8 Below

Let me know if you like the movie .....
Havent seen it yet, not sure I can make it through it if its a tear jerker.

We're about to face the opposite with the Border collies.  The movie based on Jon Katz 's book Bedlam Farm [edited - it's A Dog Year that's coming out soon] will hit the theaters soon, with no sign that Mr. Katz will suddenly change his ways and use his bully pulpit responsibly for the breed he's chosen to focus on.  For the sake of all dogs, we are hoping, for instance, that they will leave out the segment in the book where he encourages car chasing as an outlet for his Border collie's "herding intinct." [sic] 

And we are also hoping there are no scenes with Jeff Daniels as Katz, solemnly telling someone that most dogs' lifespan is no more than eight years, so dogs near that age with health or behavioral issues should be euthanized.  Or that rescues cannot be retrained and always have problems, so only professionals should mess with rescues - regular people should always purchase a puppy.

We're all shuddering and cringing at the wave of ignorant puppy buyers this movie is certain to generate.  Babe was bad enough.

We saw it the first day it came, at matinee price. Our schedules permitted such at the time.
 
I'm not giving anything away by telling you the hardest part of the movie for me. It is the central part of the plot. Antarctica is going into it's winter and there's one chance left for the scientists to get out and the dogs have to be left behind. That, too me, is the hardest part. The team, howling in the blast of the prop wash as the plane takes off. It still gives me chills.
 
Another point in the movie is when Paul Walker's character re-visits his mentor/trainer/breeder. What the old man has to say is worth watching the movie for. Noblesse Oblige.
 

And we are also hoping there are no scenes with Jeff Daniels as Katz, solemnly telling someone that most dogs' lifespan is no more than eight years, so dogs near that age with health or behavioral issues should be euthanized. Or that rescues cannot be retrained and always have problems, so only professionals should mess with rescues - regular people should always purchase a puppy.

 
OMG!!!!  Poor you!  Goodness, badsenjis don't even start to behave (nicely) until 8. 

Good morning everyone!
 
Ron--I was at blockbuster yesterday evening and thought about you when I saw 8 below was out, since I could not watch it at the theater, I am such a wimp I walked out, I rented it and said would watch it no matter what.  So, once I was done with the evenings chores, Romeo and I settled on the bed and watched it, I cried from the moment they leave the compound (which is the part I walked out of the theater). 
 
Loved the movie, and I respect the breed even more now.  I also read the insert on the jacket of the DVD, lets hope people pay attention.

I saw the movie, and enjoyed watching it, but a friend of mine who mushes said it's not really that true to her experiences mushing. She said rarely do you see purebred mushing teams- they are usually husky mixes, one of her best dogs was a hound/husky mix. Malamutes (there were two on the team in the movie) aren't really used for distance hauling at all- they are for heavy weight short distance hauls if they are used at all and usually only by breed enthusiasts. Some of the pictures my friend shared with me were amazing- and she had total trust in her team out on the trail.

That said, the story was amazing and I thought the dogs who acted in it did awesome jobs, especially considering how independent minded those breeds can be!!

The movie was based on an actual historical event. Back in the 50's, they did use Siberian Huskies. It's only been in the last 20 years or so with the ever-growing popularity of dog sledding as a competitive sport that a number of people have gone with Alaskan Huskies, which is a type of dog rather than a defined breed, and Husky mixes. And true, Malamutes are for pulling heavier loads but it would not be beyond another's experience to use Mals. I know of one musher who uses a team of hounds and another with a Lab for a lead dog. They went into detail how they had to alter the harness to fit a lab chest.
 
So, the movie is trying to stay as accurate to the actual event as possible, whether that fits in with today's standards, or not. It wasn't meant to match the current line-up for the Yukon Quest or any of the other title races along the way. Once again, dogs may be manipulated for Man's glory. For example, most of us, me included, do not leave our dogs staked and chained out for the evening. But in that time and culture, that's what you did. I know a young lady from Alaska who volunteers at the local shelter. Up there, she worked at a kennel managing 80 sled dogs. They sleep chained to the stake. It's their lifestyle and they do not lack for any care, receiving the best food, vet attention, and constant exercise to stay in training.
 
