We're Featuring The Best Cows in Pop Culture, Part One
We know it, you know it, everybody knows it - COWS ARE JUST AWESOME! And since our very own mascot Nomad is a representative of the species, we decided to draft a nice little selection of T-H-I-N-G-S including cows which are totally check-out-worthy! As it turned out, cows are quite the hype, so consider this as Part I, including movies, TV series, books, comic books and video games. 🐮
MOVIES & TV SERIES:
COW [2021]
Documentary | 1h 34m
IMDB: 7.1/10
RottenTomatoes: 7.6/10
The official story:
“Chronicling the daily life of a dairy cow in an attempt to move humans closer to them. An illumination of both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Hoping to understand one dairy cow's reality and acknowledging her great service.”
Our favorite critic review:
“Cow never wields morality as a weapon...feel however you may feel about industrial farming, but now the cow stares back.” - Clarisse Loughrey, Independent (UK)
Where to watch:
Apple TV
FIRST COW [2019]
Drama, Western | 2h 2m
IMDB: 7.1/10
RottenTomatoes: 8.4/10
The official story:
“Two travellers, on the run from a band of vengeful hunters in the 1820s Northwest, dream of striking it rich - but their tenuous plan to make their fortune on the frontier comes to rely on the secret use of a landowner's prized dairy cow.”
Our favorite critic review:
“Never has a film about two losers and the platonic love they have for each other felt more moving or more engaging. Simply wonderful.” - Linda Marric, The Jewish Chronicle
Where to watch:
Hulu
73 COWS [2018]
Documentary, Short | 15m
IMDB: 7.8 / 10
RottenTomatoes: N/A
The official story:
“A beef farmer struggles with his conscience every time he takes his cows to slaughter, and so sets about doing something extraordinary.”
Our favorite public review:
“A powerful, moving story that was captured and told beautifully. It will make you question some of our autonomous daily choices we were conditioned to make without much thought. Excellent film.”
Where to watch:
FERDINAND [2017]
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | 1h 48m
IMDB: 6.7/10
RottenTomatoes: 6.3/10
The official story:
“A soft-hearted bull, Ferdinand, escapes from Casa del Toro after his father does not return from the bullfight. However, due to a turn of events, he is taken back to the place he escaped from.”
Our favorite critic review:
“Come for the bull and stay for the goat, but be prepared to get hit in the feels.” - Kevin A Ranson, MovieCrypt
Where to watch:
Disney+
SOUTH PARK, Season 2, Episode 13, COW DAYS [1998]
TV Series, Animation, Comedy | 22m
IMDB: 7.6/10
RottenTomatoes: 8/10
The official story:
“All of South Park's cows become mesmerized by the town's new Wooden Cow Memorial. Meanwhile, the kids' plan to win a Terence and Philip doll from a carney at the Cow Days festival becomes complicated and dangerous.”
Our favorite public review:
“I've seen this episode so many times now that I should be sick of it, but frankly it's sticking with me like Elmer glue.”
Where to watch:
COW & CHICKEN [1997-1999]
TV Series, Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | 30m episodes
IMDB: 6.6/10
RottenTomatoes: N/A
The official story:
“A scrawny, 11-year-old chicken named Chicken reluctantly watches out for his beefy "little" sister, a 7-year-old cow named Cow. The unconventional offspring of two human parents, the two young animals navigate their way through suburbia...”
Our favorite critic review:
“It still upsets 90s kids that they never saw the parents' faces, and instead just got the legs. This show was funny, surreal and addressed the all important issue of cooties. It also led you to think about pork butts and taters a lot.” - Taran Bassi, Metro.co.uk
Where to watch:
WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA [1992-1994]
TV Series, Animation, Action, Western, Family | 30m episode
IMDB: 7.2/10
RottenTomatoes: N/A
The official story:
“In the 1800's, a mysterious comet hits the U.S. southwest, transforming the local cattle and animals into their own version of the old west called Moo Mesa, complete with several lawmen dealing with bizarre outlaws.”
