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Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy (2013)
Surprisingly good, insightful and honest hidden gem
Have seen and been dismissive of this largely expecting it to be another PETA type documentary that serves up another highly emotive and largely inaccurate picture of Keiko's freedom and happiness in the wild which they frequently do as though he lived in an underworld of rainbows and sunshine sprinkles. It's either that or doom mongers that make out he was tipped into the ocean and left to die.
For whatever reason I decided to watch it and was actually surprised to find it was an in-depth and interesting account of Keiko's initial capture, how he was unusually young to be taken from the wild - possibly the result of accident and opportunity than intentional taking of a calf not yet weaned. It features interviews and refreshingly honest details from reputable well known sources, marine biologists, anti captivity campaigners and individuals from the foundation who discuss Keiko's capture, life in captivity lived right through to what was a successful failure in efforts to release him entirely back into the wild.
There isn't the rose tinted emotive inaccuracies and actually, it provided info which really paints the marine park in Mexico where Keiko was found and Free Willy filmed in a much more positive light than I'd expected. It detailed how they were the only marine park that would even consider Warner Bros request to use their park and orca seemingly not worried or concerned about the political aspect of agreeing to be involved with a film highlighting the plight of captive orca.
Knowing they had to move Keiko sooner rather than later anyway as he was continuing to grow and already too big for their small tank, it would provide the financial means and resources to secure a better facility for him and allow them some extra money to make improvements overall in the park. For that they deserve absolute credit.
Prior to filming and with the benefit of the best veterinary professionals Warner Bros could afford, simple and relatively basic changes to how Keiko was cared for and kept made a massive difference i.e. Installing a chiller to keep the water at a cooler temp more suited to his needs, better quality of fish and advice / help ensuring water levels were kept continually monitored. That alone seemed to make drastic improvement to Keiko's health and whilst filming took place he remained in the same park and the same tank but with a considerably improved health and renewed energy levels and interest.
During filming he was completely engaged, interested, keen to work with the trainers and enjoyed the challenge and stimulation that daily filming brought.
Warner Bros saw fit to at least arrange for Keiko to be moved to a better facility that could care for him given the box office hit and money made from Free Willy which again I hadn't realised they started the ball rolling and secured an alternative where he was transferred. The difficulty seemed to be that neither they nor others that got on board and involved with his move realised the full extent, time, effort, expense and huge multi-disciplinary effort it would take to have him rehabilitated even to the point of being near ready for a sea pen sanctuary.
There is the definite feeling that because of the massive global campaign and media interest, the foundation reliant on public donations and Keiko's unusually young age at the time of capture, he would probably never have been a suitable candidate for a full release back into the wild.
With the benefit of hindsight 30yrs down the line it is apparent he would have been perfectly happy and probably enjoyed a good quality of life had he just remained in a sea pen / sanctuary under the care of humans.
It gives good insight into what could still happen for the remaining captive orca and other whales and dolphins if they are able to begin the process of transferring and being introduced to other facilities and eventually moved to sea pens and sanctuaries.
In reality very few if any captive orca will be suitable for a full release and reintegration back into the wild but they could all be given a new entirely improved quality of life, enjoy the swells and tides of the open ocean with vast areas to roam and remain under human care and supervision.
It was sad that Keiko never fully reintegrated or stayed with any pod despite following and attaching himself to more than one and for some time. He still seemed to need and crave human companionship most and in some ways must have felt abandoned and wondered what he did wrong particularity when legislation was introduced preventing him from being approached or interacted with in a similar way they did with Luna.
This documentary however doesn't just paint his last year or two as being perfect and rosy or lonely and alone. It just gives honest, insightful and very thought provoking information which if we took and used as a means of going forward and progressing from the captive marine parks as they are now, we could really make drastic improvements and maybe even redeem ourselves as humans righting some of the many wrongs for good measure.
Highly recommended hidden gem that's worth a watch.
Whiplash (2014)
Disappointing
Went into this completely open minded having no idea what the film was about and hadn't even heard of it before but it was on BBC iPlayer late when I couldn't sleep. I'm partially deaf and watched mostly without being able to hear which is just as well cos I don't care for jazz and would have probably found the jazz heavy, lengthy drum rape a bit too much.
