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.

R titles



click Title for details Animal Violence Immaculate Corpse
Rabbit Hole Clean The expansive middle
The Rabbit Hunters Clean The expansive middle
The Rabbit in Australia Extreme The expansive middle
Rabbit's Moon Clean The expansive middle
Rabid Clean The expansive middle
Race with the Devil Heavy The expansive middle Tom Foolery
Rad Clean The expansive middle
Radio Days Clean The expansive middle
Raffaello Matarazzo's Runaway Melodramas (Eclipse 27) Clean The expansive middle
Rage Net Clean The expansive middle
Rage of Honor Clean The expansive middle
The Raid: Redemption Clean The expansive middle
The Raid 2: Berandal Clean The expansive middle
Railway Station Clean The expansive middle
The Rainbow Thief Minimal The smeary bottom
Rainy Dog Clean The expansive middle
A Raisin in the Sun Clean The expansive middle
Raising Arizona Clean The expansive middle
Raising Cain Clean The elusive top
The Rambling Guitarist Substantial The expansive middle
The Ramen Girl Minimal The expansive middle
Ramona Clean The expansive middle
Rapture Clean The expansive middle
Rashomon Clean The expansive middle
Ratcatcher  Substantial The expansive middle
Raw (Ducournau)  Heavy The expansive middle
Ray Gun Virus Clean The expansive middle
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan Clean The expansive middle
Ray Mayer & Edith Evans in "When East Meets West"  Clean The expansive middle
Rayday Film Clean The elusive top
Raymond Bernard (Eclipse Series 4)  Clean The expansive middle
Re-Animator Heavy The expansive middle
Re:Awakenings Clean The expansive middle
Rebecca Clean The expansive middle
Rebels of the Neon God Minimal The expansive middle
Recorded Live  Clean The expansive middle
Red Cliff: Part I & Part II Substantial The expansive middle
Red Desert Clean The elusive top
Red Mob Minimal The expansive middle
Red Pier Clean The expansive middle
Red Psalm Substantial The expansive middle
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times Clean The expansive middle
Red Riding Hood (Hardwicke) Substantial The expansive middle la LA la-LA-la-la
Red Road Clean The elusive top
Red Roses of Passion Clean The expansive middle
Red Shift Clean The elusive top
The Red Shoes Clean The expansive middle
Red Sparrow Clean The expansive middle
The Red Violin Clean The expansive middle
Redd Inc. (Inhuman Resources) Clean The expansive middle
Redemption Clean The expansive middle
Redes Minimal The expansive middle
Reflections in a Golden Eye Substantial The expansive middle
Reform School Girls Substantial The expansive middle
ReGoregitated Sacrifice Substantial The expansive middle
Release Clean The expansive middle
Remember Me Clean The expansive middle
Remembrance of Things to Come Clean The elusive top
Remorques Clean The expansive middle
Renaissance Clean The elusive top
Rendezvous (Lelouch) Clean The expansive middle
Les Rendez-vous d'Anna Clean The expansive middle
Rent-A-Girl Clean The expansive middle
Rentrée des classes Clean The expansive middle
Repo Man Clean The expansive middle
A Report on the Party and Guests Clean The expansive middle
Repulsion Minimal The elusive top
Requiem for a Dream Clean The expansive middle
Requiem for a Village Substantial The expansive middle
Requiescant Clean The expansive middle
Rescue Dawn Substantial The expansive middle
Rest in Pieces  Minimal The expansive middle
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles Clean The expansive middle
Retaliation Clean The expansive middle
Retro Christmas Classics! Clean The expansive middle
Retro Christmas Classics! Volume 2 Clean The expansive middle
The Return of Count Yorga Clean The expansive middle
Return of Daimajin Clean The expansive middle
Return of Silver Head Clean The elusive top
Return of Spïnal Tap Clean The expansive middle
Return of the Killer Tomatoes Clean The expansive middle
The Return of the Living Dead Minimal The expansive middle
Return of the Sister Street Fighter Minimal The expansive middle
Return of the War Room Clean The expansive middle
