Grumpy Cat (2012-2019)

A subforum to discuss film culture and criticism.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Buttery Jeb
Just in it for the game.
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:55 pm

Grumpy Cat (2012-2019)

#1 Post by Buttery Jeb » Fri May 17, 2019 7:28 am


User avatar
Feego
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:30 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Passages

#2 Post by Feego » Fri May 17, 2019 11:12 am


User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Passages

#3 Post by colinr0380 » Fri May 17, 2019 11:59 am

Buttery Jeb wrote:
Fri May 17, 2019 7:28 am
Grumpy Cat
As voiced by Aubrey Plaza in the TV movie Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever, which isn't amazing but did feel like it captures the spirit of Garfield better than either of the two Garfield movies. I saw that a couple of years ago and put a small review on Letterboxd about it. Be aware though that I had inadvisedly watched a lot of Christmas TV movies in a short space of time before I got to this one, so I may have been a bit addled at the point of writing the following:
Probably the ultimate satire on the structure of Hollywood talking pet stories, shamelessly ripping off the premise of Paul Blart: Mall Cop (with Grumpy Cat replacing Kevin James), whilst puncturing the always shoehorned in 'importance of family'-related side plots in family films (especially those set at Christmas) that always end up bringing the proceedings to a boring screeching halt. As well as featuring the least threatening bad guys ever with a non-stop patter about band trivia, along with a focus on rampant commercialism, memes and snarky comments from an out of control voice actor voicing Grumpy Cat (played by the top billed - shoving the cute girl lead out of the way to emphasise that - Aubrey Plaza!).

Its also the ultimate Lifetime TV Movie, as well as a complete destruction of its message-based holiday wholesomeness. In other words perfect family entertainment for Christmas! Refreshingly undercuts the schmaltz inherent in the genre at every turn (though your mileage will vary depending on your tolerance for fourth-wall breaking) and better than a thousand Alvin and the Chipmunks, or 'Hop's! Surely destined to become a cult classic.
Ironically I found out later that the Grumpy Cat film was actually directed by Tim Hill, the same guy who made the second Garfield film, Hop and the first Alvin and the Chipmunks film (as well as the much better Muppets From Space and Spongebob Squarepants Movie), so no wonder it felt similar!
Last edited by colinr0380 on Fri May 17, 2019 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
bearcuborg
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:30 am
Location: Philadelphia via Chicago

Re: Passages

#4 Post by bearcuborg » Fri May 17, 2019 1:15 pm

Damn, 7 years is not enough... You know, we often say, “...this one hurts” when a favorite artist passes away, but this one actually hurt to read how she passed in her mom’s arms. Not that I was all that familiar with Grumpy Cat, or ever shared a gif/meme...but as a dude with three cats, and a dog (literally found on the streets of Philly) - these little ones are like children. I’ll still give a heavy sigh when thinking of the animal friends I’ve had in my life who passed on. Currently one of my cats has cancer and the emotional (and financial) toll is incredibly heavy.

I probably don’t have to tell those with animals in their home this, but cherish the short time we have them, and give a belly rub for me.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Passages

#5 Post by mfunk9786 » Fri May 17, 2019 1:21 pm

Both of our cats are now on the wrong side of 10 years old, and there's something about the uncertain life span of a cat (we housesat for a big fat one that hung on until she was 21 years old!) that is very existentially troubling. They seemingly just sort of go when they go, and that's that. Even moreso than dogs, most breeds of which don't seem to really outlive their life expectancy very often the way cats can.

User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Grumpy Cat (2012-2019)

#6 Post by colinr0380 » Fri May 17, 2019 3:08 pm


User avatar
Rayon Vert
Green is the Rayest Color
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:52 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Grumpy Cat (2012-2019)

#7 Post by Rayon Vert » Fri May 17, 2019 3:14 pm

That’s very true. Although with quality care cats’ life expectancies, IF they are indoor cats, has increased in the last years/decades. It’s not rare now for cats to live close to 20. I lost my oldest last December as she was getting close to 18, and she had been dealing with chronic health conditions her whole life. Personally I wouldn’t tend to think about a cat «getting close » to death until around 14, and even then thinking they may have several years yet. But of course you never know.

User avatar
fiddlesticks
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:19 pm
Location: Borderlands

Re: Grumpy Cat (2012-2019)

#8 Post by fiddlesticks » Fri May 17, 2019 5:05 pm

Most of the pets I have had (present population is one dog and 7 cats) were either adopted as adults at a shelter or strays that took up residence, so their ages are little more than educated guesses. But I did have two that I adopted as kittens a year apart that lived to 21 and 23, respectively. And they were not indoor -only cats.

Post Reply