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.

L titles


click Title for details Animal Violence Immaculate Corpse
Labyrinth of Darkness Minimal The expansive middle
Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones Clean The expansive middle
Ladies Night Clean The expansive middle
Lady Chatterley Minimal The expansive middle
Lady Cocoa Clean The expansive middle
Lady Dynamite Clean The expansive middle
Lady Morgan's Vengeance Clean The expansive middle
Lady Snowblood Clean The expansive middle
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance Minimal The expansive middle
The Lady Vanishes Clean The expansive middle
Lady Vengeance Substantial The expansive middle
Lagniappe Clean The elusive top
Laila Clean The expansive middle
Lake Michigan Monster Clean The expansive middle
Lake of Dracula Minimal The expansive middle
Lake of the Dead Minimal The expansive middle
The Lamp (Polanski) Minimal The expansive middle
Land of Enchantment Clean The expansive middle
Land of Milk and Honey Clean The smeary bottom unflattering
Land of Silence and Darkness Clean The expansive middle
The Language of Shadows: FW Murnau and His Films Minimal The expansive middle
Larisa Shepitko (Eclipse 11) Minimal The expansive middle
Las Vegas Girls Clean The expansive middle
The Last Bolshevik Clean The elusive top
Last Days of the Boss Minimal The expansive middle
The Last Circus Substantial The expansive middle
The Last Island Substantial The expansive middle
Luther Clean The expansive middle
The Last Command Clean The expansive middle
The Last Drop of Water Clean The expansive middle
The Last House on Dead End Street Heavy The expansive middle
The Last House on the Left (Craven) Clean The expansive middle
The Last House on the Left (Iliadis) Clean The expansive middle
The Last Laugh Clean The expansive middle
The Last Lullaby Clean The expansive middle
The Last of England Clean The expansive middle
The Last of the Solid Gold Watches Clean The expansive middle
The Last of the Unjust Clean The expansive middle
The Last Pistolero Clean The expansive middle
The Last Theft Clean The expansive middle
The Last Train Through Harecastle Tunnel Clean The expansive middle
The Last Waltz Clean The expansive middle
Last Words Clean The expansive middle
Last Year at Marienbad Clean The elusive top
Late Autumn Clean The expansive middle
Late Spring Clean The elusive top
Latex She-Devils Clean The smeary bottom
Laura Clean The expansive middle
Laurel Canyon Clean The expansive middle
The Layout Clean The expansive middle
Leave Her to Heaven Clean The elusive top
Leaves of Grass Minimal The expansive middle
Led Zeppelin Clean The expansive middle
The Leftovers: Seasons 1 -3 Substantial The expansive middle
Legend (Helgelant) Clean The expansive middle
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Clean The expansive middle
Legong: Dance of the Virgins Minimal The expansive middle
Lemon Clean The expansive middle
Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' Clean The expansive middle
Leningrad Cowboys (Eclipse 29) Clean The expansive middle
Leningrad Cowboys Go America Clean The expansive middle
Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses Clean The smeary bottom barely vs. almost
Leptirica (The She-Butterfly) Clean The expansive middle
Léon, the Professional Clean The expansive middle
Les Blank: Always for Pleasure Extreme The expansive middle
The Lesser Evil Clean The expansive middle
A Lesson in Love Clean The expansive middle
Lessons of Darkness Clean The expansive middle
Let My Puppets Come Clean The smeary bottom
Let the Corpses Tan Clean The expansive middle
Let the Right One In Clean The expansive middle initial misstep
Lethal Ladies Collection Substantial The expansive middle
L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach Clean The smeary bottom
Let Us Prey Clean The expansive middle
Let's Get Physical Clean The expansive middle
Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées Minimal The expansive middle
Let’s Make a Dream Clean The expansive middle
Let's Talk Sex Clean The expansive middle
Letter from an Unknown Woman Clean The elusive top
Letter from Siberia Substantial The expansive middle
Letter Never Sent Minimal The expansive middle
A Letter to Three Wives Clean The elusive top
A Letter to Uncle Boonmee Clean The expansive middle
Ley Lines Minimal The expansive middle
The Libertine Clean The expansive middle
Library Report Clean The expansive middle
License to Kill Minimal The expansive middle
The Lickerish Quartet Clean The expansive middle
Liebesträume Clean The expansive middle
Life Substantial The smeary bottom
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Clean The expansive middle
The Life and Death of 9413, a Hollywood Extra Clean The expansive middle
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Clean The expansive middle
Life Is Sweet Minimal The expansive middle
Life Lessons Clean The expansive middle
Life of Brian Clean The elusive top
The Life of Oharu Clean The expansive middle
Life Without Zoe Clean The expansive middle
Lifeboat Clean The expansive middle
Lifeforce Clean The expansive middle
Light Is Calling Clean The expansive middle
A Light Snack Clean The expansive middle
Light Test (Oppenheimer) Clean The expansive middle
Light the Fuse … Sartana Is Coming Clean The expansive middle
The Lighthouse (Eggers) Substantial The elusive top
The Lighthouse (Saakyan) Clean The expansive middle
Lights Out Clean The expansive middle
Like Rabid Dogs Clean The expansive middle
Like Someone in Love Clean The expansive middle