Our favorite public review:
“...Like all the old school cartoons, this show had morals. Things like honesty or telling an adult were talked about in the show…”
Where to watch:
THE COW [1969]
Drama | 1h 44m
IMDB: 7.9/10 | RottenTomatoes: N/A
The official story:
“An old villager deeply in love with his cow goes to the capital for a while. While he's there, the cow dies and now the villagers are afraid of his possible reaction to it when he returns.”
Our favorite public review:
“This movie is about as far as one can get from Hollywood blockbusters. It's about a cow. About a cow and a very loving owner. And what happens to them ultimately. … The camera has been used in a surreal way.”
Where to watch:
PAUL BUNYAN [1958]
Short, Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | 17m
IMDB: 7/10 | RottenTomatoes: N/A
The official story:
“Bunyan, the legendary giant lumberjack of the North, must compete in a woodcutting contest against the newfangled chainsaw. All of that together with his just as huge pet ox - Babe.”
Our favorite public review:
“...characteristic of the shorts released in the 50's…one can image loggers sitting around a campfire, or in a cabin, each trying to embellish and exaggerate the story to make it more interesting then the last time it was told…”
Where to watch:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Heffer Wolfe from Rocko’s Modern Life
Bojack Horseman's Cow Waitress
BOOKS & COMIC BOOKS:
HOLY COW, David Duchovny
Humorous Fiction, Satire, Fable | 224 pages
GoodReads: 3.35/5
The official story:
“This is the best cow-based theological odyssey of all time. A hybrid of Joyce's Ulysses and beef. Elsie Bovary is a modern day Damona.” ―Craig Ferguson
Our favorite critic review:
“You either like the sound of a novel about a cow wanting to escape to India (because cows are sacred there), with a pig who wants to go to Israel and changes his name to Shalom as part of his understandable appreciation of all things kosher – or you don’t.”, Matt Haig, The Guardian
Where to read:
THE COWS, Lydia Davis
Literary Fiction, Nature | 36 pages
GoodReads: 4.03/5
The official story:
“The Cows is a close study of the three much-loved cows that live across the road from her. The piece, written with understated humor and empathy, is a series of detailed observations of the cows on different days and in different positions, moods, and times of the day.”
Our favorite public review:
“Davis on cows, Davis on perspective, Davis on cows and perspective; cows on perspective, perspective on cows. Perspective. Period. Cows. Period.”
Where to read:
WHERE’S MY COW?, Terry Pratchett
Fantasy Fiction, Humor | 32 pages
Good Reads: 4.12/5
The official story:
“Every day at 6:00pm sharp Sam Vimes reads the book "Where's My Cow?" to Young Sam. But one day Vimes decides that it makes no sense to read about animals which Young Sam will never see alive. Therefore, he changes the story of the book a little to be more interesting for someone living in Ankh-Morpork.”
Our favorite public review:
“A work of existentialist realism that surpasses criticism. If there was one book I would have to have on a desert island, it is this one. Whilst superficially targeted at children, who will not see this as anything other than the hunt for a missing bovine, every adult should take time to ponder the metaphysical message imparted on each page.”
Where to read:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
AMAZING COW HEROES, Chick-fil-A
VIDEO GAMES:
SIMS 4 - The Cow Plants
Don't know about you but we were absolutely obsessed with playing Sims. Were? Maybe we still are...building imaginary CowOrKings here and there…who knows.
One thing is certain - we're definitely planting Cow Plants in all of their gardens! There's nothing to worry about except that if you leave them hungry for more than twelve hours, they might eat your humans. Oupsie!
MARIO KART - Moo Moo Meadows
This is the second track of the Mushroom Cup from Mario Kart Wii. Needless to say, it's inspired by the Moo Moo Farm in Mario Kart 64. Expect a lot of hills, curves and drifting while playing.
Don't let the cute Moo Moos fool you! They'll absolutely try to cross the track, knock you over and slow you down. No one's perfect, eh?
Bonus points to the creators for the music choice!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Did we get you excited? We hope so!
Stay tuned for the other recommendations in Part Two! 😎
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