Tom Jones

Tom Jones. Tony Richardson, 1973.

😿😿

Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 129 minutes.

Summary: Hunting violence.

Details:

1) Comparatively mild pheasant shooting, 7:21 through 7:48, followed immediately by Tom running with a dead bird through 8:28.

2) Squire Western is shown a dead sheep, 8:54-8:59.

3) A deer huntings scene, 25:24-28:47, including pursuit by a pack of hounds, a horse spurred until his flanks bleed, the deer torn apart by the hounds, and the deer’s upper body raised in triumph.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider (Laura Croft: Tomb Raider). Simon West, 2001.

😸

Edition screened: Paramount DVD, released 2001. English language. Runtime approximately 100 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Tomorrow We Move

Tomorrow We Move (Demain on déménage). Chantal Akerman, 2004.

😸

Edition screened: Kimstim DVD, released 2005. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 110 minutes.

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

Tomorrow’s Merseysiders

Tomorrow’s Merseysiders. Eric Marquis, 1974.

😸

Edition screened: Included in the BFI 4-DVD set Shadows of Progress: Documentary Film in Post-War Britain 1951-1977, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 24 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Daily life in economically depressed Merseyside is intercut with the action of designing and printing the region’s two papers, the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo.

Too Naughty to Say No

Too Naughty to Say No. Humphry Knipe (as Victor Nye), 1984.

😸

Edition screened: Included in Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray set #201, 5 Films • 5 Years Vol 1: Golden Age Erotica, released 2018; also released in 2016 as DVD #102. English language. Runtime approximately 79 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals. 2.5/5❤

Top of the Lake

Top of the Lake. Jane Campion and Garth Davis, 2013.

😿😿

Edition screened: BBC Blu-ray, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 342 minutes.

Summary: Animal killing and mutilation, typical of asinine culture.

Matt, portrayed by Peter Mullen, is the leader of a group of Texas-style New Zealanders who ride around on motorcycles, in love with their over-compensating beards and tattoos, shooting anything that moves, and raping little girls. The show is not overloaded with animal torture but there are three or four incidents sprinkled through the six 50+ minute episodes including a dog shot point blank for no reason, juvenile desecration of  hunted animals, and similar. Pretty much the standard These Colors Don’t Run backyard family fun.

Jane Campion is a smart progressive woman, and as such usually is overtly animal-kind in her productions. Top of the Lake portrays some feminist ideals in a very unflatteringly way, combining with the scenes of violent Texan-style idiocy to show how a culture can push women to grasp at strains of alternative life; any alternative life.

Topsy-Turvy

Topsy-Turvy. Mike Leigh, 1999.

😸

Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #558, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 160 minutes.

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

Torment

Torment. Alf Sjöberg, 1944.

😸

Edition screened: Included in Criterion Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman 5-DVD set, released 2007. Swedish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 101 minutes.

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

An excellent film written by a young Bergman and directed by Sjöberg.

Tosca (Puccini/de Ana)

Tosca (Puccini). Hugo de Ana, 2006.

😸

Edition screened: Arthaus Musik Blu-ray, released 2011. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 119 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

A Touch of Class

A Touch of Class. Melvin Frank, 1973.

😸

Edition screened: Warner DVD, released 2002. English language. Runtime approximately 106 minutes.

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

The Undesirable

The Undesirable (A tolonc). Michael Curtiz as Mihály Kertész, 1915.

😸

Edition screened: Olive Blu-ray, released 2016. Scored with English intertitles, no dialogue track. Runtime approximately 65 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Valentino: The Last Emperor. Matt Tyrnauer, 2008.

😸

Edition screened: Sony DVD, released 2009. English language and Italian with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 96 minutes.

This is an immensely pleasant film; coolly directed, interesting in subject, and somewhat inspiring even to someone with little knowledge of haute couture. 

The Sony DVD also provides three shorts made during the filming of the main feature. Much better than the typical deleted scenes or extended out-takes, these are polished, well-directed vignettes that apparently just didn’t fit into the final release:

The Perfect Life: Around the World with Valentino (30:03) allows Valentino’s majordomo to show us behind-the-scenes party preparation at the Swiss, French, and New York residences.

The Last Collection (8:29) shows the 2008 collection coming to Paris.

A Red Dress (8:22) shows the development of one gown from design to final adjustments on a model.

The Valley

The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallee). Barbet Schroeder, 1972.

