Violence to Animals in Film

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.

Hard Soap, Hard Soap

Hard Soap, Hard Soap. Bob Chinn, 1977

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Edition screened: Included on Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #304, Hard Soap, Hard Soap/Disco Lady, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 76 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals. 3.5/5❤

Hard Ticket to Hawaii

Hard Ticket to Hawaii. Andy Sidaris, 1987.

😿

Edition screened: Included on Mill Creek 3-DVD set Girls, Guns and G-Strings: The Andy Sidaris Collection, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 96 minutes.

Summary: A very phony snake is killed.

A “contaminated snake” gets a lot of attention and screen time in Hard Ticket, despite its arbitrary significance in the plot. Identified at one point as a boa, this large fake snake allegedly was contaminated (the script leans heavily upon this word) by proximity to cancerous rats. That apparently is something that can happen. This causes the contaminated snake to turn a mottled grey and black pattern and become gross and bloated looking, resembling a Scottish sausage with a constantly gaping mouth full of fangs. The contamination also brings a psychological change in the snake, causing it to violently lunge at the face of anyone it sees. A person thus attacked then shrivels into a hacked-up mess within a few hours. There is so much I don’t know about biology and natural history.

1) Flushing a toilet causes the contaminated snake to explode up from the toilet bowl, and of course it pursues the alarmed woman. But she has a pistol and shoots the snake twice - in the mouth - which does not even phase the contaminated snake, 1:27:04.

2) Fortunately, someone enters with an enormous quadruple-barreled bazooka and shoots the contaminated snake’s head off, 1:27:33.

3) The contaminated snake’s headless body quivers on the floor through 1:27:41.

Hell Riders

Hell Riders. James Bryan, 1984.

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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #VSA05, released 2020. English language. Runtime approximately 88 minutes.

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

The Hills Have Eyes Part II

The Hills Have Eyes Part II. Wes Craven, 1984.

😿

Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

Summary: Brief images of dead animals.

Details:

1) Unclear depiction of a dog-like animal hanging by its feet, 57:25-57:35.

2) An even more unclear depiction of a deer-like animal hanging, 1:17:46-1:17:56.

Hitch Hike to Hell

Hitch Hike to Hell. Irvin Berwick, 1977.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

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

Hitch-Hike (Campanile)

Hitch-Hike (Autostop rosso sangue). Pasquale Festa Campanile, 1977.

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Edition screened: Raro Blu-ray, released 2016. Italian language with English subtitles or dub. Runtime approximately 104 minutes.

Summary: Deer shot.

Details: Stock footage of a deer being shot followed by brief image of a dead deer in the back of a vehicle, 2:45-2:50.

Gottlieb Astro in the truck stop during the biker encounter, around the 90-minute mark.

Hollywood Horror House

Hollywood Horror House (Savage Intruder). Donald Wolfe, 1973.

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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #309, released 2020. English language. Runtime approximately 91 minutes.

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

The Holy Girl

The Holy Girl (La niña santa). Lucretia Martel, 2005.

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Edition screened: HBO DVD, released 2005. Spanish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 104 minutes.

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

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Francis Lawrence, 2013.

😿 😿

Edition screened: Included in Lionsgate Blu-ray set The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 146 minutes.

Summary: Survival violence.

Details:

1) A dead rabbit is removed from a snare, 1:47-1:52.

2) A pack of enraged baboons attacks at 1:42:10, with numerous of the attackers slain through 1:44:40.

The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection

The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection. Gary Ross and Francis Lawrence, 2012-2015.

😿😿

Edition screened: Lionsgate Blu-ray set, released 2016. English language. Cumulative runtime of feature films approximately 548 minutes.

Summary: Quick but predictable depictions of animals killed in a survivalist setting.

The Lionsgate package includes each film on a separate Blu-ray disc plus two disks of bonus material. Click on individual titles for details.

The Hunger Games (2012 Gary Ross)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013 Francis Lawrence)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014 Francis Lawrence)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015 Francis Lawrence)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Francis Lawrence, 2014.

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Edition screened: Included in Lionsgate Blu-ray set The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 126 minutes.

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

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Francis Lawrence, 2015.

