Latest news with #Grizzly
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Asthmatic sharks and 18-foot bears: the movies that were inspired by ‘Jaws'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Richard Dreyfuss (left) and Robert Shaw watch the shark emerge from the water in "Jaws." Getty Images/Getty Advertisement As part of our tribute to the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws,' here's a notebook on some of the movies its success hath wrought. (I'm saving the sequels to 'Jaws' for another notebook.) So that it doesn't feel like I'm picking on the much-maligned shark, baby or otherwise, I am splitting this into the two most popular pitches filmmakers threw out in the hopes of getting an 'homage' made. Let's start with: 'It's 'Jaws', but with a __________!' Spielberg's ordeal with Bruce, the faulty mechanical shark, initially put producers off financing shark movies. Instead, filmmakers had to search elsewhere in the animal kingdom for their man-eating predators. Boy, did they find plenty of suitable stand-ins! Advertisement In 1976, Louisville-based filmmaker William Girdler had the biggest success of his career with 'Grizzly,' the first official nod to 'Jaws.' Girdler was no stranger to being accused of ripping off popular movies — Warner Bros. sued over his 1974 film, 'Abby,' a.k.a. 'The Black version of 'The Exorcist.'' Because of its low budget, that movie made a lot of money before Warner Bros. had it pulled from theaters. Universal had no such power, as the makers of 'Grizzly' could plead plausible deniability: Its killer was an 18-foot grizzly bear. However, the similarities were so recognizable that the pundits referred to the movie as 'Paws.' Girdler's bear changed sizes multiple times throughout the movie, but is never seen at the advertised height. It was also played by an actual Kodiak bear named Teddy, who was 7 feet shorter than advertised. Like 'Jaws,' the bear's victims included scantily clad women and a kid. Also like 'Jaws,' there's a shot of a disembodied leg, watery jump scares, and the bad guy meets an explosive demise. Both films are surprisingly graphic for their PG rating (though 'Grizzly' is gorier). The most important thing to note, however, is that, like 'Jaws,' 'Grizzly' was a huge hit. I saw it in theaters, so I did my part for the box office grosses. Irish actor Richard Harris in a June 1982 file photo. PA I also saw 1977's 'Orca' in theaters. Its inclusion here is a bit of dirty pool on my part, because the Dino De Laurentiis production isn't exactly ''Jaws' with a killer whale.' It's more like 'Death Wish' with a killer whale. After killing a great white shark, a male orca sees his wife and baby brutally killed by heartless Richard Harris's boat crew. Advertisement The whale seeks a deserved revenge on Harris and the fishing village he inhabits, killing most of the crew and busting up fuel pipes. Targets includes Bo Derek who, like the guy in 'Jaws' and the kid in 'Grizzly,' winds up losing a leg. Eventually, the orca finds Harris and gets justice for everyone who hated Harris's Shelley Winters in the 1970 film "Bloody Mama," directed by Roger Corman. American International Pictures The same year, American International Pictures gave us 'Tentacles,' where beachgoers are attacked by — you guessed it! — a gigantic octopus. This sucker kills people real good, too. An all-star cast includes John Huston as a hero and Henry Fonda as the bad guy. Shelley Winters costars as Huston's sister. Bo Hopkins plays the Quint stand-in, an expert who sends his killer whales to turn that octopus into pulpo. Paul Bartel in the 1978 movie "Piranha," directed by Joe Dante. New World Pictures It's no surprise that two of the most entertaining 'Jaws' homages were written by legendary filmmaker John Sayles. In 1978, Sayles worked on 'Piranha' for Roger Corman's New World Pictures. B-movie mainstays Barbara Steele, Kevin McCarthy, and Dick Miller costar with a school of ravenous, genetically engineered piranha. Director Joe Dante doesn't scrimp on the gory mayhem; the piranha chew up an entire lake's worth of spring breakers and summer camp kids. Alas, the fishes couldn't devour the other Jaws rip-off that opened the same summer, 'Jaws 2.' Sayles also wrote 1980's Robert Forster vehicle, 'Alligator.' The script brings to life the urban legend about baby alligators flushed down the commode. This one grows to gargantuan size due to discarded growth hormones in the sewer. After chowing down on sewer workers and an obnoxious tabloid reporter (his demise is truly terrifying), the gator takes to the streets. Victims include cops and an unlucky kid tossed into a swimming pool (children do not fare well in these movies). Advertisement A maid at a swanky wedding gets bitten in the worst possible place by the gator before it suffers the same fate as the shark in 'Jaws.' Speaking of sharks, that leads us to the second movie pitch heard at studios everywhere: 'Jaws was a hit! Let's make another movie with a shark!' Ignoring the 'Jaws' sequels leads me first to 1977's 'Tintorera,' a Mexican film starring Susan George ('Straw Dogs') as a Brit touring in Mexico. You probably want to hear about the asthmatic tiger shark (it sounds like an obscene phone call) chewing up skinny-dippers, but trust me: The homoerotic throuple George forms with an American businessman and a Mexican swimming instructor is the real draw. This trashy movie is loaded with sex and full frontal nudity. No wonder the shark is panting! Four years later, an Italian film called 'Great White' opened to good business in American theaters. I remember seeing the poster and thinking 'wow, that looks a lot like 'Jaws'!' You know who else had that exact thought? Universal Pictures. They Samuel L. Jackson in 2019. Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Fast-forward 18 years to the best film about a shark since 'Jaws,' Renny Harlin's 'Deep Blue Sea.' Mutant CGI sharks attack an underwater facility, but don't worry! Samuel L. Jackson is the star of this movie. He even gets a rousing speech about how he's going to kick some shark fin. That speech ends with one of the most shocking (and hilarious) jump scares ever shown to a stunned audience. Advertisement Another 21st-century badass, Jason Statham, takes on Bruce the Shark's ancestor, the megalodon, in 2018's 'The Meg.' Yet another research facility is in danger, this time from a 75-foot-long CGI effect. You get two Spielberg rip-offs in one film: 'Jaws' and 'Jurassic Park'! And just like those two movies, 'The Meg' spawned its own rip-off of a sequel. Last, but not least is 'Open Water,' an anticlimactic bore that made me think of Quint's magnificent speech about the USS Indianapolis shark attack. An unlikable married pair of scuba divers are left stranded in shark-infested waters. All the movie does is wait for them to get eaten. It's a long wait. Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Member of beloved grizzly bear family hit and killed in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park
MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) — A 5-year-old bear that was a member of a well-known and beloved grizzly family in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park died after it was hit by a vehicle, the same fate that befell his mother late last year, wildlife officials said Tuesday. Park rangers found the body of the male bear, known as Grizzly No. 1058, about 125 yards (114 meters) from Highway 26 near the Buffalo Fork River on Tuesday. The bear was one of four cubs that emerged in May 2020 with their mother, Grizzly No. 399, who was often called the world's most famous grizzly bear. Grizzly No. 399, who was beloved for decades by countless tourists, biologists and professional wildlife photographers, was hit and killed by a vehicle in October on a highway south of Jackson, Wyoming. Park officials used wildlife tags to confirm the relationship between the two bears. Grizzly No. 1058 had been seen occasionally in the park since he was weened in 2022, but no sightings of him had been reported this spring. After he was hit by the vehicle, he made his way to a patch of willows, where he died. Park officials said Tuesday he may have been dead for several days before his body was found. At 28 years old, No. 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Each spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly awaited her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she had birthed over the winter — then quickly shared the news online. The bear had 18 known cubs in eight litters over the years, including the litter of four in 2020. She stood around 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). Named for the identity tag attached to her ear by researchers, the grizzly was often seen near roads in Grand Teton, drawing crowds and creating traffic jams. The driver who struck and killed No. 399 was not speeding, and the bear's death was ruled an accident. Park officials have not released any additional details about the crash that killed No. 1058.
