A Dog's Purpose (2017)/Dog's Journey (2019)/Dog's Way Home (2019) (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

HERE'S a well-thought-out response to the entire controversy from the film's producer Gavin Polone.

One brief excerpt about PETA:

For example, in 2008, PETA sent a letter to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream suggesting that it stop using cow’s milk to make its product and instead use human breast milk.

Who could take anything these people say with any seriousness?

I'm a dog lover. I love this book and its message so much, I have hoped since this thread's beginning that the movie will be a huge success (and I hope it is well done). I now also want the film to be a huge success so that it shows all the knee-jerk know-nothing critics to shut up (something I know will never happen).

 

[Mike Frezon]

An emphatic opinion on the controversy now from Dennis Quaid (courtesy Entertainment Tonight):

 

[Radioman970]

He's damaging controlling all over the place! I know he probably loves animals, but I feel he's worried about his movie too. Lots of money tied up in that and here's this video that looks terrible. The movie is supposed to be for dog lovers and here they are with Hercules who can't read his contract. He don't want to go in the water. So the producers says all was just fine, Hercules is fine, he wasn't forced to do anything, he's not drowning he jumped in the water all for his own fun, but you know what? We don't see that. We see the video we see. My eyes don't lie, dog fear not edited and my ear knows spins better then ever. I go back after reading producer comments and seeing Quaid interviews with Ellen and someone else, read the director's concerned words too and watch the video that is now all over the internet with Hercules and get uncomfortable all over again. It doesn't look right because I think it isn't. The sooner they show us the whole show then maybe I'll get comfortable, or how about maybe not because perhaps it will reveal even worse. I have no doubt I'll watch the movie itslef, really does look good. But I'll begin seeing Hercules giving the body language saying "I don't want to do this lets go find my favorite toy squeezy instead". They should have brought in another dog who wanted and could to do it. I don't want to see animals totally replaced by cgi. But animal care on movie sets is just too darn important. I worry about their care outside of the movies too. When I see Animal Provider credited I wonder what kind of life they have when not on the movie screens.

I'm never bothered all that much by PETA. They know the problems animals have in the world and they think animals should be left alone complete. Now, in perspective human breast milk is a better choice than animal milk. After all it's made by a human lady for a human baby consumption. Cow milk is not. Also, fresh wouldn't have all those chemicals they put in to make the cows give more milk than they were supposed to.. well, if big companies ever marketed lady breast milk we'd see women like on sci-fi alien movies with 12 breasts that are watermelon sized. :p Seriousness, I recommend Organic Valley milk. Their whole milk is basically cream thinned out a tiny bit. Try a milkshake made of that and NO SUGAR ADDED Blue Bells country vanilla plus a dab of honey and few drops of vanilla extracts and you'll never buy another from McDonalds. It's expensive though so I also get PET. Warnings, if you buy these you want be able to go with store brand any more.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

He's damaging controlling all over the place! I know he probably loves animals, but I feel he's worried about his movie too.

And why wouldn't he be? Here he spends all of this time and effort making a film he's really proud of, only for it to be dogged by this negative campaign based around a video that is at best ambiguous and doesn't reflect his experience making the film at all.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Peg and I are expecting to be at the first showing tomorrow night in our area (Adam: 6pm at Regal/Colonie Center).

You can be sure that I'll be reporting in as soon as I can.

We see the video we see.

And that's what's damning about the whole thing, James...and points more toward the belief that this is merely a tempest in a teapot. If there was really a problem with animal cruelty, there'd be no edits--because they'd want us to see the entire horrific scene. But since there isn't any such thing, we don't see it..

 

[Alf S]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...e-ticket-sales-despite-boycott-call/97086008/

Looks like advanced sales for this one are tops at Fandango.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Great news.

Three hours away from showtime!

 

[Mike Frezon]

 

[Johnny Angell]

View attachment 36195

As the song goes: "Rub it in, rub it in!"

 

[Malcolm R]

I didn't think "Seniors" were allowed out past 6PM?

 

[Alf S]

I didn't think "Seniors" were allowed out past 6PM?

LOL

Every once in a while they get to do the Furr's Cafeteria dinner at 4pm and movie date.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I didn't think "Seniors" were allowed out past 6PM?

Hey, I resemble that!

