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The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was archived by Gog the Mild via FACBot (talk) 15 July 2025 [1].

Hundreds of Beavers

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Nominator(s): Jon698 (talk) 02:51, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This article is about the plot, production, release, and reception of the film Hundreds of Beavers. It was upgraded to GA status by me back in February. It is comparable in length to some other FA-class film articles. I have done intense research for this article since May 2024. I have used every possible news article or web page and created a Google alert solely for subjects related to this. Jon698 (talk) 02:51, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Image review

  • Alt text shouldn't duplicate captions
  • File:Abbott_and_Costello_circa_1940s.JPG: two of the source links are dead. Ditto File:Three_Stooges_1937.jpg
@Nikkimaria: Made an edit to change the alts that duplicate the captions. Those two images you noted with dead links still have the full image, back and front, in their image histories. This shows that they are indeed missing copyright notices. Jon698 (talk) 03:03, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Comments from Eddie

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Hi Jon, I may give a full review if I have the time, but first do you think you could briefly outline how you feel you have addressed TompaDompa's oppose in the past FAC? Also, I would suggest removing the Harvard Crimson film review, since it's by a university student in a university publication, not a critic in a reputable newspaper. Eddie891 Talk Work 08:31, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Eddie891: For comment 1: I have expanded the section covering its video game inspirations and how it was designed to look like a lets play. As for his other comments I feel as though I properly answered them with edits made during the first discussion.
For comment 2: The Harvard Crimson is not just a university publication, but a publication at one of the most famous universities in the world. It has carried stories by a future Pulitzer Prize winner and its list of former editors and contributors include JFK, FDR, and a large amount of notable journalists. Jon698 (talk) 15:31, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the response. re #2: none of those points make The Harvard Crimson a reputable source for happenings outside of their university sphere. Regardless of the university, undergraduate publications tend to have very low standards to publish, and almost non-existent peer review processes (source: I went to a world class university, and that was definitely the case with their well-regarded undergraduate newspaper). I could maybe see a case being made for inclusion if the figure went on to become a notable film critic (such as Roger Ebert's undergraduate writings), but fundamentally don't understand why would we care what this student has to say here, even if (only because?) they were at Harvard.
What are their qualifications to be a critic? How is Joseph Johnson qualified to say that a film represents "a groundbreaking technical achievement"? Eddie891 Talk Work 15:44, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Eddie891: I have removed the Harvard Crimson source in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 15:48, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! I will do my best to offer a full review within ~1.5 weeks. Please do ping after 25 June if I haven't gotten back here (next week might be too busy for me to get to this). Best, Eddie891 Talk Work 15:51, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here goes:

  • "He catches fish by making his fingers bleed and using them as lures, and when he sells the fish to a local merchant, he notices a fur trapper turning a large profit." I would personally split this into two sentences, it feels like you're conveying two fairly different scenes here
Done in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • You have a few spots using the ". He [does x]" sentence construction a couple times in close proximity, which reads stilted; I primarily noticed this in the second para of the plot. Can you vary the phrasing at all?
  • "Jean erases it" how?
  • "styled after Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson " Can we say this without a citation? It feels a little OR-y
  • "He is found guilty and set " perhaps "sentenced"?
Done in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "the same thing having happened to the Master Fur Trapper' Maybe "that happened to"?
Done in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Are all/ any of the cast members notable per WP:REDYES? Also, surely we need to cite their names?
Done in this edit
  • "Filmmakers Mike Cheslik and Ryland Tews met at Whitefish Bay High School and came to collaborate on film projects" This sort of makes it sound like they worked on these projects beginning in high school, or at least leaves that implication open, but their first notable film wasn't released until like a decade after high school. I think it's worth noting that when they were actually in high school was ~2008 (source) Can you clarify the timing with a couple words?
I changed it to be "on film projects starting in 2008" in this edit
  • "The idea for Hundreds of Beavers was created by" this is awkward use of the passive voice: why not simply "Cheslik and Tews came up with the idea for Hundreds of Beavers while at a bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in October 2018."
Done in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "The duo made Lake Michigan Monster, a black-and-white film that cost $7,000, in 2018" why do we care about this? I also think use of the word "made" in 2018, is a bit confusing, as our article seems to say that the film was largely filmed in 2017. Maybe "released" instead. Consider also adding a sentence connecting this one and the next, along the lines of: "In 2018, the duo released Lake Michigan Monster, a black-and-white film, which they [shot? not sure about the best word here] on a budget of $7,000. Following the film's positive reception, they came up with the idea for Hundreds of Beavers in October, while while at a bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin."
  • "It was originally conceived as a parody film of The Revenant (2015) and survival films." I would suggest putting this sentence right after the sentence about the origin of the idea for the film
  • "which Cheslik compared to the screenwriting techniques of George Miller" This is somewhat unhelpful, as George Miller's article doesn't seem to say anything about Miller's screenwriting techniques, so I am unable to answer my fundamental question, which is: what are Miller's techniques? If the sourcing doesn't allow you to briefly gloss this, I don't think it's worth mentioning.
Removed in this edit
  • "Cheslik noted that Jean's progression was like Joseph Campbell's hero's journey." Again, I think it's worth specifying what about Jean's progression echoes a hero's journey. Was the intent to satirize stereotypes of heroes, perhaps?
Added "as Jean betters himself from an alcoholic struggling in the snow to killing hundreds of beavers" in this edit
  • "The film was shot in black-and-white and had a budget of $150,000..." I think this paragraph would benefit from a restructuring, with information presented in a strictly chronological manner. So, "Cheslik and Tews were initially able to raise enough money to film the first act, which they filmed in early 2020...." and ending with "the film's overall budget was $150,000".
  • I'm also just a bit confused about the timeline: you say the second act was filmed in "in winter in 2019 and 2020", but the producer says (in Macaulay 2024) that they filmed the first part in 2020, and the second part the following year.
  • "with the teeth being modified by the filmmakers" do we know how so? Also, can you rephrase to eliminate the with + -ing construction?
Done. They did not go into detail about how they modified the teeth and no other source covers it. Jon698 (talk) 04:13, 1 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • " Eric West, Daniel Long, Jay Brown, and Mike Wesolowski wore the beaver costumes" surely they should be included in the cast?
Done in this edit
  • "as "Violence sounds funniest when it's really distorted"" "as he felt that "Violence...""?
Done in this edit
  • I think you should mention all the influences in one paragraph- it feels a bit out of place to talk about "It was originally conceived as a parody film of The Revenant (2015) and survival films" in the first paragraph, but not describe any other inspirations until the fourth para.
  • "while specific allusions to silent comedies include a scene that references" Which scene? Also, this sentence seems to contain two completely separate ideas and should probably be split
  • I'd suggest giving years for all the films you mention
Done.
  • "he merchant's shop was noted by GameSpot to operate like those in the The Legend of Zelda and how the video game features in the film were not used as a joke, but to give convey information series." I am having a lot of trouble parsing this sentence, can you try rephrasing.
  • I'd suggest trying to thematically organize your discussions of influences somewhat. Seems like one clear influence is video games, another is the silent film/slapstick comedy era, but it currently feels like you jump between discussing different inspirations a bit based on what the sources say.
  • "with a runtime of 108 minutes" feels like it could fit somewhere else better. Presumably its runtime was 108 minutes everywhere, not just at Fantastic Fest
I chose to remove the runtime from the body in this edit. Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Why does the Fantasia International Film Festival only get a year, while every other release gets a specific day?
The reason for it lacking the specific date is that I was unable to narrow down which day the film was shown.
  • "the Sitges Film Festival" maybe add in Spain? year?
Done. Jon698 (talk) 04:17, 1 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "Cheslik and the producers chose to distribute the film themselves"... but then you say Rosner helped with the distribution, so they didn't exactly distribute it themselves, no?
That seems more like hiring a guy to help you. They are still doing the distribution themselves and getting the profits.
  • "including the Music Box Theatre" - 'Chicago's Music Box Theatre'?
Changed to "including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago" in this edit
  • " fourteen independent theaters in the Great Lakes region," I don't think it's clear why only the Great Lakes is mentioned here. Did it not show elsewhere? Was this the first region they showed the film in?
  • link video on demand on first mention
Done
  • "The filmmakers rejected distribution offers made after festival showings as those plans would only show the film in theaters for a week before sending it to video on demand." I consider would putting this after the first sentence in the second paragraph of this section, perhaps.
  • "As of November 2024, the film was never shown in more than 33 theaters at once." -> suggest "by November 2024, the film had not been shown in..."
Done in this [ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hundreds_of_Beavers&diff=prev&oldid=1296775695edit]
  • "A 35mm print of the film" I don't think it's clear what the significance of this is.
The regular film is on a digital file.
  • "on July 9" -> "beginning on July 9"
Done in this edit Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "and has sold 10,000 copies" as of?
Done in this edit Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "37,636.19" feels like false precision, and I'd suggest rounding to 37,000.
Done in this edit Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • "$5,000 was grossed after three days of screenings at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts" I get why it's worth mentioning the Music Box Theatre's Gross, but why is the Cambridge on e significant?
Done in this edit Jon698 (talk) 04:53, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Why describe some similarities identified by other sources (like those noted by GameStop) in the Production section, but others ithe critical response section (like those made by Seitz)
  • The NYT attributes success to "the movie’s robust, beaver-heavy social media presence" - can we say anything about that.
  • How did you decide which critics of 100+ to include, and which to exclude? I'm kinda surprised there is nothing in the way of critique included, but perhaps all reviews are unanimously positive.

Interesting article, that's a first round of comments. I'll probably have another. I have the general impression that trying to organize things a bit more chronologically (in production section) and thematically (when you talk about influences) would help a good deal. Eddie891 Talk Work 10:45, 18 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your comments. I will get around to them today after I finish up my round of work for Wikipedia:The World Destubathon. Jon698 (talk) 12:54, 18 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I have gone through a bunch of your comments and will try to finish up more of them soon. I am just a bit busy with the World Destubathon. @Eddie891: Jon698 (talk) 05:52, 22 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
No rush, I am traveling today anyways. Eddie891 Talk Work 07:49, 23 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
BTW to answer your last comment. There have been some negative reviews of the film, but none of them came from big sources or people with Wikipedia pages. Jon698 (talk) 04:17, 1 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]


Coordinator note

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This has been open for four weeks and has yet to pick up a support. Unless it attracts considerable movement towards a consensus to promote over the next two or three days I am afraid that it is liable to be archived. Gog the Mild (talk) 20:59, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, but this has thoroughly stalled and so I am archiving it. Gog the Mild (talk) 19:40, 15 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.
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