In the following script...

<table width="185" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td height="55" width="185" bgcolor="#000000">
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/....cab#version=4,0,2,0" width="185" height="55" id=clock.swf>
<param name=movie value="http://images.countingdown.com/images/clock.swf?now=20020619140405&end=20020628000000&event=OPENING%20DAY&stat=3">
<param name=quality value=high>
<param name=bgcolor value=#000000><embed src="http://images.countingdown.com/images/clock.swf?now=20020619140405&end=20020628000000&event=OPENING%20DAY" quality="high" bgcolor=#000000 name="clock.swf" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/...rsion=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="185" height="55" swliveconnect="true">
</object>
</td>
<td><img src="http://images.countingdown.com/...es/movietwo/shim.gif" width="1" height="50" border="0"></td>
</tr>
</table>

Where does the object pull the time from? How does it know that "now" is "20020619140405?"

The example can be found at:
http://www.countingdown.com/movies/mrdeeds/

Is this perl related in some way?

It could be done a number of ways. Seeing as it doesn't look to be a straight html page then it is probably inserted dynamically.

How would it be inserted dynamically? How is it called?

Probably using Flash Actionscript, seeming that it is a Flash movie?

- wil

What is Flash ActionScript?

It's the scripting language used to control Flash objects. I'ts very similar in OO strucutre to Perl or even Ruby.

More information can be found at: http://www.macromedia.com/

- wil