Scotsman
02-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
There may be a new summer menace but it won't beat the midgie
Disturbing news reaches us from our friends at Glasgow University of a new summer menace. No longer are mosquitoes the bug of foreign holidays, requiring nets, lotions and those funny whirly things you burn. They are here. Everywhere. And they are just buzzing about it. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The experts said little about the impact of these new flying pest on our native midge population. This is worrying. The mosquitoes have reached all our coasts, even in the far north We have been here before. An upstart Yankie incomer nearly drove our red squirrels into oblivion until a spirited fightback saw the native population rise. In the words of one official report, Scotland was described as the red squirrels 'stronghold', as if Squirrel McNutkin now paced the battlements, armoured up 'Game of Thrones' style, snarling 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' at the advancing army of grey nut-nickers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The midge could face the same threat from the mozzie and I for one am not cool with this. Don't get me wrong. I have no great love for the midgie. It is a pest, but it is our pest, and therefore we should cherish it. Other nations may have snakes, killer sharks and bears that do unmentionable things in the woods, but we have the ultimate blood sucking terror, the midgie. It's not so much an insect as a weather system, an all-encompassing cloud of mini-vampires, capable of penetrating the toughest of outdoor gear with ease. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bites can appear on any part of the human body, including that bit in the very middle of your back that you can never reach under any circumstances and really starts to itch at about 2.30 in the morning. The high-pitched whine exactly matches the maddening frequency of two five-year-olds in the car constantly asking if 'we're there yet'. There's not a Scot in the world who hasn't taken a sharp breath, sooked a midgie up the nose and subsequently felt it slip down the throat. It is small, it is annoying, it is unbeatable. Oh, I know there's chat of a body lotion that keeps them at bay, but when I was young the only thing that saved us from the midgies was my dad smoking his pipe. It was a tough call. Bite now, itch later or choke under a cloud of rancid tobacco smoke. We should be proud of our home-grown predator. Hollywood bestowed immortal film glory on sharks, bears and crocodiles in Jaws, Grizzly and Rogue, but even they have shied away from the horror that is The Midgie. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The mosquitoes have reached all our coasts, even in the far north where, in the words of a scientist 'a member of the public in Shetland reported a mosquito which we were able to confirm'. No doubt they did, although you do have to wonder just how they did the confirming. Perhaps Shetland is awash with mozzie-spotters, like WW2 ARP wardens, ready to spring into action at the first hint of an incoming swarm. The lovely people at the Mosquito Scotland research project are still looking for help from us, so if you spot a mozzie, log on and let them know. But I'm telling you here and now, the only example they'll get from me will be bug bits splattered across the Sport Section of the Edinburgh Evening News. I stand by the midgie. Buzz off, mozzie.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
30-foot fall down embankment traps person in brush, Washington rescuers say
Someone called 911 to report they were stuck in brush following a 30-foot fall down an embankment, Washington firefighters reported. The incident took place in Big Gulch near Mukilteo at 8:24 a.m. Saturday, April 26, the Mukilteo Fire Department said in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. Firefighters rappelled into the gulch and contacted the patient, who was lifted to safety in a high-angle rope rescue at 10:15 a.m., the agency said. The person was taken to a hospital to be evaluated, firefighters said. No details on their medical condition or how the accident took place were provided. Mukilteo is about a 25-mile drive north of Seattle. Riders stuck on 17-story-high swings at amusement park, Colorado officials say Mom and 1-year-old daughter die after car goes into Texas river, cops say Grizzly charges at pair fishing in Montana creek, officials say. One shot at it
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Dividend Stocks That Are Bucking The Bear Market
Bearish scenario in stock market with bear figure in front of red price drop chart. Let's talk about consumer staples dividend stocks today. If we're heading for a slowdown then we need to be picky about our payouts. When the economy slows, discretionary spending is often punted but staples continue to be bought. Today we'll discuss five dividends between 4.2% and 10.7%. These 'must have' products can provide our portfolios with important recession-resistant qualities. Year-to-date staples have been flat and, in this market, that is great. Their sideways action has lapped the over-owned S&P 500 this year: XLP Total Returns Consumer staples stocks tend to have more stable operations that result in more stable share performance in turbulent markets. And they also have predictable profits that allow them to pay out better-than-average dividends. But there are exceptions. Perpetually too-popular staples like Costco (COST) and Walmart (WMT) deliver sub-1% yields. This also drags down the yields of staples-focused funds. This is why we cherry pick our payouts, as always. Let's get into these five which yield up to 10.7%. Smokers are going to keep smoking, which is why these two tobacco companies have delivered double-digit gains (against the market's 15% decline!) since Feb. 19: Altria (MO, 6.9% yield) is best-known for its Philip