ZooScope

Tag: HAR: Food

  • Earthlings. Dir. Shaun Monson. Nation Earth. 2005.

    Fig. 1 The original release poster for Earthlings, the film’s oft repeated challenge to the viewer to ‘make the connection’ features prominently alongside pictures of plants, animals and the evil emperor Commodus (representing humankind).   ‘How do you know if someone is Vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you’. So proclaims an increasingly popular meme. Type preachy into…

  • The Misfits. Dir. Arthur Miller. United Artists. 1961.

    The Misfits (dir. Arthur Miller, 1961) The final two scenes in The Misfits (dir. Arthur Miller, 1961) epitomise the varied conflicts that underpin the changing zeitgeist narrative of the film.[1] The relationship between the bucking beast and the faded hunter is complex; the mustang and the cowboy are two of the most poignant and pervading symbols…

  • Happy Feet. Dir. George Miller. Warner Bros. Pictures. 2006.

    Happy Feet (Dir. George Miller, 2006) is a film normally associated with the representation of environmental issues, encouraging environmental awareness and consciousness of the animals worldwide affected by human actions. It also presents the theme of individuality, with the main character Mumble shunned for being different but eventually accepted into the penguin community after he is…

  • The Cove. Dir. Louie Psihoyos. Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions. 2009.

    Academy Award winning The Cove (2009) is a documentary film that follows a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, on their mission to expose the mistreatment of dolphins and porpoises in Taiji, Japan. The documentary tells of O’Barry’s own complex relationship with cetaceans, with The Cove exploring and attempting to justify his decision to fight…

  • A Close Shave. Dir. Nick Park. BBC. 1995.

    Following the great success of director Nick Park’s A Grand Day Out in 1990 and 1993’s The Wrong Trousers, eccentric inventor Wallace and his canine companion Gromit returned in 1995 with A Close Shave. The action begins as the duo – now running a window cleaning service – have their breakfast interrupted by Shaun the…

  • Pan’s Labyrinth. Dir. Guillermo del Toro. Warner Bros. Pictures. 2006.

    Pan’s Labyrinth (Original Title: El laberinto del fauno) Guillermo del Toro’s visually arresting Pan’s Labyrinth is set in 1944 against the backdrop of post civil-war Spain. It follows the story of the young Ofelia, whose heavily pregnant mother has transported her across the country to live with her fascist stepfather, Captain Vidal, as he carries out Franco’s…

  • Fantastic Mr. Fox. Dir. Wes Anderson. 20th Century Fox . 2009.

    2009 saw Wes Anderson turn his unique eye for detail and style to stop motion animation, with his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. The film has a distinct and consistent colour scheme of warm oranges and browns, changing only to show the warehouses and homes of the evil farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean.…

  • Brokeback Mountain. Dir. Ang Lee. Focus Features. 2005.

    Brokeback Mountain Based on a short story by Annie Proulx published in the New Yorker in 1997, Brokeback Mountain (dir. 2005 Ang lee) opens in 1963 with the meeting of the two protagonists, the taciturn Ennis Del Mar and his affable herding partner Jack Twist. After a sternly delivered set of instructions from flock owner…

  • The Plague Dogs. Dir. Martin Rosen. United Artists. 1982.

    Based on Richard Adams’ 1977 novel of the same name, The Plague Dogs[1] follows the story of Rowf and Snitter, who escape from an animal research centre after Rowf’s cage is left unlocked, finding themselves in the heart of the Peak District. The dogs hope to find a master, but every human encounter is hostile. Running out…

  • Tom at the Farm. Dir. Xavier Dolan. MK2. 2013.