Eating mice: how?

[Captrek]

How did they film in the scene in Zero Hour where struggling, squirming mice are held by their tails and lowered into the Reptilians’ mouths? Actually using live mice in such a manner seems a cruel thing to do for the sake of a TV show. Was it CGI? Animatronics? Or real?

 

[Kor]

I couldn't find any background info on how that scene was done. But notice that when we actually see them lowering the mice into their mouths, it's a different camera shot from the moment before when they picked up the moving mice from the container thing. After one shot is finished and the camera rolls again for the next shot, any amount of time can pass, to allow for all kinds of stuff to be rearranged and switched around. That includes changing props that actors are holding.

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In the shot that shows the actors actually putting the "mice" in their mouths, the legs aren't moving anymore.

Kor

 

[Ssosmcin]

Candy (or other edible) mice, no doubt. The edits make this an easy thing to do. Jane Badler had a chocolate mouse in V.

 

[scotpens]

Candy (or other edible) mice, no doubt. The edits make this an easy thing to do. Jane Badler had a chocolate mouse in V.

So did Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby.

 

[Kor]

To get a more realistic response from the actor, maybe it should be meat-flavored, with hard crunchy pieces inside.

Kor

 

[Ragitsu]

New York City has plenty of rats.

 

[scotpens]

If you stir-fry them with ginger and plenty of soy sauce, they're not half bad.

 

[dupersuper]

I couldn't find any background info on how that scene was done. But notice that when we actually see them lowering the mice into their mouths, it's a different camera shot from the moment before when they picked up the moving mice from the container thing. After one shot is finished and the camera rolls again for the next shot, any amount of time can pass, to allow for all kinds of stuff to be rearranged and switched around. That includes changing props that actors are holding.

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In the shot that shows the actors actually putting the "mice" in their mouths, the legs aren't moving anymore.

Kor

I'm more curious as to where they got the mice. Were they already time traveling to 21st century Earth at this point?

 

[Captrek]

I think it’s weird that the various Xindi species were supposedly as close as humans and Neanderthals. Does that mean they could interbreed? What would you get if you crossed an Insectoid with an Aquatic?

 

[Oddish]

I'm sure animal action was closely monitored.

It reminds me of the old Faith No More video "Epic", which had a scene at the end with a beached fish flopping about... MTV veejay Adam Curry assured us that the fish was carefully handled and returned unharmed to the water afterward.

 

[Kor]

So I just attempted to watch the episode's end credits on Paramount+ (not to mention sitting through several minutes' worth of commercials just to get there ) to see if they said anything about animal action. Unfortunately, it only plays a few seconds before automatically going to the next episode, and there's no way to stop that to keep watching the credits! I'm definitely cancelling my subscription after this free month.

Kor

 

[Oddish]

Agreed. We should be allowed to watch he credits if we choose. For that reason and orhers.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

That's odd. I've never had that problem with the Paramount+ app.

At least not on the AppleTV. With that version of the app, when an episode (of any series) gets to the closing credits, it gives the option to keep watching the credits or go straight to the next ep.

Are things different on other platforms?

To get a more realistic response from the actor, maybe it should be meat-flavored, with hard crunchy pieces inside.

"If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, now would it?"

Jane Badler had a chocolate mouse in V.

I see what you did there.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

My understanding is that Ozzy Osbourne didn't know the bat was real, and alive, in a certain well-known incident in which he literally became a geek.

As to credits, that's certainly one of the major advantages of getting the DVD set. I've seen plenty of cases in which broadcast stations have done things with the credits, in order to squeeze in (say) a news tease.

 

[Kor]

I'll try it on my TV later. This was in a web browser on the PC.

Kor

 

[Oddish]

If mice had actually been killed, I think the humane society would have gone absolutely nuts, even back then.

 

[Ragitsu]

What's funny is that real rodents are cheaper than CGI rodents.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Naturally, since most people would pay to be rid of rodents.

 

[Herbert]

To get a more realistic response from the actor, maybe it should be meat-flavored, with hard crunchy pieces inside.

Kor

Sounds like a Monty Python Skit. Crunchy Mouse

[EDIT] - Damn! Mr Laser Beam got in here before me

 

[Oddish]

Now I'm thinking about that old Don Bluth movie: "MOUSEBURGERS!"