As a musician and former student to an abusive, vile bully like this, I got what it was doing or aiming to do and distinctly felt a lot of what the students felt during classes. I just didn't buy into the characters or their stories at all.
Initially I bought Andrew's desperate hopes to impress this legendary music teacher everyone fears but respects. I recognised and bought Fletcher's abrasive and vile personality, the harsh, unnecessary and physically abusive practices because I know that very sort one of whom was head at the school of music I attended.
It all went tits up and lost me when the two characters became unbelievable and did what would directly contradict and conflict with their natures. Fletcher's abuse increases to physical violence and assaulting students one of whom we later discover has killed himself and it wasn't checked or picked up on at all until things reached a head with Andrew who pasted him and was kicked from the school but not before helping to bring a case and see Fletcher loses his job.
Andrew has given up on his dreams and drums but happens to stumble on Fletcher playing in a bar and I bought his initial intrigue, curiosity or willingness to at least speak with his former teacher. Fletcher seemingly having awareness and acknowledging his faults was immediate suggesting it was genuine because his vile temper and inability to curb and control it wouldn't have enabled him to think so quickly on his feet and have that whole act ready to roll out.
When he invited Andrew to join him, this confident, self-assured kid that flattened him in front of everyone and cost Fletcher his job suddenly became the keen, eager and totally naïve young first year student all over again. He'd been robbed of his dreams and given up on his passions solely because of Fletcher so it made zero sense to me that he'd allow him the chance to do it all over again in a hurry - and yet he did.
When Fletcher was setting him up for complete failure and humiliation, I could see how that might happen but not how things went from there.
Andrew had the balls to refuse to let Fletcher win, goes back on stage, picks up his sticks and drums like it was the last time he'd ever drum which fit his character.
Fletcher has a few brief outbursts in anger then suddenly takes Andrew's sheer defiance and attitude as something worthwhile, visibly reacts and encourages Andrew to really go for it which he does.
Then two men are supposed to have met each other on equal playing fields, found mutual respect with Andrew the next Charlie Parker and Fletcher the reason for it? That just would not have happened.
I know teachers, trainers and instructors in many areas and disciplines that believe you have to push someone harder and beyond what they think is their limit in order for them to achieve more than they ever thought possible. I'm sure there's an element of this being true and in many cases an approach that does work because you have to step outside the comfort zone to find where the magic happens.
This level of accepted bullying and abuse is pretty common in the performing arts and as I say, it's something with which I have a lot of experience but it's much less obvious, seldom physical, usually a psychological, emotional stripping of someone's confidence and self-assurance under the guise of them only aiming to push students so they can reach their full potential.
I would have believed and been on board were Fletcher either less physical and / or if Andrew had less balls which would account for him putting up with Fletcher.
Neither of the two men would tolerate each other let alone discover a new, sudden mutual respect, understanding and appreciation on an equal basis.
Notes from Dunblane: Lesson from a School Shooting (2018)
Short, sweet but refreshingly beautiful tale of two tragedies
Amazed at the low ratings and poor reviews seemingly from those missing the point.
I stumbled accidentally on this at 4am idling my way along Netflix and decided to watch given that it was only short and not overly taxing. It was really a beautiful and thought provoking glimpse into how these two tragedies affected those whose lives, calling and purpose is to be the ones offering the healing, supporting victims / bereaved loved ones and helping them to make sense of the most senseless act.
The lack of graphic detail or political viewpoint at either side is refreshing and the focus remains solely on how the tragedy affected these two priests and how they reached out to each other from opposite sides of the pond.
Father Bob visibly at the verge of breakdown was hard to watch and that simple email all the way from a fellow priest in Scotland to give support, thoughts and prayers must have been a huge comfort and did raise the question of how difficult it must be for those expected to be an unwavering support and have answers to the questions they don't understand.
It doesn't aim to review or pick up and renew the arguments about gun control legislation - it's half an hour long.
