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.

Daimajin Triple Feature

Daimajin Triple Feature. Various directors, 1966.

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Edition screened: Mill Creek Daimajin Triple Feature 2-Blu-ray set, released 2012. Japanese language with English subtitles. Cumulative runtime approximately 230 minutes.


Summary: The first and third films have mild depictions of violence to animals. See individual titles for details.


The Mill Creek set, as well as the later Arrow set, include:


Daimajin (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1966)

Return of Daimajin (Kenji Misumi, 1966)

Wrath of Daimajin (Kazuo Mori, 1966)


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Yokai Monsters Collection

Yokai Monsters Collection. Various directors, 1968, 1969 ,2005.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray box set, released 2021. Japanese language with English subtitles. Cumulative runtime approximately 392 minutes.


Summary: Most of the feature films include some violence to animals.  See individual titles for details. 


The Arrow box set includes four feature films:

• Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968, Kimiyoshi Yasuda) 

• Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1969, Yoshiyuki Kuroda)

• Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969, Kuroda and Yasuda)

• The Great Yokai War (2005, Takashi Miike)


and four 2005 shorts by Miike, “Short Drama of Yokai” Episodes 1 & 2, and “Another Story of Kawatoro” Parts 1 & 2.


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The Whirled

The Whirled (Four Shorts of Jack Smith). Ken Jacobs, 1963.

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Edition screened: Included on Keno Lorber Blu-ray Ken Jacobs Collection Vol. 1, released 2021. English language. Runtime approximately 20 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.


The Whirled comprises four films starring Jack Smith:

• Saturday Afternoon Blood Sacrifice (1956, 4 minutes)

• Little Cobra Dance (1956, 2 minutes)

• TV Plug (1963, 7 minutes)

• The Death of P’Town (1961, 7 minutes)


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Spook Warfare

Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (Yôkai daisensô). Yoshiyuki Kuroda, 1968.

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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray box set, Yokai Monsters Collection, released 2021. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 79 minutes.


Summary: Off-screen killing of a dog.


Details: A small leashed dog barks at his master because the man is possessed by a monster. The formerly-kind man slashes down with his sword and we hear the dog howl (11:15).


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Play Motel

Play Motel. Mario Gariazzo (as Roy Garrett), 1979.

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Edition screened: Raro Blu-ray, released 2015. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 93 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.


A hotel has a special room that can be rented for perverse encounters. But unbeknown to the guests, a secret uglystick hidden behind a mirror leads to blackmail, some very unlikely detective work, and viewer regret.

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Orchard Street

Orchard Street. Ken Jacobs, 1955.

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Edition screened: Included on Keno Lorber Blu-ray Ken Jacobs Collection Vol. 1, released 2021. No dialogue track. Runtime approximately 27 minutes.


Summary: We see some hobo kitties including one little guy who is not doing well, but no depictions of violence or harm to animals.


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Mill of the Stone Women

Mill of the Stone Women (Il mulino delle donne di pietra). Giorgio Ferroni, 1960.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2021. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 96 minutes.


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


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Little Stabs at Happiness

Little Stabs at Happiness. Ken Jacobs, 1963.

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Edition screened: Included on Keno Lorber Blu-ray Ken Jacobs Collection Vol. 1, released 2021. English language. Runtime approximately 15 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.


Little Stabs at Happiness comprises four short films, all shot between 1959 and 1963, with final editing and the addition of charming music from Jacobs’ record collection in 1963:

• In the Room

• They Stopped To Think

• It Began To Drizzle

• The Spirit of Listlessness (Jack Smith)


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Jigoku

Jigoku. Nobuo Nakagawa, 1960.

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Edition screened: Criterion DVD #352, released 2006. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 101 minutes.


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


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The Innocent (Visconti)

The Innocent (L’Innocente). Luchino Visconti, 1976.

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Edition screened: Cult Films Blu-ray, released 2017. English language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 129 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

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The Great Yokai War

The Great Yokai War (Yôkai daisensô). Takashi Miike, 2005.

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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray box set, Yokai Monsters Collection, released 2021. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 124 minutes.


Summary: Physical abuse to a small, affectionate sprite.


Details:

1) A herd of kitty-bunnies wearing acrylic v-neck sweaters is netted and devoured by a tractor-dumpster mechagodzilla yokai (13:02-13:05), except for one who escapes but is stung with a whip and tumbles down concrete stairs (13:12-13:18).

2) The little kitty-bunny (the yokai who rubs your shin, we learn) is later shown bleeding honey-mustard dipping sauce as a result of his whip injury, but goes through most of the film as a key member of the Hero Team.

3) The little fellow is physically abused, 1:19:14-1:20:25, including being held in a machine’s vice grip, struck with harsh physical blows, and ultimately thrown into the vat of eternal disgust.



This disk in the Yokai Monsters Collection also includes four short films by Miike, tangentially related to the feature film and free of animal violence:


• Short Drama of Yokai, Episode 1: Whose Hotcakes Are These? (2005, 6 minutes)

• Short Drama of Yokai, Episode 2: Who's the Most Annoying? (2005, 8 minutes)

• Another Story of Kawatoro, Part 1 (2005, 7 minutes)

• Another Story of Kawatoro, Part 2 (2005, 10 minutes)


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The Girlfriend Experience

The Girlfriend Experience. Steven Soderbergh, 2009.

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Edition screened: Magnolia DVD, released 2009. English language. Runtime approximately 77 minutes.


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

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Applause

Applause. Martin Zandvliet, 2009.

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Edition screened: Kino Lorber DVD, released 2013. Danish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 83 minutes.


Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.


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Along with Ghosts

Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (Journey with Ghost Along Yokaido Road / Tôkaidô obake dôchû). Yoshiyuki Kuroda and Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1969.

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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray box set, Yokai Monsters Collection, released 2021. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 78 minutes.


Summary: Crow killed by a snake.


Details: A crow lies on the forest floor, quivering and near death, with a black snake wrapped around its body (30:42-30:44).


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100 Monsters

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (Yôkai hyaku monogatari). Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1968.

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Edition screened: Included in Arrow Blu-ray box set, Yokai Monsters Collection, released 2021. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 80 minutes.


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


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