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4K and Blu-ray movie reviews: ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘The Whale’

by A Whale of a WeekSustainable Action News

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Here’s a look at a few award-winning performances within a pair of new home entertainment disc movie releases.

Marathon Man (Kino Lorber, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 125 minutes, $39.95) — Director John Schlesinger’s simmering, Nazi-infested thriller from 1976 debuts on the ultra-high definition disc packed with star power and some new and very classic extras.

In a story adapted by William Goldman from his popular novel, devoted jogger and Columbia University graduate student Thomas “Babe” Levy (Dustin Hoffman) finds himself in the middle of an ever-incomprehensible conspiracy.

It not only involves his mysterious government agent brother (Roy Scheider), but a Third Reich war criminal (Laurence Olivier) fascinated by teeth and looking to collect his stolen diamond collection (amassed during his days in Auschwitz) that he believes Babe knows all about.

The film will be remembered for Olivier’s Academy Award- nominated and Golden Globe-winning performance as the villainous Dr. Christian Szell, and for one of the most memorable torture scenes in the history of cinema that probably left some audience members unable to visit a dentist for years.

The 4K remaster from Paramount Pictures helps define the urban gritty and character-rich streets of New York City in the 1970s through a very muted color palette as well as Szell’s South American abode. Viewers will find also plenty of moments of soft focus throughout adding to the nightmarish horror of the screen-filling presentation.

A consistently ominous musical score from Michal Small in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 helps punctuate the levels of suspense in a movie, taking its cues from “The French Connection,” “The Conversation” and “Blow Out.”

Best extras: Viewers get a new optional commentary found on the 4K and Blu-ray disc from film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

Mr. Mitchell is a first-person resource for the period, and listeners get a heavy dose of Big Apple history as he was living there at the time of the film. The pair also touches on the screenplay drafts; the violence; actor backgrounds; comparisons to the book; scene breakdowns including the torture segments; Mr. Hoffman working with Olivier; and shooting scenes in Los Angeles to look like New York.

Kino Lorber then adds to the Blu-ray the full set of extras culled from the 2001 DVD release led by a nearly 30-minute retrospective on the film (with informative interviews with Mr. Goldman, co-producer Robert Evans and most of the cast); and a 22-minute “The Magic in Hollywood” documentary hosted by Mr. Evans in fine promotional form along with words from the key crew and cast on location.

Finally, actors will appreciate 21 minutes of vintage rehearsal footage, even discussed by the principals, featuring scenes between Mr. Hoffman, Scheider and Marthe Keller (Babe’s love interest Elsa Opel).

The Whale (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, rated R, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, 117 minutes, $21.99) — Brendan Fraser’s Academy Award-winning performance in Darron Aronofsky’s emotional gauntlet arrives on the Blu-ray disc format ready to break the hearts of viewers who may never eat again.

Mr. Fraser plays Charlie, a morbidly obese recluse who teaches English online but never with the camera turned on. Unable to control his weight and food addiction and with only a single close friend who is as enabling as critical of his predicament, he has one remaining wish before potentially succumbing to congestive heart failure.

He wants to reconnect with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), which eventually occurs but only to find an intelligent teenager with extreme anger issues, reserved and emotionally broken.

Mr. Fraser admirably maneuvers through 300 pounds of seamless makeup prosthetics to deliver a performance of a lifetime as a man psychologically shattered by the past and eating himself into oblivion.

Although the film offers an empathic and well-rounded portrayal of Charlie, his plight and redemption, it’s also an infuriating narrative to watch unfold. His circumstances help highlight an immobile and rampant fast-food society that now exists and allows humans to economically eat themselves to death.

It’s a stark reminder that you get to live once and should never take it for granted, no matter what one must overcome to exist.

Mr. Aronofsky’s bold choice to frame the film in a letterbox, square format, like in the old TV days, makes the presentation of Charlie a nearly suffocating and more focused experience.