Aside from the breeding practices of the Inuit, it wasn't a big thing to outbreed until people started racing dog sleds, rather than just using them for transportation. Then, it became the big thing to create the strongest, fastest dogs ever. But at what cost, though?
 
Again, too, it is a movie and they will take some poetic license. It's just Hollywood. There were actually two teams. The one in the close-ups were rescues that received intensive obedience and trick training. In the long distance shots where the sled is running wide open, that was an actual mushing team.
 
In the movie, "G. I. Jane," they refer to the head of the bud/S program as command master chief. In reality, his rank is usually Master Chief Petty Officer. One of those technical differences that doesn't mean anything and doesn't take away from the movie. My friend, Lee, was a SEAL, said it was the closest thing to seeing bud/S and what SEAL life was like that he'd ever seen, nomenclature aside.

I saw this movie and loved it for one simple reason.  The plot was ok, the computer graphics were...all right I guess, but the canine actors' skills were amazing!  The whole movie I was sitting there wondering how long it must have taken some of those dogs to learn how to interact with each other WITHOUT looking off screen for a treat!  I'm so used to seeing dogs in movies focusing at the offscreen trainer, so watching these guys acting was a real treat for me.  This is the only movie I've seen where the dogs emotions and actions actually accurately fit the situation. 
 
It's definitely worth seeing if for no other reason than to oogle at the wonderfully well trained dogs and their beautiful fuzzy faces []  Though I'm sure some of the facial expressions were photoshopped. 

Believe it or not my Vet reccommended this movie to me! He said it was awesome and that we would love it. I have the best Vet, he's a hotty too.. [] We haven't seen it yet but we will!

Seen it at the movies when it first came out, made sure I brought it the first day it went on sale and watched it twice that day. There is some parts that are very sad in it so those of you that are soft hearted I say make sure you have the tissues, I did all three times.
 
It's good that alot of the dogs in this movie were actually from different rescue organisations. It is good that they put the cards in the cover explaining things about the breeds, I guess they don't want the same thing to happen as did with 101 dalmations where every one went out and brought them then most of them ended up at shelters.
 
 

The acting dogs went through a 5 to 5 1/2 month training regimen.
 

Yes, I applaud the responsibility of at least trying to educate people. I also think it was neat in the movie that they had the Mals in the wheel dog position, which kind of makes sense.
 

ORIGINAL: ron2


In the movie, "G. I. Jane," they refer to the head of the bud/S program as command master chief. In reality, his rank is usually Master Chief Petty Officer. One of those technical differences that doesn't mean anything and doesn't take away from the movie. My friend, Lee, was a SEAL, said it was the closest thing to seeing bud/S and what SEAL life was like that he'd ever seen, nomenclature aside.

Ron, I will say that I have never been able to figure out the Navy rank structure.  Why they can't do it like everyone else, I have no idea.  I mean, does a lieutenant out rank a captain?  And wtf is all this JG bullspit?  Is a petty officer a NCO or an officer?  Thick stripes, thin stripes, mein gott.  []

Anyway, in the Army, there is a sergeant major and a command sergeant major.  Both are E-9s and have slightly different rank insignia.  I wonder if the Navy has the same thing, ie a master chief and a command master chief?
 
Edited to add a BTW.  BTW, the wife and I rented the DVD this weekend.  She thought it was good, I thought it sucked.

I 'm glad they added the insert.  I saw the movie 3 times in the theater.  And each time I cringed afterward everytime I heard someone say,"ooo I want a husky puppy now!"  I wanted to bring Crusher to the movie and let him run wild all over the theater eating people's popcorn and knocking over drinks, so they would rethink the idea of all huskies being that well behaved.  At least they don't show any puppies.  I was worried when he went back to the breeder.  Husky puppy faces are always a clincher.