Krampus was Kinda Krappy

Note: Spoiler Alerts Throughout

In a last minute outing, I caught the new holiday movie Krampus at Regal Cinemas 16. The opening scene of this movie alone was worth the price of admission and in fact, the best part of the movie. While there were some visually interesting aspects throughout, overall Krampus was a disappointment. Picture Tremors meets The Gremlins meets almost every holiday family comedy you can think of where “family” gets together in spite of disliking one another immensely. Add evil elves, deranged gingerbread cookies, an animated deviation from the visual style and an idiot that sends the poor dog into the air shaft to attack a massive jack-in-the box and you have a mess of a movie. Sadly, this could have been good with the Alpine Folklore at the heart of this story but it wasn’t.  The only thing that made the film watchable was the cast who delivered excellent performances and carried a completely weak story. 

A Tale of Two Dogs

Over and Over and Over

I am one of those people who will watch a movie over and over. There's something about knowing what is going to happen that I find comforting. As Frodo and Co make their way to Mt Doom to destroy "the ring", they travel through the Mines of Moria and come face to face with a band of nasty Orks and their Cave Troll. Even when Froto is stabbed and when the group is pursued by Orks that are literally coming out of the cracks in the walls or when Gandalf falls off the cliff - I'm good. Mainly because I know what happens next.

I am an emotional movie viewer that "feels" what I watch in such a way that it can ruin my whole day. In spite of being a filmmaker who notices the technical components of a movie, I commit myself to the motion picture at hand and sink into the experience.

The news impacts me the same way - which is why I approach CNN with immense caution. Unlike movies though, where I can talk myself off the ledge by reminding myself that it's "make-believe", the news is very real and often very, very sad. And every story a reflection of people facing tragedies because they didn't know what would happen next.

Can you imagine how tremendous it would see "tomorrow's" events? Or at least get the highlights? Heck, I would settle for seeing myself at the start of the day for a few seconds and then at the end of the day for a few seconds. This way I would know that I'm, at the very least, still in the game.

As I write this, Batman just saved Gotham in Batman Begins and I'm irritated that Rachel won't date him (honestly who doesn't want to date Batman) and bummed that his fancy house burned down. But I am glad that he plans to rebuild.

Love In Las Vegas

Once upon a time, two lonely hearts met, fell in love, got married and lived happily ever after. It’s a timeless tale that has unfolded in literature for centuries and graced the silver screen since the beginning of cinema. It was this tale that was at the heart of a discussion between me (the cool aunt) and two seventeen-year-old girls (my niece and her best friend) during a trip to Sin City to see the Spice Girls.

Las Vegas has seen the start of a number of fairy tales as well as its fair share of not-so-happily-ever-afters. Considered the wedding capital of the world, it was a surreal backdrop as teenage wedding dreams, love ideas and unexpected relationship questions were presented. Specific movie scenes were used to communicate opinions and ideas of possible love and I shuddered to remember back to the time when I was them. 

The Notebook, starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling received the majority vote as best romantic film of all time (remember there were only three of us). Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts, which was made when the girls were going on two-years-old, came in second and Tristan and Isolde, starring James Franco and Sophia Myles tied for third with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

They hadn’t seen When Harry, Met Sally starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal - a film that took us on a journey through indifference, friendship, heartbreak and love. Nor had they seen Moonstruck staring Cher and Nicolas Cage where love was a little broken but still incredibly beautiful. They had never heard of High Fidelity, starring John Cusack which was my number one pick and one of the most accurate portrayals of love I had ever seen on screen. We all agreed that the star studded film Love Actually deserved, at the very least, an honorable mention and though I fought hard, The Princess Bride, which will forever grace my top ten list, was dismissed with the likes of Disney’s Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. What can say, I was out numbered.

I have to admit, I found it unsettling to see that these two young women had traded in the animated representations of “happily ever after” for the overly simplified fantasies delivered via live action. I wanted to tell them that love as verb or noun, is complex and tedious and will almost NEVER look like love looks in the movies. And it certainly lasts a lot longer – which could be a good thing or a really bad thing – depending on which act you’re in. I wanted to present words like work and compromise and forgiveness. And say something that would allow them to see the size of a promise. I wanted to tell them to love with abandon but keep their hearts safe – knowing that you cannot do both at the same time. And then I remembered why I have dogs and not kids. 

As the cool aunt I decided to leave the popping of the love bubble to their parents and focus on the Spice Girls. And when love goes mad, rocketing down the road at lightening speed and then hits a patch of ice and spins out of control - I’ll be there with a shoulder to cry on, a pint of sorbet and a DVD of Austin Powers: Gold Member and The Big Lebowski because there’s nothing like laughter and ice cream to mend a broken heart.