Best extras: Viewers get a 24-minute overview of the production mainly focused on Mr. Aronofsky and Mr. Fraser’s thoughts on the characters for a film 10 years in the making.

Another nearly eight-minute featurette offers a look at the musical score with the composer Rob Simonsen.

However, I could have also used a solo segment on the incredible makeup effects.



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Anniston animal shelter accused of abuse

by Animal AbuseSustainable Action News

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An Anniston no-kill animal shelter is under fire accused of animal abuse and misusing funds.And the allegations come from the director of another animal rescue group. Calvin Tucker, also known as ‘Black Noah’, says the League for Animal Welfare is no place for animals and he’s already taken all of the cats there and a few dogs to other shelters.Tucker is normally rescuing animals from the streets, but recently he’s turned his focus on the League for Animal Welfare in Anniston. He says he has pictures that show animals in cages filled with feces and food bowls filled with mold. Tucker says, “She’s taken a lot of animals off of the streets in Anniston. But, they’re not getting vetted. They’re not getting vetted. They’re just they’re living their lives in cages. The dogs are living in cages. They’re living in feces. A lot of them are heartworm positive. One just had to be euthanized.” Tucker recently took 20 cats and five dogs from the facility. Several of the cats are sick with contagious illnesses. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society is helping quarantine and vet those animals. We met the owner of the League for Animal Welfare. Heather Wilson says they’ve gone through some hard times, but she insists her animals are healthy and safe. Wilson says, “We haven’t had the funding. We went through a really rough patch during last year when we had a change in hands from our board members and we just didn’t have very many adoptions coming through and funding was not, you know, with the economy and things, we lost funding.” Wilson says right now they’re not taking any new animals until they find a home for the 25 dogs remaining there. But Tucker says the League needs to be shut down. “This is not a place for animals to go….I would go so far as to say they’re better off on the streets than that place, absolutely.”The Calhoun County district attorney says he has received a complaint of animal abuse and financial issues and he’s looking into them to see if any charges should be filed. The D.A. asks anyone with information about the League to call his office.

ANNISTON, Ala. —

An Anniston no-kill animal shelter is under fire accused of animal abuse and misusing funds.

And the allegations come from the director of another animal rescue group. Calvin Tucker, also known as ‘Black Noah’, says the League for Animal Welfare is no place for animals and he’s already taken all of the cats there and a few dogs to other shelters.

Tucker is normally rescuing animals from the streets, but recently he’s turned his focus on the League for Animal Welfare in Anniston. He says he has pictures that show animals in cages filled with feces and food bowls filled with mold. Tucker says, “She’s taken a lot of animals off of the streets in Anniston. But, they’re not getting vetted. They’re not getting vetted. They’re just they’re living their lives in cages. The dogs are living in cages. They’re living in feces. A lot of them are heartworm positive. One just had to be euthanized.”

Tucker recently took 20 cats and five dogs from the facility. Several of the cats are sick with contagious illnesses. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society is helping quarantine and vet those animals.

We met the owner of the League for Animal Welfare. Heather Wilson says they’ve gone through some hard times, but she insists her animals are healthy and safe. Wilson says, “We haven’t had the funding. We went through a really rough patch during last year when we had a change in hands from our board members and we just didn’t have very many adoptions coming through and funding was not, you know, with the economy and things, we lost funding.”

Wilson says right now they’re not taking any new animals until they find a home for the 25 dogs remaining there. But Tucker says the League needs to be shut down. “This is not a place for animals to go….I would go so far as to say they’re better off on the streets than that place, absolutely.”

The Calhoun County district attorney says he has received a complaint of animal abuse and financial issues and he’s looking into them to see if any charges should be filed. The D.A. asks anyone with information about the League to call his office.

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RELEASE OF “HIGH VIBRATIONS”, THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM OF KOUNTKONP – Music Industry Today

by Dolphin OutlookSustainable Action News

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RELEASE OF “HIGH VIBRATIONS”, THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM OF KOUNTKONP – Music Industry Today – EIN Presswire

























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OKCPD arrest juveniles after social media post depicts animal abuse

by Animal AbuseSustainable Action News

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – Oklahoma City Police Department confirms two juveniles have been taken into custody after a social media post depicted animal abuse.

