Tag Archives | animal actors

Not Funny: Hungover From Animal Death

May 23, 2013

(ANIMAL CRUELTY) Writer/Director Todd Phillips’ third installment of The Hangover Trilogy certainly has its moments, but falls far short of capturing the magic that made the first film so charming. And in its portrayal of animals, it plummets down a dark and nasty path, never to recover. There are many scenes in Hangover III that are supposed to be funny, but are merely ghastly or cruel, depicting the deaths of numerous animals. Read on for more on the film’s tasteless decision to swap good humor for cruelty. — Global Animal

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Kmart Not So Smart: Shark Dies Filming Commercial

March 20, 2013

(ANIMAL WELFARE) Despite their tough exterior, sharks are extremely delicate creatures. Changing a shark’s environment can be very stressful for the aquatic animal and can have dire consequences. Earlier in the month, a white-tipped shark used to film a Kmart commercial died—immediately triggering an investigation by the American Humane Association (AHA), the organization responsible for monitoring how animals are used in film and television. The shark had been transported from New York to Los Angeles and was transferred to a backyard pool for the shoot. Read more about this tragic case and the responses to this shark’s untimely death. — Global Animal

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Hollywood’s Bought & Abandoned Fad Dogs

March 15, 2013

(ANIMAL ACTORS) From the silver screen to the viral menagerie of animals on YouTube, canine actors and other popularized pups inevitably fuel society’s fascination with certain dog breeds. At the same time, the opposite can also occur, where a film or television show portrays a dog in a negative light and depopularizes that particular breed. “Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” says one caretaker of bouviers des Flandres dogs. Animals don’t always meet potential guardian’s expectations. And when their pet doesn’t behave like the animal portrayed on a television show or in a particular film, rescue organizations and animal shelters become flooded with popularized breeds. Read on to learn more about the impact that famous dogs in the media have on particular breeds. — Global Animal

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Uggie The Spokesdog Barks For Fellow Rescues

February 28, 2013

(FAMOUS DOGS) Uggie has just booked a new gig with the Humane Society of the United States. The adorable canine, who retired from the movie industry last year, is the new spokesdog for the Pets of Valor Award, which honors rescue dogs and cats for their random acts of heroism. Read more about this frisky fido and his response to his new spokesdog position. — Global Animal

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Life of Pi: Animal Friendly Or Not?

February 26, 2013

(ANIMAL ACTORS) Ang Lee’s successful 3D adventure film, Life of Pi, was nominated in eleven categories at the 85th Academy Awards and won more than any other film, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score. Earning $583 million worldwide, the international hit chronicles the story of a boy who survives a shipwreck, only to be stranded on a boat with a Bengali Tiger. But as always, when it comes to movies involving real animals, concerns of safety come into question. Although the movie’s main animal character, Richard Parker, is mostly CGI, four live tigers were used to film single shots. Read on to find out why more movies should use CGI instead of real animal actors. — Global Animal

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And The ‘Pawscar’ Goes To… (VIDEO)

February 26, 2013

(ANIMAL ACTORS) With established filmmaking guidelines, detailed production reviews, certified safety representatives and more, the American Humane Association (AHA) works to oversee the well-being of film and television animals on set. In true Academy fashion, the AHA recognizes the best animal performances in movies by presenting the ‘Pawscars.’ The categories include best human/animal bond and best animal in a leading role. Read more to learn who won what, and check out the video of the AHA 2013 ‘Pawscars.’ — Global Animal

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Animals Touchdown In Top Super Bowl Ads

February 7, 2013

(CULTURE) It comes as no surprise that animals dominated Super Bowl commercials yet again this year. With a Budweiser commercial that made everyone’s hearts melt to perhaps a hilarious Doritos commercial starring a snack-loving goat, the Baltimore Ravens weren’t the only animals winning this past weekend. Being the first Super Bowl to take place since all of the top 10 advertising agencies in the U.S. agreed not to use great apes in their ads, not one of this year’s commercials featured chimpanzees or other great apes. In addition, many commercials used computer-generated imagery CGI to portray other exotic animals. Here are just a few of this year’s favorites. — Global Animal

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Super Bowl Ads Scored Big For Chimpanzees

February 5, 2013

(CULTURE) This year’s Superbowl was full of surprises. With a power outage, a Destiny’s Child reunion, and a questionable last-minute call, viewers were definitely kept on the edge of their seat. But no surprise to PETA was the humane direction taken by this year’s spread of commercials. This was the first Super Bowl since all of the top 10 advertising agencies in the U.S. agreed never to use great apes in their ads. As expected, not one of this year’s ads (most importantly CareerBuilder) featured chimpanzees or other great apes, and many ads used CGI to portray other animals. Read on to learn about how advertisers are finally utilizing kindness rather than relying on live animals for cheap laughs.” — Global Animal

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