It's not a preachy religious half hour. It's not a political half hour either. It's purely from the heart of the two gents and others seldom considered as being in need of support.
Crimson Peak (2015)
Dreadful. Credits and Teleshopping that followed were highlights
What an awful film.
Allowing it three stars for visuals only.
Was on Film4 at daft o'clock this morning and I only watched it because the remote was buried somewhere beneath my blankets and dogs. The most mind-numbingly crap film that made me happy to watch Teleshopping afterwards.
High Street TV "Paint Runner Pro" and the H20 Steam Cleaner were like an Oscar winning movie.
Scott of the Antarctic (1948)
Strangely inaccurate but overall a worthy watch
Revisited this recently. Part of me wants to love the film because of its Britishness and taking into account the date it was released (and of course because John Mills does a stellar job as always) but I can't make peace nor get past the idiocy of Scott and the way he is given a heroic portrayal.
Knowing what the benefit of a century later allows us to know, it's still bizarre and almost unfathomable how and why Scott did some of the things he did. To me he was an idiot. To many and especially to the audience and relatives at the time this was released, he is given a far higher honour and greater reputation than was deserved.
That Scott was largely responsible for the unfair and incredibly damaging reputation of killer whales doesn't help. His account of an orca pod deliberately and aggressively trying to sink them is still cited as an incident of aggression from wild orca towards humans.
That said maybe because of the time it was made and the reaction it might have received from an audience in 1948, there was no mention of the party killing and eating penguins for example or using the ponies for food and burying them to find and eat on their return. This being left out gives the impression they simply shot and left the ponies without having even thought to use for food and the rest for clothing and shelter. It also suggests they survived solely on provisions they set out with which again suggests Scott was an even bigger tool than perhaps was the case in that sense.
The scenes that do touch on death and mortality are sensitive especially the point at which the ponies can go no further.
Scott's effort to calm and reassure his pony was touching especially when he's startled at the sound of another pony being shot before him and is given a gentle pat for reassurance and told "Well Christopher old boy" before being lead away to meet the same fate. It was a necessary means but not glossed over nor made graphic.
My own feelings aside you can't help but feel for all these men whose end seemed even crueller given how close they were to safety.
Despite the romantic portrayal this is a well made film with brilliant performances particularly from the ever solid John Mills.
American Experience: The Circus: Part 1 (2018)
Brilliant accidental find!
Found this on Netflix after an eternity of looking for something to sprawl out on the sofa and watch with the dogs. What a brilliant documentary too really interesting and well put together.
As a lifelong lover and owner / trainer of dog and horses I've always had an interest in the origins of the circus even if the animals and the training techniques used are devastatingly sad to realise now. It touched sensitively on the problems with trainers that either wouldn't or couldn't grasp the need for anything other than use of force and harsh, heavy handed techniques but it didn't preach or unfairly pass judgement on what was an acceptable if not encouraged at the time.
After it finished I got up to make a cup of tea and the second started to play and made me "Ooooh yay there's a second bit!" and get comfy back on sofa with the dogs.
It's an interesting, well researched and respectful insight into the origins of the circus and well done.
Long Gone Wild (2019)
Can't have taken more than a few hours to stick together.
Hadn't heard of this until the last couple of days when Netflix recommended it way down the list of recommendations and wondered why given I'm an active supporter of Dolphin Project, Orca Research, Whale Sanctuary etc
.Realised within the first fifteen minutes why this managed to slip through the net (no pun intended but left anyway) when it just raked up and went over old ground focusing on SeaWorld, reinterviewing some of the people that featured in Blackfish and them saying almost exactly the same things almost word for word. That's not to say their take and insight isn't relevant or worthy of the world hearing but it's been heard already and this documentary claimed to focus on the events since Blackfish in particular ongoing captures in Russia and China. It barely skims the surface with a few minutes of footage inside an unnamed Chinese marine park, a few minutes of footage from Russian boats during a capture effort and that's it
A brief summary to pickup where Blackfish left off would have sufficed but should have then moved its audience on to a more pressing, urgent and current issue being ongoing captures and trading between Russia and China all of which has taken place entirely from under world's attention as everyone seemed so hell bent on screaming out SeaWorld which despite all their many and incredulous faults have at least not been involved in wild captures for decades.
