corinthranger
Lifetime Total
5+
Lifetime Trivia
1+
IMDb Member
10 years
Reviews
Yellowstone Cubs (1963)
Somewhere between a 1 and a 10
I'm sure I saw this film when I was young and there is no doubt I loved it. Disney "Nature" films were fun and oh so entertaining. I was 3 years old when this gem was given to the public. I'm 62 now and watched it on Disney+. I am a Park Ranger and though I've been to Yellowstone many times, I've never worked there.
As a kid I know I loved it and would have given it a10. As a veteran Ranger of 24 years I was almost horrified and would give it a 1, only because I couldn't give it a negative number.
But it is very important to view this movie in the context of the period in which it was filmed. The film makers wanted a fun and interesting movie and that's what they delivered. The agency (NPS) was obviously only too happy to assist them. The " how" of how they got so many of those scenes is obvious today, though not so much back then. The film crew put food inside small geysers and mud pots to get these bears to put their faces inside of geothermals they would never approach in real life. It was this use of hidden food that was used to craft a number of scenes, ie, the skunks, the trailers, even the boat.
The interactions between visitors and wildlife is nothing short of horrific seen through the lens of modern standards. Feeding wildlife is so very dangerous, let alone the touching, petting, and, so insanely, the kissing. It makes me wonder how many visitors came to the park after seeing this treasure, and did the very same thing. How many were injured?
Last, and certainly not least, was the actions of Ranger Joe and his pals. While I was watching I texted coworkers and told them they had to watch the most cringe-worthy movie I'd ever seen. In perhaps the most disturbing scene, Ranger Joe took of his Flat Hat, the iconic symbol of a Park Ranger, and swatted the bear repeatedly. While visitors stood almost next to him! He literally desecrated his Flat Hat, in an action that today would end his career. Visitors who exhibited such behavior today would be thrown out of the park if not arrested for disturbing the wildlife.
Yes, I laughed all the way through it, mostly in disbelief that the National Park Service would be involved in such a debacle. But, is was 1963, not 2023. A lot can happen in sixty years.
One positive result of the film is that it shows just how far the National Park Service has come in it's policies on wildlife, visitor interactions, the decorum of Rangers, and how NOT to treat a winter (felt) Flat Hat. Never ever use it to spank a bear!
As a kid I know I loved it and would have given it a10. As a veteran Ranger of 24 years I was almost horrified and would give it a 1, only because I couldn't give it a negative number.
But it is very important to view this movie in the context of the period in which it was filmed. The film makers wanted a fun and interesting movie and that's what they delivered. The agency (NPS) was obviously only too happy to assist them. The " how" of how they got so many of those scenes is obvious today, though not so much back then. The film crew put food inside small geysers and mud pots to get these bears to put their faces inside of geothermals they would never approach in real life. It was this use of hidden food that was used to craft a number of scenes, ie, the skunks, the trailers, even the boat.
The interactions between visitors and wildlife is nothing short of horrific seen through the lens of modern standards. Feeding wildlife is so very dangerous, let alone the touching, petting, and, so insanely, the kissing. It makes me wonder how many visitors came to the park after seeing this treasure, and did the very same thing. How many were injured?
Last, and certainly not least, was the actions of Ranger Joe and his pals. While I was watching I texted coworkers and told them they had to watch the most cringe-worthy movie I'd ever seen. In perhaps the most disturbing scene, Ranger Joe took of his Flat Hat, the iconic symbol of a Park Ranger, and swatted the bear repeatedly. While visitors stood almost next to him! He literally desecrated his Flat Hat, in an action that today would end his career. Visitors who exhibited such behavior today would be thrown out of the park if not arrested for disturbing the wildlife.
Yes, I laughed all the way through it, mostly in disbelief that the National Park Service would be involved in such a debacle. But, is was 1963, not 2023. A lot can happen in sixty years.
One positive result of the film is that it shows just how far the National Park Service has come in it's policies on wildlife, visitor interactions, the decorum of Rangers, and how NOT to treat a winter (felt) Flat Hat. Never ever use it to spank a bear!
Christmas Angel (2009)
An instant favorite.
I watched this for the first time three years ago and I knew it would be one we would watch every Christmas. And I was right. It's a simple movie that's a bit predictable but it has tons of heart; Will grows a heart, and Ashley learns to trust someone, two someone's, with hers. And Nick showed them both how to make a heart bigger through sharing. It's a sweet movie that doesn't stoop to cheap laughs, bad language, or insincere sentiment.