Latest news with #AmericanHumane
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Period drama 'just like Downton Abbey' now streaming on Amazon Prime
It is set in the boom years of the 1880s in New York City From the genius behind Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, comes an American period piece set during the dynamic boom of the 1880s in New York City, The Gilded Age. The series initially aired on HBO in January 2022 and quickly returned for a second season in October 2023. Fans can now eagerly anticipate the premiere of The Gilded Age's third series on June 22. Based in bustling United States during the Gilded Age, the narrative follows Marian Brook, who navigates the stiff upper circles of New York City's elite in 1882. Encountering regular turmoil, the series delves into the era's societal issues - industrialisation, class struggles, confrontation between new wealth and old aristocracy, the African-American elite, and the stories of the domestic staff upon whose shoulders their world rests. Last year, tragic news emerged from the set that a horse had passed away while filming. HBO addressed the matter, saying: "HBO was saddened to learn that on June 28, during filming on the set of The Gilded Age, a horse collapsed and died, likely of natural causes, according to a veterinarian's preliminary findings." They emphasised animal welfare, noting, "The safety and well-being of animals on all our productions is a top priority, and the producers of The Gilded Age work with American Humane to ensure full compliance with all safety precautions. Following AHA's recommendation, the horse was transported to a facility for a full necropsy. "AHA has interviewed all involved personnel, and full necropsy results are pending." The Gilded Age boasts an impressive ensemble cast, featuring renowned talents such as Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, and Simon Jones, reports the Mirror US. The show has garnered mixed reviews from critics but maintains an impressive 86 per cent rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. One critic praised the show, saying: "The series also still feels like something of an outlier for HBO, but an enjoyable one. "If that's not enough to elicit thunderous applause, in keeping with the spirit of the season, it's certainly worthy of an opera clap." Another reviewer noted: "The Gilded Age preserves everything that made Downton Abbey so addictive in its day, with far more American star power and its own historical quirks to explore." A further review commended the show, stating: "The Gilded Age Season 2 is an impressive spectacle in storytelling, brimming with thoroughly distinctive relationships, low yet impactful stakes, and spectacular performances from the whole cast." However, not all critics were equally impressed, with one stating: "History is more interesting than this. "People are more interesting than this." Audiences have had a mixed response to the show, with one saying: "The show is an absolute treat to history-lovers period-piece enjoyers. "It's important to realise this show takes great inspiration from the dynamics and certain characters of the era, but is by no means a faithful interpretation - which is what makes this show great. "It immerses you in the world entirely, which is always better done with more liberties in writing. My new favourite show! "I'm learning so much about this eclectic period in history." Conversely, another viewer's critique was less favourable: "I found it incredibly dull. "I tried, I really tried, to give it time for the story to develop into something interesting but I was just as disengaged at the end of the season as I was at the beginning. Unfortunate because it's a great cast (which is the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars)." Some were enchanted by the show's sumptuous portrayal of the past, mentioning: "The costumes, the sets, the with opulence. I loved Downton Abbey but I enjoyed the US take on it even more." Yet, other viewers were distinctly underwhelmed, commenting: "Deadly boring with bad writing, bad acting and it sounded dubbed. If you need to watch costumes, there are lots of other choices. "Even the design elements were ghastly." The parallels drawn with Downton Abbey were unavoidable, with one viewer acclaiming: "Best period drama ever! "Outstanding acting, costumes and writing. Better than JF's Downton Abbey and has so much potential. Best show HBO has currently." The Gilded Age's third season will have its series premiere on June 22 with new episodes dropping every Sunday on HBO. The show can also be streamed on Max or rented on Amazon Prime Video.
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Escape from Extinction: Rewilding review – the case for eco-tourism and trophy hunting
In 2020, producer-director Matthew Brady, in collaboration with the animal welfare charity American Humane, made a well-meaning but oddly hectoring documentary called Escape from Extinction, narrated by Helen Mirren, which took the pragmatic view that zoos were vital in preserving animal species in danger of dying out. The larger causes of environmental calamity were evidently beyond its remit. But now we have a bland and anodyne sequel narrated by Meryl Streep, which says that rewilding is vital for preserving and reviving endangered species. But by 'rewilding' the film basically means, in the first instance, investing in national parks as semi-managed habitats – so in effect, very big zoos. In its opening section, the film actually questions whether there is anywhere purely 'wild' on Earth any more. Like an educational video to be shown to parties of schoolchildren, the film gives us brightly feelgood upbeat examples of conservationists working in tandem with politicians, businesses and communities, to rescue various species in the ocean or on land. Of course there is nothing wrong with this. But every so often, the film insists that the point of these victories is that they are sustained economically through improved eco-tourism. Even the horrible business of 'trophy hunting' or 'canned hunting' – defenceless lions and tigers shot by wealthy hunters – is given a free pass by this film on the grounds that it brings in money which can be invested in conservation. But what about eco-rescues which aren't economically viable in this way? What, moreover, about the miners and the loggers and the drill-baby-drill fossil fuel enthusiasts who are causing problems? This film mentions them in passing but doesn't come anywhere near addressing their activities. It's a frustrating and naive experience. Escape from Extinction: Rewilding is in UK cinemas from 22 April.
