Cinematic References to the Liver

In honor of the Oscars, I performed an Internet Movie Database search for cinematic references to the liver. The most famous comes from Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins plays a psychopathic serial killer, Hannibal Lector who said that he ate a victim’s liver served with “some fava beans and a nice chianti.”

Here is imdb’s list of movies/shows with liver in the title:

·          The Liver Eaters aka Spider Baby (US 1968)

·          The Fast Liver aka Gokudo (Japan, 1968)

·          The Liver Birds (UK 1969; TV)

·          Bad Liver & a Broken Heart (US 1996; short)

·          I'd Rather Have Cod Liver Oil aka Dann schon lieber Lebertran (UK 1931; short)

·          Fried Liver aka Tezhvzhik (Soviet Union1962; short)

·          The Cannibal's Liver (UK 2007; short)

·          Brown's German Liver Cure (UK 1911; short)

·          Liver and Bunions aka Cured in the Excitement (US 1927; short)

·          I Am Joe's Liver (US 1984; short)

·          Liver-Colored Dew (US 2005; short)

·          Liver It Up (US 2011; short)

·          The Chopped Liver Brothers (US 1977 TV)

·          The Lightning Liver Cure (US 1920)

·          The Lobster and the Liver: The Unique World of Jim Woodring (Canada 2010; documentary)

Finally, a five-minute short video called, Liver (US 2005). The synopsis is, “Guy is looking for work, in a small town. The job he finds isn't what he expected.” It is listed as a comedy. Has anyone seen it?

I can see it now—the annual Liver Film Festival. Move over Cannes, it is time to share the spotlight. Obviously it should be hosted in Liverpool.

Insults to the Liver

On a recent Daily Show, Jon Stewart quipped that the approval rating of Congress is slightly below hepatitis C - what an insult to hepatitis C!

And while we are on the subject, can you imagine getting a phone call from an opinion pollster asking what your opinion, “On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate hepatitis C?” Compared to what? Hep A? Gonorrhea? A sharp stick in the eye? Being trapped in an elevator with an opinion pollster?

Super PAC C

At the moment I wrote this, Steven Colbert’s Super PAC has raised over a million dollars. This is insane. Do you know how much good that kind of money could do if it was invested in hepatitis C awareness, testing, counseling, or research? I think we should nominate Hepatitis C for President, start a Super PAC, and run a campaign. I can just see the ads now - “C: the Future President.”

Super Bowl

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl, a day I affectionately call the NFL Games (Never Forget Liver Games). While the Giants and Patriots are duking it out, protecting their heads, shoulders, teeth, and jock parts, note that their livers are working overtime and unprotected. In the meantime, much of America will be destroying their livers with alcohol and high fat food. After all, it is a great American pastime. I wonder if there will be any funny liver commercials.