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Edition screened: Included in Lionsgate Blu-ray set The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 137 minutes.

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

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games. Gary Ross, 2012.

😿😿

Edition screened: Included in Lionsgate Blu-ray set The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 142 minutes.

Summary: Killing of woodland animals

Details:

1) Quick depiction of a grouse-like bird shot in flight, 5:34-5:36.

2) Very quick image of a salamander impaled by two knives thrown recreationally, 1:22:58.

The Hunger: Wetwork

The Hunger: Wetwork . Various directors, 1998-2000.

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Edition screened: York DVD , released 2004. English language. Runtime approximately 107 minutes.

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

Four made-for-cable “erotic thrillers,” each about 27 minutes long and completely uninteresting.

The Face of Helen Bournouw, directed by Richard Ciupka

The Other Woman, directed by George Mikalka

Triangle in Steel, directed by Adrian Moat

The Falling Man, directed by Daniel Grou

I Saw the Devil

I Saw the Devil (Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da). Kim Jee-woon, 2010.

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Edition screened: Magnet Blu-ray, released 2011. Korean language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 142 minutes.

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

Imitation of Life (Sirk)

Imitation of Life. Douglas Sirk, 1959.

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Edition screened: Included in Universal Imitation of Life 2-Movie Collection, released 2015. English language. Runtime approximately 125 minutes.

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

Imitation of Life (Stahl)

Imitation of Life. John M. Stahl, 1934.

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Edition screened: Included in Universal Imitation of Life 2-Movie Collection, released 2015. English language. Runtime approximately 111 minutes.

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

The Immortalizer

The Immortalizer. Joel Bender, 1989.

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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #318, released 2020. English language. Runtime approximately 96 minutes.

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

In the Aftermath

In the Aftermath. Carl Colpaert, 1988.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 85 minutes.

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

The Inland Sea

The Inland Sea. Lucille Carra, 1991.

😿😿

Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #988, released date. English language narration with atmospheric Japanese; English subtitles throughout. Runtime approximately 57 minutes.

Summary: Fish hacking

Details: Live fish are hacked up in a market, 47:40-48:10.

Interferenz

Interferenz. Lukas Feigelfeld, 2014.

😸

Edition screened: Included on Doppelgänger Blu-ray Hagazussa, released 2019. German language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 48 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Interviews with Welshmen

Interviews with Welshmen. Kent Smith, 1982.

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Edition screened: Included on Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #282 Taking Tiger Mountain, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 16 minutes.

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

Invisible Ghost

Invisible Ghost. Joseph H. Lewis, 1941.

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Edition screened: Kino Lorber Blu-ray, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 64 minutes.

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

This is a trite and tiresome film.

Jean de Florette

Jean de Florette. Claude Berri, 1986.

😿😿

Edition screened: Included in Shout! Factory Blu-ray set Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring, released 2015. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 121 minutes.

Summary: Dead birds and rabbits.

Details:

1) A dead thrush is found in a snare, 1:09:42-1:09:48

2) Many rabbits have died of thirst and lie on the ground of their pen, 1:36:03 - 1:36:11.

The Jerk

The Jerk. Carl Reiner, 1979.

😿😿

Edition screened: Universal “26th Anniversary Edition” DVD, released 2005. English language. Runtime approximately 94 minutes.

Summary: Depiction of kittens being injured

Details: A black-and-white film of “kitten juggling” mimics cock fighting, 1:12:50-1:13:30. First, three real kittens are picked up by the juggler. After a cutaway to Steve Martin’s horrified face, we return to what are obviously little stuffed kittens being juggled in such a way that they probably would be killed if they were real.

Are these kittens real? No. Have countless teenage assholes re-enacted this scene with real kittens? Absolutely. Did those kittens have their spines broken and their necks snapped and die horrible deaths while jackasses laughed? Yes. Stop this crap in movies.

John Wick: Chapter 2

John Wick: Chapter 2. Chad Stahelski, 2017.

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Edition screened: Lionsgate Blu-ray, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 122 minutes.

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

Journey Through Setomaa

Journey Through Setomaa (Retk läbi Setumaa). Johannes Pääsuke, 1913.