😿😿😿

Edition screened: BFI Blu-ray, released 2010. French and Tos Pisin (New Guinea Pidgin) languages with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 105 minutes.

Summary: Pig butchering

Details:

1) We hear a gunshot, followed by mournful handling of a dead exotic bird during dialogue, 1:02:46-1:03:35.

2) We see several pigs clubbed to death, 1:20:18-1:21:04, then a brief scene of their carcasses being scraped of hair, 1: 21:45-1:21:55.

The killing of the pigs cannot be overlooked. The gentle intelligent animals squeal in pain and try to flee for their lives. 

However.  The scene is over comparatively quickly and is part of an important tribal celebration in which the animals are eaten with respect and purpose. This contrasts sharply with the longer, gratuitously graphic scenes of animal murder and mutilation in several Les Blank films celebrating American rural life. Blank showcases asinine rural buffoons mutilating animals, beer in hand, for the entertainment of their cackling wives and mutant-looking children. That, of course, is presented as adorable folk culture from better times in a better ’murika.

The Valley is a gorgeous, spiritual film, and viewing is recommended. If you like, simply fast-forward to around 1:22 as soon as the pigs are brought onscreen. Also note that the beautiful green snake encountered around 46 minutes into the film is not abused in any way.

The BFI dual-format release also includes three short documentaries of life among the New Guinea tribe. These films are longer versions of scenes in The Valley:

Le Cochon aux patates (Pork with sweet potatoes), approximately 8 minutes.😿😿😿

Marquillages (Make-up), approximately 12 minutes.😸

Sing Sing (Singing), approximately 5 minutes.😸

Woodenhead

Woodenhead. Florian Habicht, 2003.

😸

Edition screened: Olive DVD, released 2003. English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.

The Olive DVD includes generous bonus material (all free of animal violence) including:

• Hospice for Destitute Lovers music video (5 minutes)

• Circus Acts music video (4 minutes)

• Horoscope with Lutz comedy short (2 minutes)

• Libestraume 1997 short (7 minutes)

• Killer Ray in Bangkok documentary short (16 minutes)

• Featurette about the making of Woodenhead (49 minutes)

WR: Mysteries of the Organism

WR: Mysteries of the Organism (W.R.–Misterije organizma). Dušan Makavejev, 1971.

😸

Edition screened: Criterion DVD #389, released 2007. Serbo-Croatian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 85 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

The Criterion release also contains Dušan’s Hole in the Soul (1994).

Zardoz

Zardoz. John Boorman, 1973.

😸

Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2015. English language. Runtime approximately 106 minutes.

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

Trafic

Trafic. Jacques Tati, 1971.

😸

Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #439, included in Criterion’s 7-Blu-ray set The Complete Jacques Tati (#729), released 2014. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 97 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Trainspotting

Trainspotting. Danny Boyle, 1996.

😿😿

Edition screened: Lionsgate MiraMax Blu-ray, released 2011. Scots English. Runtime approximately 94 minutes.

Summary: Non-lethal shooting of a dog.

Details: A bulldog is sighted through the scope of an air rifle at 13:30 and shot in the rump at 13:40. The dog is depicted as riled to anger rather than injured.

Transformers

Transformers. Michael Bay, 2007.

😸

Edition screened: Paramount Blu-ray, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 143 minutes.

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

Transporter 2

Transporter 2. Louis Leterrier, 2005.

😸

Edition screened: 20th Century Fox Blu-ray, released 2006. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

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

Transsiberian

Transsiberian. Brad Anderson, 2008.

😸

Edition screened: First Look DVD, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 111 minutes..

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Trashy Lady

Trashy Lady. Steve Scott, 1985.

😸

Edition screened: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray #144, released 2016. English language. Runtime approximately 85 minutes..

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals. 4/5❤

Trashy Lady is superior to most films of this sort in most ways. The Vinegar Syndrome release also includes Steve Scott’s early film Coming West (1971, approximately 53 minutes), which is watchable and somewhat charming for its era.

Treibjagd in der Südsee

Treibjagd in der Südsee (Fishing Hunt in the South Sea). Werner Buhre, 1940.

😿😿

Edition screened: Included on Eureka! Masters of Cinema Blu-ray #61, Tabu, released 2013. Silent with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 12 minutes..

Summary: Hunting fish with spears.

