Heads Up, Ears Down

This blog accurately identifies depictions of violence and cruelty toward animals in films. The purpose is to provide viewers with a reliable guide so that such depictions do not come as unwelcome surprises. Films will be accurately notated, providing a time cue for each incident along with a concise description of the scene and perhaps relevant context surrounding the incident. In order to serve as a useful reference tool, films having no depictions of violence to animals will be included, with an indication that there are no such scenes. This is confirmation that the films have been watched with the stated purpose in mind.


Note that the word depictions figures prominently in the objective. It is a travesty that discussions about cruelty in film usually are derailed by the largely unrelated assertion that no animals really were hurt (true only in some films, dependent upon many factors), and that all this concern is just over a simulation. Not the point, whether true or false. We do not smugly dismiss depictions of five-year-olds being raped because those scenes are only simulations. No, we are appalled that such images are even staged, and we are appropriately horrified that the notion now has been planted into the minds of the weak and cruel.


Depictions of violence or harm to animals are assessed in keeping with our dominant culture, with physical abuse, harmful neglect, and similar mistreatment serving as a base line. This blog does not address extended issues of animal welfare, and as such does not identify scenes of people eating meat or mules pulling plows. The goal is to itemize images that might cause a disturbance in a compassionate household.


These notes provide a heads-up but do not necessarily discourage watching a film because of depicted cruelty. Consuming a piece of art does not make you a supporter of the ideas presented. Your ethical self is created by your public rhetoric and your private actions, not by your willingness to sit through a filmed act of violence.

Gabbeh

Gabbeh. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1996.
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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray set The Poetic Trilogy, released 2018. Persian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 73 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to any of the nice goats who appear throughout this film.





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Galaxy Destroyer (Battle for the Lost Planet)

Galaxy Destroyer (Battle for the Lost Planet). Brett Piper, 1985.
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Edition screened: Included on Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #265 Battle for the Lost Planet/Mutant War, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 100 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Even bad reviews of this low-budget film indicate its charm and genial presentation, but I was surprised to see how very charming it was. Action sequences, plot elements, characters, and costuming all borrow heavily from the Star Wars and Mad Max sagas, with a sense of humor and irony that dials back a bit from the original Evil Dead. The most tiresome parts of the film occur early, the two sequential opening sequences on the space shuttle ride.

The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray/DVD combo also includes the 1988 sequel Mutant War.

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Ganja & Hess

Ganja & Hess. Bill Gunn, 1973.
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Edition screened: Eureka! Blu-ray, released 2015. English language. Runtime approximately 113 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.


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The Garden of Earthly Delight

The Garden of Earthly Delight. Stan Brakhage, 1981.
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Edition screened: Included in Criterion Blu-ray box set #518 By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volumes One and Two, released 2010. Silent. Runtime 1 minute, 43 seconds.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

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The Gardener

The Gardener (Bagheban). Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 2012.
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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray set The Poetic Trilogy, released 2018. English and Persian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 86 minutes..


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

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Gas Food Lodging

Gas Food Lodging. Allison Anders, 1992.
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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 101 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Paragon and Mata Hari pinball machines.

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Gator Green

Gator Green. Jim VanBebber, 2013.
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Edition screened: Included on Arrow Blu-ray Deadbeat at Dawn, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 16 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

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Gazwrx: The Films of Jeff Keen

Gazwrx: The Films of Jeff Keen. Jeff Keen, 1961-2002.
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Edition screened: BFI Blu-ray/DVD set, released 2009. Some films are silent, most are scored and/or with continual sound effects. Cumulative runtime approximately 585 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

This BFI set is a joy to own and view. Jeff Keen was a generous and witty driver, willing to take us on seemingly endless high-speed jaunts through his brain. The set includes: 

Cineblatz (1967)
White Lite (1968)
Marvo Movie (1967)
Meatdaze (1968)
Rayday Film (1968-70, and 1976)
24 Films (1972-75)
White Dust (1972)
Mad Love (1978)
Omozap (1991)
Omozap 2 (1991)
Blatzom (1983-86)
Joy Thru Film (c. 2000)
Artwar Fallout + Artwar 3 (twin-screen, 1993-95)
Artwar Loop 1 (1990s)
Artwar Loop 2 (1990s)
Wail (1960)
Breakout (1962)
Instant Cinema (1964-65, and 2007)
Flik Flak (1964-65)
Blatzomatika (1990s)
Plasticator (1990s)
Omozap in Artwar (1990-95)
Artwar (1993)

Extras
Jeff Keen Films (1983 Channel 4 documentary)
Art Flies Free (Ian Helliwell’s 3-minute portrait of Keen)
Jeff Keen Interview with William Fowler
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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Howard Hawks, 1953.
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Edition screened: 20th Century Fox Blu-ray, released 2012. English language. Runtime approximately 91 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.


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George A. Romero: Between Night and Dawn

George A. Romero: Between Night and Dawn. George A. Romero, 1971-1973.
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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray box set, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 326 minutes.

Summary: The Crazies includes one pointless rabbit murder.

The Arrow box set includes many special features and three Romero features. Click individual titles for details.