There are some reliably solid experts interviewed such as the brilliant Naomi Rose, RIc O'Barry and familiar faces from Blackfish namely the Jeff Ventre and Carol Ray. Trouble is the stories and accounts are as familiar with Carol talking about Kalina's separation, Lori speaking of how the orca brain was put through an MRI the results of which astounded them and more explanation of how being inside empty concrete tanks is a form of sensory deprivation and causing these animals to go stir crazy.
Footage is in large parts old / from the original capture or lifted from other existing sources i,e National Geographic / PBS and towards the end where they finally mention how plans for sanctuaries could be the simplest solution that would benefit all, there's not even any reference or mention of existing plans and designs already drawn up which are brilliant. Instead they interview people on boats with "NOT ACTUAL SITE" so there's literally no point in showing them on that stretch of water.What a horribly missed opportunity and disgracefully lazy attempt to pretend it is worthy of or the next best thing since Blackfish.
The narrative darts from one place to another and was so fragmented, amateurish and hard to take seriously I stopped the movie less than 20 mins in to find out who made it and the writer / director was someone I had never heard of before. A quick Google uncovered previous work such as "E! Hollywood True Stories!" and thousands of pennies dropped all at once.
This isn't so much a follow up to Blackfish but more a dreadful, lazy effort and whatever your thoughts on captivity or personal like / dislike for this overall, be under no illusion that it is the much awaited followup and biggest thing since Blackfish.
It's a Sunday afternoon documentary on PBS at best.
A Dog's Purpose (2017)
A nice but easy going story of the relationship we have or can have with dogs
Avoided watching this purely from reading the synopsis which made for depressing reading especially on realising the dog remembers each past life. The trailer was heart-wrenching too so I figured all the movie would do is depress me beyond words.
Turned out it's not as bad as I expected in that there is little in the way of graphic scenes i.e. the first dog's remark that it was "the shortest life" before he's reborn again - therefore implying he was put to sleep.
Haven't read the book but understand from other reviews there are more dogs and "lives" featured in the movie which some felt ruined things and I can't comment on that but imagine it's perhaps to give the audience insight into the many if not most common ways a dog will live and die depending on the human it's fortunate or unfortunate to have.
There's the stray whose life is short. The puppy mill. The deeply loved and cherished dog whose life is happy, healthy and long. The spoiled fat dog whose bond is with the second family dog more than human. The neglected dog chained up outisde day and night.
Pretty sure it covers all ground and all types and extent of owners and maybe that was the aim and reason for including more dogs.
As the Retriever with whom Ethan develops the lifelong bond, there's a good depth to the relationship and the sense of a genuine bond as they grow up. It's not something everyone will necessarily be able to relate but as a kid, our first dog was like another sibling. She literally came everywhere with us and grew up with us living a long, well lived and loved life so I was able to associate and bought the way Ethan took Bailey everwhere with him.
When Red Bailey moves on and is reborn, the subsequent lives lack any real depth because they are so short lived. I expected there would be more to the story of "Ellie" and her handler who we get the sense is a cold stone-faced character that won't allow himself to bond with his dog. The only emotion is at the last couple of minutes of her life he holds her and sobs which perhaps is another way of implying she has taught him to love her rather than see her as merely a colleague.
"Tino" the fat corgi plays his role in helping his shy, socially awkward owner to get out more and eventually meet her husband. Dogs being a key factor is helping people overcoming anxiety issues is not unknown nor is the number of couples that met because of their dogs.
Tino's last scene in which he's worn out, weary and too tired for pizza was for me the most upsetting but more from a personal perspective.
His owner asking what he's thinking amd realising he's reached that time is heartbreaking but that's the day every dog owner dreads and one day has to face. Tino's last words being to thank his owner for what has been one of his best lives is really touching.