Morris USA segment, which produces Marlboro cigarettes and is by far and away the company's top revenue driver. But the company is putting increasing focus on its smokeless products, which include Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, On! Oral nicotine pouches, NJOY e-vapor products and—through a joint venture with JT Group called Horizon Innovations—heated tobacco products. Altria has been battling volume declines in cigarettes for years, and it has suffered a few self-inflicted wounds, such as its ill-fated stake in Juul Labs. However, higher prices on cigarettes, as well as growth in its smokeless products, have helped keep earnings and its high dividend on the rise, and both are expected to continue their (admittedly slow) growth in 2025. MO Earnings Growth Ever since the market started sliding in February, investors have been snapping up MO shares to get some of that stability. But Altria is getting expensive—yes, a forward P/E of 11 doesn't scream 'overbought,' but it's noticeably higher than the 8x-9x valuation it has typically carried over the past few years. British American Tobacco (BTI, 7.5% yield) owns a number of well-known cigarette brands, including Camel, American Spirit and Newport. But it too deals in smokeless tobacco, including Grizzly dipping tobacco, Glo heated tobacco, VELO nicotine pouches, and Vuse vapes. In late 2023, BTI announced it would take a massive noncash writedown—which a few months later would become official, at $34.5 billion—on the value of its American cigarette brands. The stock bottomed in late 2024 and has been recovering ever since, including a roughly 10% gain since the February market top. Despite the writedown, BTI's top and bottom lines have been generally stable if not improving for years. But the company doesn't expect sustainable growth until at least 2026, when management believes it will get more support from its smokeless portfolio. Fortunately, the company still keeps finding enough change under the couch to improve its dividend, which it has done in 26 of the past 27 years. A 7%-plus yield is stellar. A forward P/E of 9 not so much once we realize that's at the high end of its multiyear range. Let's move on to more traditional consumer staples businesses—but not traditional consumer staples names. The sector's blue chips tend to be overcrowded, which is a recipe for limited yields. Instead, I prefer stocks that live outside of the spotlight but offer good to great levels of income. SpartanNash (SPTN, 4.2% yield) is a company that we've previously discussed as a 'grocer-plus.' It operates nearly 200 grocery stores in 10 states across numerous brands, including Family Fresh Market, Metcalfe's Market and Supermercado Nuestra Familia. But its other, larger segment is a wholesale distribution business that services roughly 2,300 independent grocers across the U.S. The company is several years into a turnaround plan that has helped to rejuvenate the top and bottom lines, but the stock's performance hasn't matched. As we said back in 2020, 'a look at the past 10 years is probably a decent indication of what the next 10 will broadly look like.' SPTN boasts a decent 4%-plus yield that dwarfs most other grocers, it has raised its distribution for 15 consecutive years, and it pays out just less than half its earnings, so the dividend should have more upside. It's hard to say the same about the stock price. Management did recently express interest in expanding its Hispanic grocery and convenience store presence, but its plans are in their infancy. BGS Foods (BGS, 10.7% yield) is the name behind brands such as Crisco, Cream of Wheat, Ortega and Bear Creek. Its double-digit yield is largely the product of a slumping stock, with shares off by more than 70% over the past few years amid slumping top and bottom lines. Its 10% return since the market top is something of a small miracle considering its continued operational woes. In late February, B&G reported it was booking charges of $320 million related to 'intangible trademark assets' on its Green Giant, Victoria, Static Guard and McCann's brands. BGS also kept its dividend at 19 cents per share, but it's an open question as to how long B&G can keep it up. The dividend annualizes to 78 cents per share. The pros expect adjusted profits of 68 cents this year and 73 cents in 2026. Something has to give. FEMSA (FMX, 7.0% yield)—the merciful shorthand for Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V.—isn't a familiar name, but it's awfully interesting. FEMSA operates a huge chain of small-box retail stores, called Oxxo, in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil. It uses the same brand for auto service stations in Mexico. It also operates drugstores under several names in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. And it owns nearly half of Coca-Cola FEMSA (KOF), the world's largest bottler of Coca-Cola (KO) by volume. FEMSA isn't automatically a great defensive play, then, if our worry is the U.S. economy. We have to keep our eyes on Mexico to determine FMX's real utility. But there's a lot to like here. It has a dominant position in Latin America. Top- and bottom-line growth hasn't been pristine, but it's better than many other staples names. Estimates are for 26% profit growth this year, then another 12% in 2026. The dividend itself is generous—FEMSA has become increasingly aggressive about returning capital, and it plans on paying four quarterly ordinary dividends as well as four 'extraordinary' dividends, coming out to a yield of about 7%. But while FMX has been plenty fruitful, it has also been more volatile than the average staples stock, and it's also richly priced at 20 times earnings estimates. Brett Owens is Chief Investment Strategist for Contrarian Outlook. For more great income ideas, get your free copy his latest special report: How to Live off Huge Monthly Dividends (up to 8.7%) — Practically Forever. Disclosure: none