Details: Men spear fish with long tridents, 0:10:40 through conclusion of the film.

Most of the film shows the fascinating, albeit staged, initial stages of a fish hunt in which women and children beat the water to drive fish in a particular direction, and then use nets to keep them from returning. This cohesive sequence is a mostly-unused block of film made for Murnau’s Tabu, and appears in greatly shortened form at the beginning of that feature title.

The Trip to Italy

The Trip to Italy. Michael Winterbottom, 2014.

😸

Edition screened: IFC DVD, released 2014. English language. Runtime approximately 115 minutes..

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

What a disappointment after the entertaining first film The Trip (2011). As with the second Austin Powers film, I was unsure to what degree recycling the exact same material was intended to be a hilarious part of the overall hilarity. The Trip was a well-written and funny film that also appealed to the “Oh, the scenery” crowd (say it like an old lady). Trip to Italy leaves that old lady sitting all alone. In Italy. Being provoked by that worthless kid playing the worthless character of Steve Coogan’s worthless son.

The Trip

The Trip. Michael Winterbottom, 2011.

😸

Edition screened: IFC DVD, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 112 minutes..

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Tristana

Tristana. Luis Buñuel, 1970.

😸

Edition screened: Cohen Blu-ray, released 2013. Spanish language with English subtitles and original French and English dubs. Runtime approximately 99 minutes.

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

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder. Ben Stiller, 2008.

😿😿

Edition screened: DreamWorks Blu-ray, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 120 minutes.

Summary: Depicted killing of a panda for comedic effect.

Details: Ben Stiller thinks he is being attacked by a blood-thirsty jungle beast, 58:05, and counter-attacks with a knife. After much stabbing and thrashing he sees that he has killed a harmless panda, 58:33. We later see Stiller wearing part of the panda carcass as psycho warfare costuming.

Harvey Keitel commented on the amount of bad language while we were watching this.

Tropical Malady

Tropical Malady (Sud Pralad). Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2004.

😿

Edition screened: Second Run DVD #34, released 2008. Thai language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 114 minutes.

Summary: Animals die in naturalistic contexts.

Details:

1) A domestic dog is found on the road, 20:25-20:54. He is taken to a veterinary hospital and is ok. No depiction of blood or injury.

2) A partially eaten cow carcass is found, 1:26:40-1:27:45.

3) A fish is caught by hand and killed, 1:31:12-1:31:14, then cooked and eaten.

The Second Run DVD also contains the short film Thirdworld (1997).

Le Trou

Le Trou (The Hole/The Night Watch). Jacques Becker, 1960.

😸

Edition screened: Criterion DVD #129, released 2001. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 131 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Most prison break films are common and interchangeable, but not Le Trou. The veil of cordial behavior between inmates and the false calm wrapped over the reality of prison life elicits far more tension that the usual ho-hum tough guy posturing.

Real time segments of pounding through concrete with makeshift tools are mesmerizing, and the non-professional actors perform fabulously.

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise. Ernst Lubitsch, 1932.

😸

Edition screened: Criterion DVD #170, released 2003. English language. Runtime approximately 83 minutes.

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

Twin Peaks (Television Series)

Twin Peaks (Television series). David Lynch, 1990-1992.

😿

Edition screened: Included in Paramount 10-Blu-ray box set Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery, released 2014. English language. Runtime of Season 1 approximately 336 minutes; Runtime of Season 2 approximately 1081 minutes.

Summary: Killing of a pet myna bird. 

Details:

1) We hear gunshot and follow the cast into the room containing the caged myna bird. Blood and feathers are splattered across the table and in the cage, 31:12-31:40 of Episode 6, Season 1.

2) Substantial taxidermy throughout the show, but no particular glorification of the killings or displays.

Given: Even people who like flounder feel that the last half of Season 2 flounders miserably.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. David Lynch, 1992.

😸

Edition screened: Included in Paramount 10-Blu-ray box set Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery, released 2014. English language. Runtime approximately 135 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Twister

Twister. Jan De Bont, 1996.

😿

Edition screened: Warner Blu-ray, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 113 minutes.

Summary: Animals endangered in tornadoes. 

Cows are carried far above a highway by high winds 42:20-42:36. This is played for a cheap laugh, but we don’t see the cows land in a gruesome heap because that might not be as hysterically funny.

There are other scenes of horses and dogs being endangered along with people, but we don’t see these animals killed or hurt.