MEOW! My name is June Buggie, and I have something to say!
Last week, Hissy Fit Jones told you about the American Humane Society’s failure to protect animals. This week I want to talk to you about a movie the AHA has given the rating of Outstanding. The movie? Inside Llewyn Davis. The actor that steals the show is a cat. Actually, it’s 3 cats used interchangeably.You can read the AHA commentary about the movie here.
Lead Actor Oscar Isaac’s character carries around the cat in the film. On a recent episode of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! Isaac talks about what it’s like to film with a cat.
Issac said that you can’t train a cat, so they had several different cats to film doing different aspects of the film. He said that one cat was tied to the actor with a wire so it wouldn’t run off during a particular scene. The cat scratched the actor’s face and neck, then got away anyway. But don’t take my word for it, listen to the actor talking about the experience. Yeah, I’m sure there was no problem with THAT, right AHA?
Filmmaker Joel Coen was quoted in The Seattle Times Entertainment Blog as saying, “You always blithely write [stuff] in and then find out that it’s a pain in the ass to do it. In Inside Llewyn Davis, we very blithely wrote that there was a cat in all of these different scenes. And then we got on the set and had to do it, and you know, cats are a pain in the ass. They’re just an unvarnished pain in the ass, that’s all there is. There’s nothing fun about it.” Don’t ya just love his attitude about the cats? *rolls eyes*
And Justin Timberlake make a smart remark about the “outlandish requests” made by the cat’s trainer, including the request for a specific type of cat food.
And this is supposed to be positive publicity for the movie! I mean, would YOU, dear readers, want YOUR cat working with people who said things like this about you and your cat?
So what do I think? I think it’s yet another example of humans exploiting animals for personal gain. I am outraged that AHA thinks that a film that included such actions as tying a cat to a human with a wire warrants an outstanding rating.
So to you, Justin, of COURSE they will ask for a specific type of food, unless you want the cats to barf all over everybody! Cats don’t do well with changes in their diet.
And Joel, of COURSE cats are a pain in the ass! But you made a movie using a cat, so the least you could have done was educate yourself about cats, and said something nice about them, instead of bitching about how difficult they are to work with. It’s not like the cat MADE you make the movie or will earn anywhere near as much as you will.
As for you, Isaac, after listening to your interview, I’m inclined to believe you’re a lot more like your character than you might want to admit.
To you humans reading this, I’m sure you’re all, “but it’s a movie with a cat!” *rolls eyes* I guess there will be no stopping you from seeing this movie. But I hope you are mindful of the stress put upon those cats to make this movie, and that it, in turn, makes it a miserable experience for you.
MEOW!
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Dogspicable way to treat a cat. Or 3 cats.
All’s fair when it comes to making a buck, eh?
Another example of someone who thinks they are the font of all intelligence because they can read a cue card …yep not a movie I would watch and way to go to the AHA…not….hope the dude gets a great case of Cat scratch fever that knocks him for a six…sheesh…
I wonder if that cat pissed on that Isaac dude? I certainly would have. MEOW!
Oh I do hope so…….a real ammonia blast!!
I was looking for a movie to see after Twelve Years a Slave. Thanks to JB , this won’t be it.
Mission accomplished!
*Grrrr* I feel very frustrated with those people who are in the film, who were certainly exploiting innocent cats for their benefit.
They deserved to get cat’s scratches! I imagine How tiring those cats felt….I’m sure they didn’t want to be in the film!
Really! Cats don’t care about fame and fortune!
wow!! I defin itely feel your rage on this one! Simply unreal!!!!!!
No way will I watch it. AHA is doing a piss-poor job ALL THE TIME, not just this film. The Wolf of Wall Street is another recent example of animal cruelty approved by the AHA. Thanks for the info.
I’m always sceptical about movies with animals. I’m not sure if 101 Dalmatians had fun while making a movie or the three cats of this one.
Cats can be trained. I remember seeing this great video with a cat and a Border Collie competing for the best tricks. The cat did just as well as the dog. How was the wire attached to the cat? If it was attached like a collar, then that doesn’t sound so bad. It is no different than a leash. And depending on the set, it might be a good idea to keep a cat on a leash so that he doesn’t run off and hide in a cubby hole or climb onto the rafters. It looks like the cat was in a lot of public scenes where he is being held. If the cat got away in public, that would be a very bad thing.
I most likely will not watch this movie. It does not look like something I would enjoy, even though stars a cat.
i (used to? still might?) like the coen-bro’s films, and have commented to them via a site of theirs in the past. i will (for the first time) submit an angry grumpy comment to them about this! i would so like to continue to believe that they respond to and are up to ‘challenges’ but it sounds like they really flaked out on this one!
Ok, you won me over…I am boycotting this movie!
It’s ridiculous. I certainly won’t watch that movie!
~ Amy
The little ones are never heard. Only the loud mouth oafs – who will do anything for a laugh and a buck.
Money speaks – choose where it’s spent.
Sweet June Buggie I would not go see the movie!! i will not even read what the guys said…I am with you all the way…using a wire on a cat is cruel. JT is a JackA** too…I have no time for idiot Humans…that is why I love this blog site…we are all like minded people & we adore all of our 4 leggeds….
Thank you for bringing this to our attention….I hoep the movei bombs!!!
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too xo
Thank you, June Buggie, for protesting for our species. Keep up the good work.
Bacio, Sadie, MamaKit & Buffer…
Despicable! What about those tag lines on the movies that proclaim: “No animal was harmed in the making of this movie.” About the cat trainer’s outlandish request for certain types of cat food, I only hope that Justin Timberlake was kidding. Actors make plenty of costly, outlandish requests for what they want on a set.
I haven’t been a fan of the Coen brothers anyway, so have no problem skipping this. I’d like to hear what “outlandish requests” Justin Timberlake asks for when he’s on a set!
Very disappointed in the AHS also.
Not good! Not good at all! Animal abuse for entertainment value, or for any reason is not good!
June Buggie, the mom saw an ad for this film on TV the other day and after watching the trailer, she said “I don’t think I’m going to like this movie.” So we’re with you.
I immediately fear, and usually avoid, movies and books that include cats because it never comes out well for the cat. But I hear the Coen brothers treat their human actors that way too. I was disappointed in hearing this on “Wait Wait”, because the show is generally quite cat-friendly, but no one spoke up.
I just heard them on Fresh Air and they weren’t any nicer there.
Here’s the link to that interview: http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/70312446769/terry-asked-the-coen-brothers-about-casting-and. I like them even less.
no I won’t be seeing it either…and neither will my grandkids…
what jerks..but then they are actors…or are they that way in real life…?
I bet Justin timberlake gets special food…
Good post….
Take Care…You Matter…
)0(
Thanks for the eye-opener, June Buggie. No cat-movie for us…this is to rediculous for words 😦 Pawkiss 🙂
we have hated every single trailer we have had to watch for this horrific movie. It is easy to tell that the cat is horribly treated. And I never did like Timberlake and now have an actual reason.