with his arm wedged beneath a boulder . a few years from now , with google earth tracking everybody everywhere , the franco character wouldn ' t have much of a problem ; after he ' s gone missing for a day or so his friends or family would simply contact his cell phone provider , and they would instantaneously track his phone to the ravine and dispatch a search party to rescue him from his predicament . all he would need to do is sit tight , ration his water supply , and hope the rats and rattlers don ' t get him first .

a movie like this doesn ' t come along every day . i am glad i saw it . i saw it at the 2002 sundance film festival , where a fair number of people walked out . i would say half . i was reminded of advice once given me by the veteran chicago movie exhibitor oscar brotman : " roger , if nothing has happened by the end of the first reel , nothing is going to happen . " if i were to advise you to see " gerry , " you might have a good case on your hands for a class - action suit .

that ' s hardly the case with " american maniacs , " the tabloid television show starring wayne gale ( robert downey jr . ) , who appreciates mickey and mallory for their entertainment value . at one of its funnier moments , the film dwells on the show ' s re - enactment of their exploits , with a title that says " a dramatization " as two actors , playing mickey and mallory , shoot a bicyclist identified as an american bronze medalist . finally persuading mickey to sit for an interview after 50 killings in three weeks , wayne asks the inevitable question : " any regrets ? "

the whole plotline of the film revolves around a bunch of mysterious foreigners who mistake advertising executive cary grant for a fictitious federal agent they wish to do in . now retrofitted with modern technology , grant insists that he works on madison avenue , and not for the state department in washington , whereupon james mason and the boys log on to his firm ' s website , realise their error , apologise profusely , and send him on his way . the scene with the crop duster never happens . eva marie saint doesn ' t climb down mount rushmore in high heels . north by northwest goes south .

unfolding in only semi - linear fashion , " natural born killers " devotes its first hour to mickey and mallory ' s rampage , interspersing lurid bloodshed with moments of eerie tenderness . ( after the opening slaughter , these two find themselves in the moonlight , with a holy glow enveloping mallory as she squats in the dirt and speaks about angels . ) the couple ' s blood wedding , with an exchange of rattlesnake rings and mallory ' s white veil drifting off into the abyss of a deep canyon , offers one of the film ' s most genuinely haunting visions , if only because it eludes easy understanding .

in recent years , directors have incessantly been forced to confront the narrative - busting intrusion of new technologies , resigning themselves to the fact that plotlines that were completely plausible as recent as 10 years ago are no longer plausible now . sometimes , directors simply choose to ignore this ; the coppers would only need an emailed or even a faxed photograph in the recent thriller unknown to prove that liam neeson is not the scientist he says he is , but a professional assassin . unfortunately , that would mean that the whole premise of the film disintegrates before our very eyes . so the director simply chose to act as if his audience consisted of nitwits .

now , we know who put those snakes on the plane . two kids are killed after falling into a den of rattlers , and the sheriff immediately calls in a snake expert ( sam chew jr . ) . they fell in a rattler den , for goodness sakes ! some good snake scenes , sch as the rattler crawling up the plumber ' s ( tip mcclure ) pants , and some ridiculous ones , like the mom ( jo jordan ) in the bathtub getting attacked and not standing up so we could see her . as you would expect the dialog was terrible , and some scenes ridiculous , like the mine shaft explosions . someone called it the " plan nine from outer space " of snake movies . i could not say it better .

however , not all of these women are specialists in science or animal behavior , sometimes they are nancy drew - types thrown into an investigation , such as heather menzies in piranha ( 1978 ) . these women are just as dedicated to their work and completely wholeheartedly enthused by getting on top of the truth ; as well as providing an enlightened view and concentrated education for their male peers . one of these sleuth - leads is the character of ann bradley played by actress elisabeth chauvet in the underrated exploitation drive - inn money maker rattlers from 1976 . ann bradley is a photo journalist assigned to help out a herpetologist uncover some shifty cagey business involving the us armys involvement in experiments that are causing aggressive and highly deadly behavior in local rattlesnakes in rural california .

they are , but it is the little things that differentiate the live experience from the video , and the region - specific jokes that singled out snooki polizzi and new jersey governor chris christie had more bite ( pardon the pun ) in my state than it did where the video was finally recorded . plus , being in an audience and actively participating simply feels more engaged that watching the tv , but having said these , rattlers is one of the best of the recent cinematic titanic offerings ( still not up to the bar set on east vs . watts ) . you will get some good laughs from the presentation and this disc would be excellent at parties . my only qualifier is that if you have the chance to see the group live , you really should .

i have always considered myself in the " mike camp " as far as who my favorite host of mst3k was . however , this may have changed my opinion ( at least putting them as equals in my mind ) . recently i found a bunch of cinematic titanic episodes on hulu and gave them a watch . i laughed my rear - end off ! so i decided i was now a fan and wanted to collect the episodes like i did with all the mst3k and rifftrax ( mike nelson ' s post - mst3k project ) episodes . rattlers is the best episode yet ! this was a live show i love the live presentations the best . probably because of the genuine audience laughter . you will not regret buying this if you have the smallest funnybone in your body .

and yet , and yet - - the movie is so gloriously bloody - minded , so perverse in its obstinacy , that it rises to a kind of mad purity . the longer the movie ran , the less i liked it and the more i admired it . the gerrys are stuck out there , and it looks like no plot device is going to come along and save them . the horizon is barren for 360 degrees of flat wasteland . we have lost most of the original eight hours of " greed " ( 1925 ) , erich von stroheim ' s film that also ends with its heroes lost in death valley , but after seeing " gerry , " i think we can call off the search for the missing footage .

meanwhile ann goes out in the bush alone to photograph the area where that soldier died a while back . again , she ' s just shooting randomly at the ground for no particular reason , i just don ' t see what the point of that is . i ' m not sure how much money she ' s getting paid for this job , but based on her total body of work here , she ' s ripping them off in epic style . on the way back , she gets the willies as she thinks she sees a snake in the back seat of her truck and has to be talked down off the ledge . this slight nod to the psychological effects of snako - slithero - phobia is maybe the most interesting thing in this film , if that means anything .

for some african americans , wilson’s rhetoric smacked of hypocrisy . after all , he was the president who had screened birth of a nation ( a film glorifying the ku klux klan ) at the white house and refused to support a federal anti - lynching bill , even though each year averaged more than one lynching a week , predominantly in former confederate states that had effectively stripped black men of their voting rights . “will some one tell us just how long mr . wilson has been a convert to true democracy ? ” the baltimore afro - american editorialized on april 28 , 1917 ( quoted in williams ) . “patriotism has no appeal for us ; justice has , ” the messenger , a socialist publication launched by editors chandler owen and a . philip randolph ( of march on washington fame ) , declared on nov . 1 , 1917—a sentiment that would land both men in jail under the espionage act in 1918 ( quoted in adriane lentz - smith’s 2009 book , freedom struggles : african americans and world war i ) .

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a herpetologist investigating a series of fatal rattlesnake attacks discovers that the creatures have been infected by a mysterious nerve gas disposed of in the desert by the military .

lakeith stanfield and his sorry to bother you director boots riley discuss the stress of filming sex scenes .

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