A Happy Ending - A New Beginning

We asked Jamie, from Adams County Pet Rescue, to show us around town. There were several neighborhoods that we had not visited and want to get a feel for the different parts of the community. We had heard about a small area known for a high number of stray dogs and cats and felt that it was important to see firsthand what was happening.

As we drove through, the people waved kindly and the animals trotted through the streets. Obvious experts at dodging cars, they reminded me of the community dogs in Guam. Just as we were exiting the area, Alycia spotted a large, black and white dog. "I see a big dog!" And before anyone could respond, we were turning around.

As we cruised past, Jamie realized that the dog was one she and the Animal Control Officer had been trying to catch for two years and she had obviously had another litter of puppies. Alycia rolled down the car window and spoke to her. She shot off across the street, barking defensively. We continued rolling past and stopped at the end of the block. We sat there for a moment - silent but all thinking the same thing. We had to turn around. We had to try to do something.

The first step was to locate where she was likely staying at. We pulled up to an empty house that people had obviously decided to use as a local dumping ground. We got out of the car and stood at the edge of the lawn looking for a sign of the puppies. All the while, mama is barking like crazy.

Just then, a woman emerges from a house across the street and asks if we need help. We ask her what she knows about the dog and the story emerges. Two years ago, the people that owned "Lady" moved out and left her behind. Last year, she has several puppies that all perished on the road. She had another eight puppies now, but there were only two left. Someone had come and taken them. Teena said she had been feeding Lady but that no one could get near her. She offered to show us where the puppies were. I thought that if nothing else, we can try to save the last two puppies.

As we walked through the debris covered yard and closer to the puppies, Lady was getting agitated. I crouched down and looked back into the truck canopy that she had called home and say two chubby, little faces looking back at me. I'd like to point out at this time that Alycia and I were dressed for a road trip, not a rescue. Me in sandals and shorts, Alycia in sandals and a dress.

Because I am the shorter of the two, it made sense to send me into the canopy and that left Alycia and a very pregnant Jamie, to keep Lady away while I went into her den. As I clamored over the debris to get in through the back, Alycia asked, "When was the last time you had your tetanus?" I laughed.

As I maneuvered into the small space, through the broken window, the puppies crammed themselves further into a hole under the debris pile, out a side window. I could hear Alycia calling to Lady - keeping her back. I had no idea how deep the hole was as it was getting dark and was even darker in the canopy. By this point Leo, Teena's husband arrived to help.

I grabbed one puppy, which instantly started crying (mom is unhappy) and passed it out to Leo, who handed it off to Alycia. The puppy squirms and cries and then pees down the front of Alycia's dress. I grab the second puppy (more crying) and quickly pass it out. And then I saw it, a third little face staring at me from the dark hole. Obviously the runt, she was feisty and a lot less interested in coming with me but I managed to get her, pass her out and then got out as fast as I could.

As we walked to car with the puppies, Lady ran over to her den, looking for her babies. It was so incredibly heartbreaking to see her sadness. She was now alone.

Three puppies in hand but no one got in the car. We just stood there looking at Lady. "Maybe we can walk with the puppies to the shelter and she'll follow us," Alycia said. In spite of shelter being a good two miles away, we started walking but Lady remained behind. We turned back and found that Ryan, Jamie's husband had arrived with the truck and a kennel. The moment we put all the puppies into the kennel, our luck turned. In typical puppy fashion, they all started crying and the moment they started crying, mama came running.

Lady circled the truck desperately while working very hard to stay out of everyone's reach. Alycia - in awesome rescuer fashion, whips out a leash that she carried in her car and created a lasso. As Lady weaved in and out of the people and cars, I advanced on her slowly, talking nicely, with the idea of getting that leash around her neck.

She shot past me and then around Leo and then through a gap in the fence. She turned around and headed back through the fence and then she just suddenly gave up. Her face softened and she dropped to her belly and rolled half way over. It was done - she was ready to go. Now we just had to get her in the truck.
I got the leash around her neck and Leo moved in and talked nicely to her. As Leo grabbed the front, I grabbed the back and we loaded her in the bed of the truck. Alycia, still wearing a dress and sandals, jumped into the bed of the truck in true country girl fashion and secured the leash so Lady could lay next to her puppies.

I rode the two miles to the shelter, in the back of the truck petting Lady gently. Once we arrived at the shelter, we placed the puppies (Piper, Penelope and Poppy) in a large dog house in a big run. When Lady was brought in, she calmly walked over, crawled in the house and curled up with her babies.

Now, she and her girls are safe.

The plan: Lady and her girls will be allowed to settle in for a few days and then the puppies will be placed up for adoption. Once they find a forever home, Lady will be spayed and then sent to the Ridge Dog Program for socialization and training. Then, she will be ready for her own "Forever Home".

Rebecca

This post was originally published on the Animal House Facebook page