"Waffles" being chained up outside day and night with nothing to do, no time spent time or attention / affection given is sad but when he is dumped off and left to find his own way, you do get the sense it's a good thing and he's far better off anyway.
Whilst there's some soppy sentimental stuff poured on when finds his way back to Ethan and he then realises it's his old dog Bailey, again I think it's more to portray how we seem to have dogs that although different if not world's apart in many ways, are uncannily alike in others.
Overall it's an easy if not sleepy film that doesn't give out many real highs or lows it just maintains and steady but watchable pace. It's certainly not filled with scenes of dogs being put to sleep, drowned and abused nor sad in the sense of each life being remembered.
I think the underlying moral throughout is that dogs are entirely at the mercy of humans and we have and hold all the cards in deciding where and how things ride out for each. There's no sadness from Bailey as he moves from one life to another which is done well in being indicative of a dog's nature generally.
Carrie (2013)
Sadly fell short and didn't even seem sure of itself.
To be fair it was always going to be a tall order and very hard to live up to the original but it felt like everyone involved was unsure of what to do, how to play it and where to go with this one. It lacked any real depth or commitment which is a shame given that it was well cast.
For the most part the film remained true to the original but was set in a more modern time and age making social media a bully's tool of the trade and Carrie's humiliation spread far and wide way beyond the school gates.
Moretz played the role as well as she could but think even she was unsure of her way around Carrie White. She didn't convince not least because she's too pretty and has a shy, awkward attractiveness about her that doesn't ring true as a victim and complete social outcast.
I didn't care at all for the excessive facial grimacing and mouthing as though roaring during her efforts to move and control objects. The arm movements were too much and too often then when she floated off the stage during prom, I was out. Until then I was willing to forgiving the exaggerated head and facial movements but the flying - no. It really did give an immediate feel of naff.
Moore was a very watered down version of the original Mother and played the role much quieter, calmer and more as a mentally unstable woman than God fearing lunatic. Again it's a tough call to beat or come close to the original.
Elgort didn't have much impact or justify the role of Tommy Ross. Although kind, courteous and a gentleman to Carrie, you didn't get a sense it was a genuine fondness or affection. It felt all the time like straight after the prom he would have no interest whatsoever in even glancing Carrie's way ever again.
The script changes included having Sue spared by Carrie after she goes to her home following the prom and finds her cradling her dead Mother. She pleads with Carrie not to hurt her, to take her hand and let her help.
If this change was to include Sue reaching out literally to help Carrie, it makes no sense that she would have gone through the entire film quietly arranging to loan her boyfriend Tommy so that Carrie could go to prom rather than have her try to reach out and befriend her in person before.
I'm not sure how or in what way it could have been done to include a more modern angle without straying too much from the original but it felt as though it tried but wasn't seen through all the way.
Shame as well cos with a little more time and some careful though, it could have been done well.
Blackfish (2013)
More like a trailer but gives you all you need to work with
Going back and watching again for the first time since it was released, Blackfish now seems more like an hour and half trailer in that it skims and crams in the most important aspects as best it can from nearly 50yrs of very complex history and dynamics between humans and Orca.
It was without question an important film and essential for people to watch but it doesn't and can't possibly give the full ins and outs of everything. It requires its audience to delve deeper and research for themselves.
For the most part people hadn't really given much thought into the background of the whales they saw in shows and bought the whole notion these happy, cuddly and loveable animals that enjoy putting on performances with trainers. To add to the perpetual idea it's all good comes the marketing of SW and I guess audiences would understandably assume they must be telling the truth about it all.
Turned out they weren't telling many the people the truth at all - not even the trainers.
The aim of the film wasn't to ruin SW but more to give the wider world a heads up which it did to incredible effect. I'll be honest in saying not all of the interviews with former trainers struck me as being necessarily true, impartial or convincing but again, it needs audiences to do more research for themselves rather than take everything at face value.
It leaves you with more questions than answers which leaves it up to us to decide whether to go and find out more or leave it there.
