[Rear View]

Sullivan’s ‘Rats’ Book to be Turned Into a Documentary Film

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dakota Group and Submarine Entertainment, distributors of the documentaries “Blackfish” and “The Cove,” announced an upcoming feature-length documentary film based on Robert Sullivan’s bestseller, “Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants.” David Koh and Stanley Buchenthal of Dakota Group and Josh and Dan Braun of Submarine will produce. Sullivan will consult on the film.

“We have been obsessed and terrified by rats living in New York City over the years, and when we read Robert Sullivan’s book, we couldn’t put it down,” the producers said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with (Sullivan) and bringing his highly entertaining and scholarly book to the big screen.”

Sullivan will serve as an advisor on the film, with production beginning early next year. In addition to the materials found in the book, Sullivan will also provide his extensive archive of research material that didn’t make the final cut, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Story of Maurice ‘Termite’ Watkins’ Redemption

A recent feature in The Pasadena Citizen told the story of Maurice “Termite” Watkins, a PMP who also spent time as a professional boxer.

Watkins, who grew up in the pest control industry (his dad owned Houston-based Champions Exterminating), in 1980 fought for the WBC 140-pound title on the undercard of the famous Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes bout. As PCT reported in March 2004, Watkins also spent time in Iraq helping train Iraqi Olympic boxers.

In recent years, the newspaper reported, Watkins has been working in ministry, helping former gang members, ex-convicts and ex-drug dealers to turn their lives around.

Louvre Garden Teeming with Rats

Many Parisians and tourists complain that rats in the Louvre’s gardens detract from their visit to one of the world’s most prestigious museums, U.K.’s Telegraph reports.

The gardens are attractive to rats because they are close to the river. The Louvre normally relies on the city authorities to keep the rodents under control, but managers have now decided that the numbers of rats are intolerable and have called in a private pest control agency.

However, their efforts so far have failed to stop dozens of rats scurrying among people relaxing or picnicking on the lawns of the Jardin du Carrousel.

“Food waste left on the lawns attracts rats and encourages their proliferation,” a spokesman for the museum said. “We’re asking people to be more careful.”