Authorities confirm both juveniles will face 2 counts of felony Animal Cruelty according to authorities.

According to police officials, on Sunday, April 2nd, several metro law enforcement agencies received calls regarding an online video showing two juveniles possibly abusing dogs, and also making threats toward a metro middle school. Police say initial attempts to locate the juveniles on April 2nd at several addresses were unsuccessful.

April 3rd another video was posted making a threat toward a school. Officers located the first suspect at a house and recovered firearms.

April 4th additional information was gathered about the second juvenile and the juvenile was taken into custody without incident.

OKC Animal Welfare executed a search warrant at the home where the dogs were being kept. According to Oklahoma City Police, 3 dogs were seized, including the two in the videos and are expected to be okay.

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by Sustainable Action News

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Northern Utah wildlife rehabilitation center forced to relocate

by Animal AbuseSustainable Action News

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OGDEN, Utah — “It just seemed like a nightmare.”

That’s what DaLyn Marthaler said when she found out the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, where she is the executive director, was given six months to vacate their facility and find a new one.

The nonprofit has occupied 1490 Park Blvd. in Ogden since 2010. The center takes in about 4,000 injured animals annually, including around 150 different species, and has treated more than 34,000 wild animals since its inception in 2009.

Marthaler said six months isn’t nearly enough time to relocate because doing so will involve finding a new property, applying for a commercial loan and making sure the property is zoned properly. Volunteers will also need to find or build a facility that is animal-ready, then undergo a facility inspection for government approval.

“All those things cannot happen in 180 days. It’s just not possible,” Marthaler said. “This isn’t something where we can just get out to a warehouse and be fine. … There’s a process to this, and people just don’t understand that.”

Marthaler first heard about the relocation from Jay Lowder, Ogden Public Services director, at the end of February. Lowder said he was “certain” he could give the center at least a year to move out, Marthaler said.

She asked him for two years, saying it wasn’t possible to safely relocate the animals within just one year.

Then, in early March, the center received a letter giving it until Sept. 6 to vacate the premises. The center will be bulldozed so the neighboring ​​George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park at 1544 Park Blvd can create a 144-stall parking lot and a storage facility.

“We were completely stunned. It just seemed like a nightmare,” Marthaler said. “Why does it have to happen now? Why was this never communicated to us previously that this was coming?”

Lowder said the center’s residency was always meant to be temporary.

“The city gave them an agreement for an interim location in our facility until they could find something more permanent,” Lowder said. “We’re exercising our rights under their agreement. They’ve had 12 years to find something permanent.”

He said the policy has “always” been that the center would only receive six months notice to vacate.

“I’m going strictly by the agreement,” Lowder said.

He also said the dinosaur park has “always” planned to expand, but construction was delayed because of COVID-19. The park has now raised enough funds to start the first phase of their expansion, which is why it is happening now.

Marthaler’s understanding when her team originally signed the agreement was that it was “simply a formality.” She said they were told that these contracts are often made and that after a few years of occupying a building, they would have established residency there.

“Ogden really doesn’t owe us anything,” Marthaler said. “But they’ve allowed us to stay here with that understanding for this long. If they want us gone, that’s OK — we just need the time to do it without animals dying.”

Marthaler said if her team can’t establish a facility for the animals in time, thousands of them will have to be euthanized.

 

Next steps

 

Marthaler is asking Ogden officials to reconsider their timeline, not only for the well-being of animals currently being treated at the rehabilitation center, but also so they don’t have to turn away future animal patients.

April through September is typically their busiest season, she said, with 79% of their patients arriving during those months.

Lowder said a long extension is out of the question, but his committee would be willing to consider a minor change.

