Rats | |
---|---|
Directed by | Morgan Spurlock |
Written by | Jeremy Chilnick Morgan Spurlock |
Based on | Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan |
Starring | Dr. Michael Blum Bobby Corrigan Ed Sheehan |
Production companies | Dakota Group Discovery Channel |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Rats, also known as Rats NYC, is a 2016 American documentary horror film directed by Morgan Spurlock. [1] [2] Based on a book by Robert Sullivan and distributed by the Discovery Channel, the film chronicles rat infestations in major cities throughout the world.
The film primarily focuses on rat infestations and exterminations, including methods such as night-patrol teams in Mumbai snapping rats' necks and the practice of ratting in England. Much of the documentary has been considered a detailing of "the 'war' against rats", featuring "bashing, slicing, dissecting and poisoning". [3] The director also journeys to the Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan, India, where over 35,000 black rats are revered by devotees who believe them to be reincarnated human beings.
The documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2016. [4] The film premiered on television on October 22, 2016, airing on the Discovery Channel. [5]
The Daily Telegraph reported on the film's trailer for its "stomach-churning footage" and "disturbing scenes", with writer Rebecca Hawkes noting that the trailer's footage, which includes rats being killed by terriers, "will likely provoke a strong response from viewers". [3] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the documentary "plays much like a horror film", and in reference to the terrier scene, called it "an absolute bloodbath ... with filters appropriate for a zombie apocalypse". [6] Wendy Ide of The Guardian wrote that the film is "gleefully exploitative in its approach, and as such, it is horribly entertaining". [7] Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "super-disgusting" and "[un]fair to the animals in question, who would surely view this as a grisly, “ Faces of Death ”-style marathon of murder", writing that "rarely has a filmmaker more blatantly manipulated the material he has collected to game his audience". [8]
Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saturn Awards | Best Television Presentation | Rats | Nominated | [9] |
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus Rattus. Other rat genera include Neotoma, Bandicota and Dipodomys.
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he claimed to consume only McDonald's food, although he later disclosed he was also drinking heavy amounts of alcohol. The film documents the drastic change on Spurlock's physical and psychological health and well-being. It also explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit and gain.
Morgan Valentine Spurlock was an American documentary filmmaker, writer, and television producer. He directed 23 films and was the producer of nearly 70 films throughout his career. Spurlock received acclaim for directing the documentary Super Size Me (2004), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. He produced What Would Jesus Buy? (2007) and directed Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden? (2008), POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011), Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011), and One Direction: This Is Us (2013).
Rat-baiting is a blood sport that involves releasing captured rats in an enclosed space with spectators betting on how long a dog, usually a terrier often referred to as a ratter, takes to kill the rats. Often, two dogs competed, with the winner receiving a cash prize. It is now illegal in most countries.
What Would Jesus Buy? is a 2007 documentary film produced by Morgan Spurlock and directed by Rob VanAlkemade. The title is a take-off on the phrase, "what would Jesus do?". The film debuted on the festival circuit on March 11, 2007, at the South By Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. It went into general U.S. release on November 16, 2007.
Karni Mata Temple of Deshnoke, also known as Madh Deshnoke, is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Karni Mata at the town of Deshnoke, located 30 km south of Bikaner, in Rajasthan. It has become the most important pilgrimage site for devotees of Charanisagatis after access to Hinglaj was restricted following the partition of India. The temple is also a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims and is renowned, both in India and internationally, as the "Temple of Rats" due to the numerous rodents known as kābā which are considered holy and treated with utmost care by devotees. This is sometimes upheld as exemplary of an "environmentally conscious Hindu ethos". The temple draws visitors from across the country for blessings, as well as curious tourists from around the world.
The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! is a documentary special that examined the "cultural phenomenon" of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 2010. The special was directed by Morgan Spurlock.
Rats in New York City are widespread, as they are in many densely populated areas. They are considered a cultural symbol of the city. For a long time, the number of rats in New York City was unknown, and a common urban legend declared there were up to five times as many rats as people. However, a 2023 study estimates that there are approximately 3 million rats in New York, which is close to a third of New York's human population.
One Direction: This Is Us is a 2013 3-D documentary concert film about British-Irish boy band One Direction. It opened in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2013. It also opened a day later in the United States. The film follows the group on their Take Me Home Tour. It was a commercial success and grossed $68 million worldwide.
A ratter is any dog used for catching and killing rats and similar vermin. Specialized rat-catching breeds are found in many countries. A typical ratter is small to medium-sized and has a short and smooth coat, however a wide range of dog breeds and landraces may be used. The use of ratting dogs is widely considered to be the most environmentally friendly, humane and efficient methods of exterminating rodents. Ratting dogs are considered more efficient than domestic cats.
Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead are an American filmmaking duo. Both have served in directing, producing, editing, and acting roles in their projects, while Moorhead is also a cinematographer and Benson is a writer.
Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery is a 2013 documentary about the American independent film distributor The Shooting Gallery, directed by Whitney Ransick. The film had its world premiere on October 11, 2013 at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Morgan Spurlock Inside Man is an American documentary series which aired on CNN. Episodes featured Morgan Spurlock investigating a range of topics from an insider's perspective.
Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction titles, owned and operated by AMC Networks. The streaming service offers original films, TV series—such as Creepshow, based on the 1982 film of the same name—and documentary series. Shudder's library also features non-original programming, including well-known horror films, and annually airs a Halloween "Ghoul Log".
Ryders Alley Trencher-fed Society (R.A.T.S.) is a New York City group founded in the 1990s that conducts organized rat catching with ratting dogs. The group was named by founding member Richard Reynolds after Ryders Alley in Manhattan, which was once rat infested, and the trencher-fed pack assembled to hunt. The group often hunts in Lower Manhattan locations like Theatre Alley where garbage is accessible to vermin.
In Search of Darkness is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by David A. Weiner and executive produced by Robin Block of CreatorVC Studios. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, the film explores the development and lasting impact of the horror film genre during the 1980s, and features interviews with numerous horror icons both from that decade and from the modern era, along with popular horror influencers.
Theo Anthony is an American film director, editor, and cinematographer from Baltimore, Maryland known for his documentary films, including 2016's Rat Film. Anthony's work draws inspiration from the experimental film essays of directors such as Harun Farocki and Chris Marker.
This is a list of winners of the Sundance Film Festival Directing Award for documentary features.
Pedro Kos is a Brazilian-American film director and editor. He has directed Bending the Arc (2017), Rebel Hearts (2021), Lead Me Home (2021), In Our Blood (2024), and The White House Effect (2024).