 

[Mike Frezon]

LOL

Every once in a while they get to do the Furr's Cafeteria dinner at 4pm and movie date.

Close! Am finishing up at The Cheesecake Factory right now!

 

[Alf S]

 

[Radioman970]

I feel like a pooper on the fun but...

And why wouldn't he be? Here he spends all of this time and effort making a film he's really proud of, only for it to be dogged by this negative campaign based around a video that is at best ambiguous and doesn't reflect his experience making the film at all.

I don't see his experience. I see Herculeses experience. It's not good. The movie makers show me nothing. It's all nice nice then diverting to PETA slams. Funny, PETA has this video because it looks bad. For all their good and bad they are right to demand something else. The director was upset, the star was upset.. a lot of people are upset and not just me. So far lips are servicing from the movie makers and nothing else. Show me the video that shows Hercules wagging and having a fun time doing this movie people want him to do, Being lowered in the water when he don't want to do it. being underwater and not knowing what the deal is and people coming in a hurry to pull him out.

And that's what's damning about the whole thing, James...and points more toward the belief that this is merely a tempest in a teapot. If there was really a problem with animal cruelty, there'd be no edits--because they'd want us to see the entire horrific scene. But since there isn't any such thing, we don't see it..

We need to see. I agree. It's just that this video is there. we see a dog fearing, we see a crews rushing to get him out of a dangerous movie water scene. We see all that. We don't see him happy and wagging his tail before or after. So far there is one side winning the dog race because they showed us and the other side just wants us to believe everything is good doggie in an industry with a looong history of hurting things that either can't speak for themselves, like animals and things that are afraid to like children. Remember the children from Twilight zone the movie. The animals from Cannibals Holocaust. Milo and Otis. the movie makers are talk talk talk but seeing a fearful dog and people rushing over to save him from being underwater is seen. That's why I'm not backing down right now. I'm with the upset people who want to see what the movie making people have seen. So far we're seeing TMZ and PETA. Everybody by now knows there's 2 videos here. Doesn't make it better. Fear dog lowered in, dog looking like he's drowning. Maybe they're saving outtakes for the dvds but I think we need to see it.

 

[Alf S]

Pardon the pun, but I think it's all water under the bridge now. It will soon be forgotten and odds are this movie will do fine both theater wise and rental/streaming. Sure there will be some diehard protesters out there screaming not to see, but it won't matter all that much.

 

[Richard V]

PETA actually has said that pet owners are like slave owners. They call for "animal liberation" which means that we should all turn our domesticated animals loose in the streets to enjoy freedom and liberty... and get run over on the highway.

Or starve to death after digging around in filthy garbage for food, or breed uncontrollably leading to litters of puppies who also die from thirst and hunger and exposure to the elements. My ex-wife was a PETA member and I honestly thought of them as social terrorists. JMO.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Peg and I both enjoyed the movie a great deal.

You know how it is when you've read the book first and are now comparing what happened on screen with how it was portrayed in the book. We both agree that the book was better but think that the adaptations made for the film all worked to allow the film to tell the complicated tale in an expeditious and enjoyable way.

The dogs and the actors were all excellent--the dogs especially. I was taken a bit by surprise to see the part of one of the characters played by Peggy Lipton. Somehow I had missed that news. Dennis Quaid was a perfect choice for his smallish (but important) role.

We saw the film with a smaller audience (maybe three dozen people)...but they all had to be dog lovers (why else would they have been there for the first showing--like us?)! There were several audible moments of laughter and tears from the audience at appropriate times during the film. A few gasps, too. The big fella sitting next to me was bawling his head off quite a few times.

Peg's comments to me when I asked her just now is that they did a great job getting emotion from the dogs, the film was faithful to the book and "left you with a great feeling."

Really. The book is about love...and the deep bonds between humans and dogs. Sure, there are the sad parts...but in this particular film those parts are quickly countered with the joy of new life. It really takes the emotional edge off those really sad scenes.

The film didn't let me down. The dogs were gorgeous and I really look forward to seeing it again sometime....and, especially, being able to watch it with my buddy Ike. He really wanted to dress up in his necktie today and sneak into the theater with us.

 

[Mark Booth]

Well, at least the studios can blame weak box office on crappy reviews instead of concerns over the TMZ video:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_dogs_purpose


Mark

 

[Tino]

Mike
What percentage of the film is from the second book?

Still haven't finished it.