The Crazies (1973)
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Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices

Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices (Tod für fünf Stimmen). Werner Herzog, 1995.
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Edition screened: Image DVD, released 2002. German language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 59 minutes.


Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.
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A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story. David Lowery, 2017.
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Edition screened: Lionsgate Blu-ray, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 92 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
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Glass (Haanstra)

Glass (Glas). Bert Haanstra, 1958.
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Edition screened: Phoenix DVD, released 2008. Scored, no dialogue track. Runtime approximately 10 minutes.


Summary: No animals or references to animals in the film.

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Glaze of Cathexis

Glaze of Cathexis. Stan Brakhage, 1990.
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Edition screened: Included in Criterion Blu-ray box set #518 By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volumes One and Two, released 2010. Silent. Runtime 35 seconds.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

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The Globalisation Tapes

The Globalisation Tapes. Indonesian workers and Joshua Oppenheimer, 2002.
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Edition screened: Included on Second Run DVD #102 Joshua Oppenheimer: Early Works, released 2016. Indonesian with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 58 minute.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

A resounding demonstration of how western banks destroy the lives of modest Asian people. The film was made entirely by impoverished, exploited Indonesian laborers. 
















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God’s Angry Man

God’s Angry Man (Glaube und Währung - Dr. Gene Scott, Fernsehprediger). Werner Herzog, 1980.
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Edition screened: Included in BFI The Werner Herzog Collection Blu-ray box set, released 2014. English language. Runtime approximately 46 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.




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The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson, 2014.
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Edition screened: 20th Century Fox Blu-ray, released 2014. English language. Runtime approximately 100 minutes.

Summary: Depicted murder of a cat as a cheap gag.

Details: Willem Dafoe throws a Persian cat out a window at 49:55, and we see the cat splattered on the ground many stories below at 50:10.

What happened to Wes Anderson?  The first four or five films were wonderfully funny, entertaining, and well written. The last four have been tedious warmed-over messes, resorting to unoriginal animal abuse gags for laughs. Bye-bye Wes.
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Grandmother’s House

Grandmother’s House. Peter Rader, 1988.
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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #273, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.


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Grave Robbers

Grave Robbers (Dead Mate). Straw Weisman, 1988.
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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #230, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
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Great Expectations (Cuarón)

Great Expectations. Alfonso Cuarón, 1998.
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Edition screened: 20th Century Fox DVD, released 2000. English language. Runtime approximately 111 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

What a Forrest Gump.


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The Great Performance

The Great Performance. Alexander Cassini, 1983.
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Edition screened: Included on Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #214 Star Time, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 5 minutes.

Summary: No animals or references to animals in the film.

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Green Room

Green Room. Jeremy Saulnier, 2016.
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Edition screened: Lionsgate Blu-ray, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 95 minutes.

Summary: Comparatively mild violence dog battling.

Details: Pit bulls are used as attack weapons several times in the film. During one such scene, the girl who is being attacked strikes the dog a few times with a microphone stand, around 56:00. There is no depiction of the dog injured. 
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Greetings

Greetings. Brian De Palma, 1968.
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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray set De Niro & De Palma: The Early Years, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 88 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

















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The Gruesome Twosome

The Gruesome Twosome. Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1967.
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Edition screened: Blu-ray disc included in Arrow box set The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 72 minutes.

Summary: A prominent taxidermy specimen, but no particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

I presume crazy old Mrs. Pringle’s banter with her stuffed bobcat Napoleon is the popular feature of the film, but personally I preferred the swingin’ evening in the girls’ dorm room where they dance awkwardly while eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

This disc in the set also includes H.L. Gordon’s A Taste of Blood (1967)

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Gun Crazy

Gun Crazy. Joseph H. Lewis, 1949.
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Edition screened: Warner Blu-ray, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

Summary: Murder of a chick.

Details: One baby chick in the little flock clucking around a mother hen is shot with a BB gun. There is a long build-up of tension during the aiming process, and a long image of the dead chick. All of this, 3:45-4:09.

The movie’s disgusting point here is that the murderous boy learned his lesson and would never kill anything again. This complacent value displacement is too common in our culture, as though violent boys should, need to, are entitled to murder animals so they learn a lesson or get it out of their system. How about just teaching them that animal lives are precious and humans shouldn’t act like assholes?  In this case it was all a lie anyhow and he ends up plugging his lover to save a childhood friend who also was an animal-shooting boob.

That misguided pedestrian moralizing aside, this is a reasonably entertaining movie.
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Handicapped Future

Handicapped Future (Behinderte Zukunft). Werner Herzog, 1970.
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Edition screened: Included in BFI The Werner Herzog Collection Blu-ray box set, released 2014. German language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 44 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
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The Handmaiden

The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi). Park Chan-wook, 2016.
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Edition screened: Curzon/Artificial Eye ‘Extended Cut’ Blu-ray, released 2017. Korean and Japanese with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 168 minutes.


Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.
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The Hang Up

The Hang Up. John Hayes, 1970.
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Edition screened: Included in Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray set #202, 5 Films • 5 Years Vol 2: Horror and Exploitation, released 2018; also released previously as VS# 084. English language. Runtime approximately 75 minutes.

Lurid and surprisingly watchable.

























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