It struck me as an odd thing to see the last shot of Dawn lying alongside Tilikum because having heard others speak of how she was the mother hen of everyone, constantly making sure staff knew the drill, did things by the book and were always safe made me wonder how on Earth she put herself physically in that position. That led to further research in which I discovered that according to SW's own policy and protocol, she was technically doing "dry-work" with him.
Lying down alongside him in that water was according to SW - "dry work" and that made me read up more, find out even more absurd information and realise how every single trainer is put at risk, blamed and has the onus placed on them personally for every incident that occurs.
Again you don't realise the extent of this until you go digging and reading up further. It's amazing SW were allowed to operate these nonsensical policies for so long and only fined the equivalent of pennies for having placed trainers at risk.
That said having seen a short clip of the footage where Ken Peters was dragged underneath the water repeatedly by Kasatka, makes you wonder how and why he of all people didn't jump on the Blackfish bandwagon. KP remains at SW, has not been particularly vocal or keen to slate the movie itself but says people need to understand and do their own research before making up there mind about the park. I'm with him 100% on that but just wish we could get more from that side of the fence and in particular hear more from Ken Peters but sadly, SW declined all opportunities and refused to have any involvement at all.
It would be interesting to have some follow up to Blackfish now that we're nearing a decade later and give SW some opportunity to set the record straight now they have stopped the breeding programme and made shows educational rather than entertainment.
Worst thing for me is how SW conducted itself after the release of Blackfish,during the court hearings and how appalling it was to realise the extent of their efforts to discredit, blame and shirk responsibility for everything.
More or less every response has read and sounded like that of a petulant teenager whose nose is out of joint. It picked apart "Blackfish" but with such ridiculous focus on things like the narration being about one whale when footage clearly shows another.
The recording of the 911 call from staff that state "a whale has eaten one of the trainers" was deemed later by SW as being inaccurate which it was but it was the actual recording by very clearly distressed staff in the immediate aftermath and total confusion.
That's not a deliberate attempt to lie and paint things in a different light it's merely giving the audience some insight into what happened, how it affected everyone and the total shock and confusion of it all in the immediate aftermath.
They constantly shirked responsibility about Loro Parque stating it is not owned by SW even though the whales belonged to them (still do) and the young trainer was killed during a session being directly supervised by a senior SW trainer. It isn't mentioned during Blackfish but another young trainer was nearly killed at Loro Parque during a separate and horrifying incident of aggression. This also happened during a session under the direct supervision of a SW trainer.
They duck, dive and dodge as much as possible which gives even less credibility and generally adds to the theory and views they can't be trusted.
SW has since released YouTube clips claiming "so called expert" Dr Ingrid Visser is clueless even trying to suggest she is guilty of harassing wild orca. Interestingly and again what you won't know without digging and reading further is that they approached Dr Visser initially with the hope of her testifying for them to state how it is not inherently dangerous to swim with Orca. They then turned on her when she refused to be on side and have been trying to discredit her ever since. It's just childish, petty and unprofessional nonsense you would not expect from a huge corporation that has the means, finances, resources and could still recover and even profit if they got on board with plans and proposals for sea pens and sanctuaries.
In fairness, SW has not captured wild orca in decades. Whilst the world is tearing shreds out of them, there are still captures taking place even now with orca captured on contracts bought / sold and shipped to and from parks in Russia, China and Japan.
We need to stop this incessant fixation with SW and turn our attention to other places that are still doing all this for profit.
So overall, Blackfish did a great job of highlighting issues and bringing the world's attention to what needed our attention. It's not dishonest and it's not an unfair portrayal either. If you feel things don't add up or there's more to it than meets the eye you can go and find out all those answers and do your own research which effectively is the aim here.
It's not an in-depth or really detailed movie it can't be - there is far too much going on for it to be possible but as a film / documentary it gives a skimming the surface, fair and accurate insight into what the world never knew happened at all before
The difficulty is that even after the death of Dawn Brancheau, SW continued to tarnish, vilify and blame her for what happened essentially aiming to continue this absurd notion it was a one-off and she to blame.
Blackfish is a hugely important film but it's far from a full, fair story. That is down to the viewer to take further and decide for themselves.