Return to Life Clean The expansive middle
Return to Reason Clean The expansive middle
Return to the 36th Chamber Clean The expansive middle
Reunion Clean The expansive middle
Revenge (Fargeat) Substantial The expansive middle
Revenge of the Ninja Clean The expansive middle pantyhose ninjutsu
La Revue des revues Clean The expansive middle
Rhinoceros Clean The expansive middle
The Ribald Tales of Canterbury Clean The expansive middle
La Ricotta Clean The expansive middle
Riddick Trilogy Clean The expansive middle
The Riddle of Lumen Clean The expansive middle
Riddles for a Candy Clean The expansive middle
Ride in the Whirlwind Clean The expansive middle
Ride the Pink Horse Clean The expansive middle
Ride with the Devil Clean The expansive middle
Rigoletto (Verdi/Deflo) Clean The expansive middle
The Ring (Verbinski) Substantial The expansive middle
The Ring Two (Nakata) Minimal The expansive middle
Ringers: Lord of the Fans Clean The expansive middle
Ringu (Nakata) Clean The expansive middle
Ringu 0: Birthday (Tsurauta) Clean The expansive middle
Ringu 2 (Nakata) Clean The expansive middle
The Rink (Chaplin) Clean The expansive middle
Rio das Mortes Clean The expansive middle
Riot in Cell Block 11 Clean The expansive middle
The Rite (Bergman) Clean The elusive top
Rites of Uranus Clean The expansive middle
Ritual in Transfigured Time Clean The expansive middle
A River Called Titas Clean The expansive middle
Road (Clarke) CleanThe expansive middle
The Road Clean The expansive middle
The Road to Eternity (The Human Condition II) Minimal The expansive middle
Road to Saint Tropez Clean The expansive middle
The Road Trilogy Clean The expansive middle
The Road Warrior Substantial The expansive middle
Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin Heavy The expansive middle
Robin and the 7 Hoods Clean The expansive middle
Robin Redbreast Clean The elusive top
Robin's Nest Clean The expansive middle
Robinson Crusoe on Mars Clean The expansive middle
RoboCop Clean The expansive middle
Rock Hudson's Home Movies Clean The expansive middle
Rock 'n' Roll High School Substantial The expansive middle
Rock Star Clean The expansive middle
The Rocking Horse Clean The expansive middle
Roger and Me Heavy The expansive middle
RoGoPaG Clean The expansive middle
Rollerball Clean The expansive middle
The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon Clean The expansive middle
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Clean The expansive middle
Roma (Cuarón) Clean The elusive top
Roma (Fellini) Minimal The expansive middle
Romance (Breillat) Clean The expansive middle
Romancing the Stone Substantial The expansive middle
Rome: Open City Substantial The expansive middle
Ronin Clean The expansive middle
The Roof Clean The expansive middle
Roof Garden Revue Directed by Larry Ceballos Clean The expansive middle
The Room Clean The expansive middle
Room at the Top Clean The elusive top
Room in Rome Clean The expansive middle
Rope Clean The expansive middle
Rosalie Clean The expansive middle
The Rose Garden Clean The expansive middle
Rosemary's Baby Clean The expansive middle
Rosetta Minimal The expansive middle
Rosie (TV pilot) Clean The smeary bottom
Rossellini's History Films (Eclipse #14) Clean The expansive middle
Roswell: The U.F.O. Cover-Up Clean The expansive middle
The Rounder (Nugent) Clean The expansive middle
Rounders (Dahl) Clean The expansive middle
Routine Pleasures Clean The expansive middle
The Roy Andersson Collection Substantial The expansive middle
The Royal Tenenbaums Clean The elusive top
Rubber Band Pistol Minimal The expansive middle
Rue de Daguerre in 2005 Clean The expansive middle
A Rumbling in the Land Clean The expansive middle
Runaway Clean The expansive middle
Runaway Nightmare Clean The expansive middle
Running Fence Clean The expansive middle
The Running Jumping & Standng Film Clean The expansive middle
Rupture Clean The expansive middle
Rushmore Clean The expansive middle
Russian Lolita Clean The expansive middle
Rust Never Sleeps Clean The expansive middle
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