Forbes
26-03-2025
- General
- Forbes
Shelter Reunites Families With Pets Displaced By L.A. Wildfires
Pasadena Humane took in over 1,500 pets displaced by the Eaton fire that started the evening of ... More January 7, 2025. Now the shelter staff delights in happy reunions and adoptions. As flames from the Eaton fire engulfed a neighborhood in Altadena, California, earlier this year, a family frantically loaded their beloved cat and dog into their car. Suddenly, a neighbor's propane tank exploded — startling Canelo, a pit bull, who jumped out of the vehicle and ran off. His family couldn't find him and had to flee for their lives. A day or two later, someone found Canelo wandering around the burn zone and brought him to Pasadena Humane, a nonprofit animal shelter that serves Altadena, Pasadena and other parts of the San Gabriel Valley devasted by the wildfire. 'He was burned pretty badly,' says Kevin McManus, public relations and communications manager at Pasadena Humane. 'Thankfully, he survived.' Canelo wasn't wearing a collar or microchipped, but the shelter snapped a photo and shared it on the 'found pets' section of their Eaton fire emergency page and got him veterinary care. 'We have an animal ICU here on site, and five full-time veterinarians who work here,' he says. Canelo suffered burns during the Eaton Fire that destroyed his home in Altadena, California. Thanks to the photo, Canelo's family learned he was at Pasadena Humane and came to see him. They'd lost their home to the fire, so the shelter continued to care for Canelo and treat his burned paws and other injuries for nearly a month. When he was ready to leave, the shelter shared a touching reunion video on social media. 'I got to witness when his family came to pick him up to take him home,' McManus says. 'It was just the sweetest. There was not a dry eye in the room. Canelo's whole body was wagging and he was licking the guy's face. The owner said, 'I can buy new things. I can rebuild my home, but I can't buy another Canelo. I can't find another dog like this.' I still get choked up thinking about it.' Canelo is one of over 1,500 pets who landed at Pasadena Humane during the catastrophic Eaton fire, which killed at least 17 people and destroyed more than 9,400 buildings. Pasadena Humane always offers emergency boarding for pets — free of charge — so some animals were temporarily surrendered by evacuees without access to a pet-friendly place to stay. Many others were rescued by firefighters and animal control officers. When the fire erupted on the evening of January 7, shelters throughout the state helped Pasadena Humane make space for an influx of displaced pets by taking around 150 dogs, 50 cats and other pets, like rabbits. The shelter created an emergency hotline for people to report lost, found and left-behind pets, and essentially became a command post to care for displaced pets, with help from other shelters and organizations, including American Humane, K9 Youth Alliance, Marin Humane, ASPCA, Santa Barbara Humane, San Diego Humane Society, Banfield Foundation and VCA Animal Hospitals. Hundreds of volunteers — 'too many to count' — helped sort donations for people affected by the wildfires, clean laundry, direct traffic and do anything that needed to be done to allow shelter staff to focus on caring for the animals coming in, according to McManus. 'We've never taken in that number of animals,' he says. 'All day long, we were just taking in animals, taking in animals, taking in animals. And it was emotionally difficult, but also logistically difficult. We had cats in offices and dogs in crates in our training room, and we were using all the kennels we have in our spay/neuter clinic for housing. We had to be really creative and put animals basically anywhere we could.' So when pets started being reunited with their families, Pasadena Humane would share the good news with the team, which helped boost morale. 'Every time that happened, it was like, 'OK, we're getting closer to getting to some kind of normalcy getting through this crisis,'' he says. 'It was pretty special.' Oreo and Mr. Butter head home with their family after evacuation from the Eaton fire. Like Canelo, many displaced pets suffered burns from the blaze. One cat, Skinny Minnie, was a community cat being fed by a couple hoping to integrate her into their family, which includes two indoor cats. When they had to evacuate, they couldn't find her and had to leave without her. When someone brought Skinny Minnie to Pasadena Humane, she was in such bad shape that she was 'unrecognizable,' according to McManus. 'We had her in an oxygen chamber for a couple of days because she had such bad smoke inhalation,' he recalls. 'She couldn't open her eyes. She had burns on her paws.' Over the course of the next month, whenever Skinny Minnie would get a little better, the shelter would post a new photo of her on its 'found' page. Oscar winner Adrien Brody cuddled the bitty kitty while volunteering, which reportedly helped her relax during her ordeal. Oscar-winner Adrien Brody holds Skinny Minnie at Pasadena Humane earlier this year. Eventually, she'd healed enough that her family could recognize her. 'They had pictures, and she really responded to them,' McManus says. Skinny Minnie is still at the shelter because she's going to need multiple surgeries. 'We're just going to keep doing that until she's as healthy as we can get her,' he says. 'They're such a sweet couple. They come and visit her at least three or four or five times a week and just hang out with her. I'm excited for them to finally be able to take her home.' Skinny Minnie is reunited with her family at Pasadena Humane. Pasadena Humane is still caring for around 150 animals like Skinny Minnie whose families lost their homes. 'Obviously we are not charging people for this,' McManus says. 'This is just something that we do for our community.' So Pasadena Humane welcomes financial donations to help offset costs, as well as volunteers, fosters and adopters. Adopting a shelter dog frees up kennel space for other pets in need. He's incredibly grateful to all the people who have stepped up to help both pets and people affected by the Eaton Fire. It means the world to McManus and the Pasadena Humane team every time there's a happy pet reunion at the shelter. 'It was such a terrible situation and something that we never thought we would have to face on such a scale, so it's a reminder of why we all come to work every day and why we're here for our community,' he says. 'We can't do much about the fire or rebuild people's homes, but we can at least assure people that their animals are in good hands while they're with us, and we're just as excited to see them go home as the people are to get them.'