“There’s not a lot to do to fight it. They’re completely within their legal rights,” Marthaler said. “Can they do it? Yes. Should they do it? No. Was it done properly? Absolutely not.”

Still, she is asking the public to show support for the center.

“Try to persuade the mayor to change his mind,” Marthaler urged. “Try to get them to put off this parking lot. I don’t see why it has to happen right now, and without giving us time.”

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OKC police arrest two teenagers in connection with viral animal abuse

by Animal AbuseSustainable Action News

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Law enforcement in the Oklahoma City metro area arrested two teens in connection with videos of animal cruelty went viral in early April. Oklahoma City Welfare executed a search warrant and rescued three dogs from a metro-area residence.

Oklahoma City police have arrested two juveniles amid a case of animal cruelty that also involved threats to a metro-area middle school.

Sunday, various law enforcement agencies in the metro area received phone calls about a video spreading online showing the two juveniles punching, stomping and tossing two puppy dogs, while also making threats toward Deer Creek Middle School.

“Deer Creek School District administrators were made aware of a circulating social media video involving two of our students indicating potential animal abuse,” school officials said in a statement Monday. “We immediately reported this information to law enforcement for further investigation and will continue to assist them in this matter.”

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‘The Walking Dead’ actress visits dog who survived GA abuse case

by Animal AbuseSustainable Action News

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Walter was one of some 50 dogs rescued in a cruelty case. Christian Serratos learned his story.

ATLANTA — Fulton County Animal Services had a star-studded visit at its shelter Thursday — but it wasn’t “The Walking Dead” actress that was getting all of the attention.

Christian Serratos, representing the Animal Legal Defense Fund, was in Atlanta to meet Walter the rescued poodle lab. The organization offers grants to cover some expenses in animal cruelty cases, which otherwise can present hurdles in pursuing charges and holding people accountable.

A visible animal lover, Serratos is more famously known for her role as Rosita Espinosa in the zombie apocalypse TV series “The Walking Dead” and her portrayal as the Queen of Tejano music in Netflix’s “Selena” The Series.”

She affectionately stroked Walter’s head at the LifeLine shelter after hearing his story.

Shelter leaders said Walter was seized in an animal cruelty case in Fulton County. The senior dog was rescued along with more than 50 dogs, at least two cats, several chickens and horses, officials explained to Serratos.

Veterinarians predict Walter is around 10 years old and likely partially blind and hard of hearing. Rescuers said that he weighed around 15 to 20 pounds — severely underweight for a dog of his size. He’s since about doubled his weight, his new owners said.

Michael and Cassie Rowicki, of Alpharetta, adopted Walter after he spent some time with a foster family.

“He was very, very skinny — he’s probably gained 15 pounds,” Michael said.

The Rowickis explained that they weren’t expecting to adopt a poodle. They were originally looking for a small dog but after hearing about Walter’s case they knew they wanted to at least meet him.

“Special needs, older dogs don’t scare us,” Michael said.

Already dog parents of two rescues, they felt Walter would make a perfect third.

“He’s just easy-going, ‘just pet me, love me,'” Cassie said, describing Walter’s nature.

After learning he was one of some 50 poodles rescued in a disturbing case, they wanted to make sure he lived the rest of his life with love.

“He’s been a great dog,” Michael said.

Serratos saw this firsthand as the actress sat for a photo op with the dog. 

Snuggling close to Walter, they posed for photos, and the pup accepted her hugs and loving looks. In meeting Walter, she said his story is why she works to raise awareness about animals that face abuse — and have the potential to live a fulfilling life with owners who will be tender in their care.

“I want to thank Fulton County for taking animal cruelty cases seriously,” she said.

The Rowickis now want other people to take Serratos’ words to heart and consider opening their homes to loving dogs like Walter. They say he’s a couch potato, a food lover and a playful pet that manages to keep up with their two other dogs — a piece of their family they didn’t know they needed.

“There are cruelty cases out there where dogs need some help — so we ask that people consider going to their local shelters,” Michael said. “Take a chance.”

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