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.

K titles



click Title for details Animal Violence Immaculate Corpse
K Street Clean The expansive middle
Kagemusha Substantial The expansive middle
Kagerô-Z (Heat-Haze Theatre) Minimal The elusive top
Kama Sutra Rides Again Clean The expansive middle
Kaos Heavy The expansive middle
Karayiki-San, The Making of a Prostitute Clean The expansive middle
Karin’s Face Clean The expansive middle
The Karski Report Clean The expansive middle
Katzelmacher Clean The expansive middle
Keane Clean The expansive middle
Ken Jacobs Collection Vol. 1 Minimal The expansive middle
Kentucky Fried Movie Clean The expansive middle
The Key (Brass) Clean The expansive middle
Key Largo Clean The elusive top
Keyhole Clean The expansive middle
KH-4 Clean The expansive middle
Khrustalyov, My Car! Clean The expansive middle
Kick the Cock Clean The expansive middle
The Kid with the Golden Arm Clean The expansive middle
Kidnap Extortion: Robbery by Telephone Clean The expansive middle
Kill! (Okamoto) Minimal The expansive middle
Kill! [aka Outlaw: Kill!] (Ozawa) Clean The expansive middle
Kill, Baby … Kill! (Bava) Clean The expansive middle
Kill Bill Volume 1 Clean The expansive middle
Kill Bill Volume 2 Minimal The expansive middle
Kill List Heavy The expansive middle
Kill the Day Clean The expansive middle
Killer Joe Clean The expansive middle
Killer Klowns from Outer Space Clean The expansive middle
Killer Nun Clean The expansive middle
The Killer Is One of 13 Clean The expansive middle
Killer's Kiss Clean The expansive middle
The Killers (Siegel) Clean The expansive middle
The Killers (Siodmak) Clean The expansive middle
The Killers (Tarkovsky) Clean The expansive middle
Killers On Parade Heavy The expansive middle
The Killing (American TV) Minimal The expansive middle
The Killing (Forbrydelsen) Clean The expansive middle
The Killing (Kubrick) Minimal The expansive middle
Killing Eve: Seasons 1-3 Minimal The expansive middle
The Killing Kind Heavy The expansive middle
The Killing of a Sacred Deer Clean The expansive middle
Kindering Clean The expansive middle
Kinetta Clean The expansive middle You've Got Mail
King Boxer (Five Fingers of Death) Clean The expansive middle
King Creole Clean The expansive middle
King Kong (Cooper & Schoedsack) Minimal The expansive middle dinosaurs
King of Jazz Clean The expansive middle
King of New York Clean The expansive middle
King of the Hill (Soderbergh) Clean The expansive middle
The Kingdom Substantial The expansive middle
The Kingdom II Clean The expansive middle
The Kingdom Exodus Minimal The expansive middle
Kings of the Road Clean The expansive middle
Kinky Tricks Clean The expansive middle
Kino Pulveriso Clean The expansive middle
Kino Staccato Clean The expansive middle
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Minimal The expansive middle
The Kiss of Her Flesh Minimal The expansive middle
Kiss of the Vampire (Sharp) Clean The expansive middle
Kitchen Stories Clean The expansive middle
Klimt Minimal The expansive middle
Kliou the Killer Substantial The expansive middle
Klown Clean The expansive middle
The Knack … and How to Get It Clean The expansive middle
Knife in the Water CleanThe expansive middle
Knife of Ice Substantial The expansive middle
Knowing Substantial The expansive middle
Knock on Wood Clean The expansive middle
The Koker Trilogy Clean The elusive top
Kolobos Clean The expansive middle
Komola Rocket (The Orange Ship) Clean The expansive middle
Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance Clean The expansive middle
Kristy Minimal The expansive middle
Krzysztof Kieślowski: I'm So-So ... Clean The expansive middle
Kung-fu Master! Clean The elusive top
Kuroneko Clean The expansive middle
Kustom Kar Kommandos Clean The expansive middle
Kwaidan Clean The elusive top
The Kyoto Connection: Journey to Japan Clean The expansive middle
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)