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Edition screened: Included Oscilloscope DVD November, released 2018. No audio track. Runtime approximately 7 minutes.

A beautiful documentary of early 20th-century Estonian life, and influential to Rainer’s November (2018).

Just for the Hell of It

Just for the Hell of It. Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1968.

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Edition screened: Included with She-Devils on Wheels in the Arrow box set The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 81 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Justine: A Matter of Innocence

Justine: A Matter of Innocence. Roberta Findlay (as Robert R. Walters) and Cecil Howard, 1980.

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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #303, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 84 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals. 2/5❤

Kaos

Kaos. Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, 1984.

😿 😿 😿

Edition screened: Included in the Cohen Blu-ray set The Taviani Brothers Collection, released 2016. Sardinian and Italian languages with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 196 minutes.

Summary: General animal abuse, often for nostalgic laughs.

Details:

1) The film opens with a long scene of creepy mistreatment of a large crow, 0:49-2:48. Like scenes in Padre Padrone, implied sexuality is more uncomfortable than actually violent. The worst part in this sequence involves the crow suspended by his feet by one buffoon while the other buffoons throw eggs at it and ridicule its masculinity.

2) A woman is pinned inside her house by a snarling dog, so distracts it by throwing a kitten on the dog’s head, 55:10-55:16. Immediately afterwards we hear predictable growls and hissing but see no resolution. The implied violence of the scene is upsetting.

3) Depiction of a military horse lying on her side with a broken leg, then shot off screen 2:26:02-2:26:54.

The Killer Is One of 13

The Killer Is One of 13 (El asesino está entre los trece). Javier Aguirre, 1973.

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Edition screened: Included in Vinegar Syndrome box set #314 Forgotten Gialli Volume 1, released 2020. Spanish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 95 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Killer Nun

Killer Nun (Suor omicidi). Giulio Berruti, 1979.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2019. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 88 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Lessons of Darkness

Lessons of Darkness (Lektionen in Finsternis). Werner Herzog, 1992.

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Edition screened: Included in Shout! Factory Blu-ray box set Herzog: The Collection, released 2014. German language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 50 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals, despite brutal environmental destruction and the implicit annihilation of animal and plant life.

Let My Puppets Come

Let My Puppets Come. Gerard Damiano, 1976.

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Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #290, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 76 minutes.

Summary: No animals or references to animals in the film. 0/5❤

Little Dieter Needs to Fly

Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Werner Herzog, 1997.

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Edition screened: Included in Shout! Factory Blu-ray box set Herzog: The Collection, released 2014. German language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 74 minutes.

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

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Bi Gan)

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Di Qiu Zui Hou De Ye Wan). Bi Gan, 2018.

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Edition screened: Kino Lorber Blu-ray, released 2019. Manarin language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 140 minutes.

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

The Love Garden

The Love Garden. Mark Haggard, 1971.

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Edition screened: Included on Vinegar Syndrome DVD #006 Drive-In Collection: The Suckers/The Love Garden, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 73 minutes.

Summary: No animals or references to animals in the film. 1.5/5❤

Lust in the Dust

Lust in the Dust. Paul Bartel, 1985.

😿

Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #278, released 2019. English language. Runtime approximately 85 minutes.

Summary: Comedic portrayal of shooting a hawk.

Details: Stock image of a flying hawk, followed by Tab Hunter shooting into the sky and a stuffed hawk falling to the ground, 5:22-5:30. Obviously canned and nothing gory here, but pointless murdering of birds is not funny.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. Paul Schrader, 1985.

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Edition screened: Criterion DVD #432, released 2008. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 120 minutes.

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

mother!

mother! Darren Aronofsky, 2017.

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Edition screened: Paramount Blu-ray, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 121 minutes.

Summary: Early in the film a deer fly dies the usual death on a windowsill. Other than that, there are no animals or references to animals in the film.

The Night of the Strangler

The Night of the Strangler. Joy N. Houck, Jr., 1972.

😿 😿

Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome DVD #082, released 2015; also included on AGFA Blood-A-Rama Triple Frightmare Blu-ray, released 2021 English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.

Summary: A snake is beaten to death with an umbrella, 42:41-42:55.