Like the Time Is Now Clean The expansive middle
Like Water for Chocolate Minimal The expansive middle
Limbo Clean The expansive middle
Limite (Peixoto) Clean The elusive top
Linda and Abilene Clean The expansive middle
Le Lion des mogols Clean The expansive middle
The Lion Has Wings Clean The expansive middle
Le lion volatil Clean The expansive middle
Lions Love (... and Lies) Clean The expansive middle
L.I.P.S. Clean The expansive middle
Liquid Assets (Findlay) Clean The smeary bottom
Liquid Sky Clean The expansive middle
Lisa and the Devil (The House of Exorcism) Clean The expansive middle
Listen to Britain Clean The expansive middle
Listen Up Philip Clean The expansive middle
The Little Chaos Clean The expansive middle
Li'l Debbie Snackwhore of New York City Clean The expansive middle
Little Dieter Needs to Fly Clean The expansive middle
Little Genitalia Clean The expansive middle
Little Miss Muffet! Clean The expansive middle
Little Miss Sunshine Clean The expansive middle
Little Mother Clean The expansive middle
Little Showoffs Clean The expansive middle
Little Sisters Clean The expansive middle
Little Stabs at Happiness Clean The expansive middle
Little Tony Clean The expansive middle
Live and Let Die Substantial The expansive middle
The Lives of Others Clean The expansive middle
The Living Daylights Clean The expansive middle
Living in Oblivion Clean The expansive middle
The Living Skeleton Substantial The expansive middle Lassie
Loads Clean The expansive middle
The Lobster Heavy The expansive middle
Local Hero Clean The expansive middle
Locke Clean The expansive middle
The Lodger: A Story of London Fog Clean The expansive middle
Lokis: A Manuscript of Professor Wittembach Minimal The elusive top
Lola Montès Clean The expansive middle
Lolita Clean The expansive middle
London in the Raw Clean The expansive middle hair transplant
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Complete Baby Cart Series Clean The expansive middle
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Clean The expansive middle
Lonely Boy Clean The expansive middle
The Lonely Sex Clean The expansive middle
Lonesome Clean The expansive middle
The Long Day Closes Clean The expansive middle
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Bi Gan) Clean The expansive middle
The Long Good Friday Clean The expansive middle
The Long Goodbye Clean The expansive middle
The Long Voyage Home Clean The expansive middle
The Longest Day Clean The expansive middle
The Look of Silence Clean The expansive middle
Look Out Haskell, It's Real: The Making of Medium Cool Clean The expansive middle
Look Park Clean The expansive middle
Lord of the Flies Substantial The expansive middle
The Lord of the Rings (Bakshi) Clean The expansive middle
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Minimal The expansive middle
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Minimal The expansive middle
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Minimal The expansive middle
The Lords of Salem Clean The expansive middle
Lorsque le bateau de Léon M. descendit la Meuse pour la première fois Clean The expansive middle
The Lost City Clean The smeary bottom
The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis Clean The expansive middle
Lost Hearts Clean The expansive middle
Lost Highway Clean The expansive middle
Lost Horizon Clean The elusive top
Lost in America Clean The expansive middle
Lost in La Mancha Clean The expansive middle
Lost in the Stars Clean The expansive middle
Lost in Translation Clean The expansive middle
The Lost World: Jurassic Park Substantial The expansive middle
Lou Reed's Berlin Clean The expansive middle
Louie Bluie Clean The expansive middle
Louis Riel for Dinner Minimal The expansive middle
Love Camp 7 Clean The smeary bottom
Love After Death Clean The expansive middle
Love and Death Clean The expansive middle
Love Champions Clean The expansive middle
The Love Garden Clean The expansive middle
Love in the Afternoon Clean The expansive middle
Love Is Colder Than Death Clean The expansive middle
Love Meetings Clean The expansive middle
The Love Merchant Clean The expansive middle
Love on the Run Clean The expansive middle
The Love Slaves Clean The expansive middle
Love Song Clean The expansive middle
Love + Anarchism Clean The expansive middle
The Lovely Hundred Clean The expansive middle
Lovers and Other Strangers Clean The expansive middle
Lovers Lane Clean The expansive middle
Loves of a Blonde Clean The expansive middle
Loving Memory Clean The expansive middle
The Lower Depths (Kurosawa) Clean The expansive middle
The Lower Depths (Renoir) Clean The expansive middle
Lucifer Rising Clean The expansive middle
Lubitsch in Berlin: Fairy-Tales, Melodramas, and Sex Comedies Minimal The expansive middle
Lucifer’s Women Clean The expansive middle
Lucy (Besson) Minimal The expansive middle
Ludwig Clean The expansive middle
Lulu on the Bridge Clean The expansive middle
Lumière: Premonition Following an Evil Deed Clean The expansive middle
Lumière d'été Clean The expansive middle
L.U.N.C.H. Clean The expansive middle
Lunch Hour Clean The expansive middle
The Lure Clean The elusive top
Lured Clean The expansive middle
Lurkers Minimal The expansive middle
Lust in the Dust Minimal The expansive middle
Luther Clean The expansive middle
Luther the Geek Heavy The expansive middle velcro wallet
Lux Æterna Clean The elusive top
LYNCH(One) Minimal The expansive middle
LYNCH2 Clean The expansive middle
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