Archive for October 2011

Janus Cats…

October 7, 2011

 – -They are not Photoshopped or the product of trick photography; meet Frank (left) and Louie (right), the world’s longest surviving Janus cat.  Named for the figure in Roman mythology with two faces on one head,  Janus cats seldom survive due to congenital defects that include cleft palate, often causing the afflicted animal to starve or choke to death.  Frank and Louie, however, beat the odds handsomely, using only one mouth to feed and making it to the ripe old feline age of 12 years. 

Originally taken by his breeder to be euthanized at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Frank and Louie were instead adopted by a worker there, and have fared well since.  Residing in Worcester, Mass. the exotic blue-eyed rag doll cat boasts two faces, two mouths, two noses, and three eyes, and is a friendly soul who walks on a leash and loves car rides…

Rock-‘Em-Sock-‘Em Robots…

October 5, 2011

 – – I like robots, The Twilight Zone, and Hugh Jackman, so I’m likely to be sucker punched by Real Steel, a movie based on robotic boxing.  Inspired by the Richard Matheson short story Steel which was itself previously produced as a Twilight Zone episode, Real Steel is set in a near-future where human boxing has been banned in favor of robotic pugilism, and Jackman plays a former human boxer (Charlie Kenton) turned manager/trainer for robotic combatants. 

Times are tough, however, and Jackman’s character is reduced to managing  Atom, an old generation robot whose remains are discovered in a junkyard.  Through this vehicle Jackman may attempt a comeback denied his human flesh, and gain reconciliation with his estranged son…as you might expect, the actor who’s played Wolverine and Van Helsing has some wild talents up his sleeve. – -Sure, it sounds cheesy and it ain’t Shakespeare, but this Steel is more than scrap metal, and might be fun…

Puss in Boots: The Movie

October 3, 2011

 – – Played by Latin hunk Antonio Banderas and likely to buckle every swash in sight, Puss in Boots:  The Movie is coming from DreamWorks Animation on November 4th.

A spin-off movie for the CGI character from the Shrek movies,  Puss is a prequel which will follow the exploits of the courageous cat before he even met Shrek, and detail the roots and evolution of the character into a Zorro-like figure.  And yes, Puss in Boots will have have a love interest, called (what else?)…Kitty Softpaws! 

As the character with cat-itude most memorably says in one scene, “Stay furry, my friends!