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.

F titles



click Title for details Animal Violence Immaculate Corpse
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (Zeman) Clean The expansive middle
The Face (Studzinski) Clean The expansive middle
The Face of Another Minimal The expansive middle
The Face of Britain Clean The expansive middle
Faces Clean The expansive middle
Faces of Harlow Clean The expansive middle
Factory Clean The expansive middle
Factotum Clean The expansive middle
Fade to Black (Zimmerman) Clean The expansive middle
Fairy Tales (Hurwitz) Clean The expansive middle
Faithless Clean The expansive middle
Fake Fruit Factory Clean The expansive middle
The Fall: Season 1 Clean The expansive middle
The Fall of the House of Usher (Corman) Clean The expansive middle
The Fall of the House of Usher (Harrington) Clean The expansive middle
The Fallen Idol Substantial The expansive middle
Fame Whore CleanThe expansive middle
Family Camp Clean The smeary bottom
The Family Man Clean The expansive middle
Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America Clean The expansive middle
Family Star Clean The expansive middle
Fando y Lis Substantial The expansive middle
Fanny Clean The expansive middle
Fanny and Alexander: American Theatrical Version Clean The elusive top
Fanny and Alexander: Swedish Television Version Clean The elusive top
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Clean The expansive middle
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Minimal The expansive middle
Fantastic Mr. Dahl  Clean The expansive middle
Fantastic Mr. Fox Substantial The expansive middle
Fantastic Planet Minimal The expansive middle
Fantômas Substantial The expansive middle
The Far Country Minimal The expansive middle
Farewell Minimal The expansive middle
Fargo  Clean The expansive middle
Fårö Document Heavy The expansive middle
Fårö Document 1979 Heavy The expansive middle
The Fast and the Furious Clean The expansive middle
Fast Cars Fast Women Clean The expansive middle
The Fat and the Lean Minimal The expansive middle
Fat Girl Clean The expansive middle
Fata Morgana Substantial The expansive middle
The Fatal Glass of Beer Clean The expansive middle
Faust (Murnau) Clean The expansive middle
Faust (Svankmajer) Clean The expansive middle
Fay Grim Clean The expansive middle
Fear and Desire Clean The expansive middle
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Minimal The expansive middle
Fear of Fear Clean The expansive middle
Feast of Flesh Clean The expansive middle
Feeling Good Clean The expansive middle
Feeling Minnesota Clean The expansive middle
Felicia's Journey Clean The expansive middle
Fellini's Circus Clean The expansive middle
The Female (Seventy Times Seven) Clean The expansive middle
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion Substantial The expansive middle
Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection Substantial The expansive middle
Female Trouble Minimal The expansive middle
Femalien Clean The expansive middle
Femalien 2: The Search for Kara Clean The expansive middle
Femme Fatale Clean The expansive middle
Une femme mariée Clean The expansive middle
La Femme Nikita Clean The expansive middle
La Femme-Objet Clean The expansive middle
La Femme publique Clean The expansive middle
Festival: Folk Music at Newport, 1963-1966 Clean The expansive middle
Les Fiancés du pont Mac Donald  Clean The expansive middle
A Field in England Clean The elusive top
The Fifth Element Clean The expansive middle
Fight Club Clean The expansive middle
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight Clean The expansive middle
A Film Like Any Other Clean The expansive middle
Film No. 3: Interwoven Clean The expansive middle
The Film of Her Substantial The expansive middle
The Film That Never Was Clean The expansive middle
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman Clean The expansive middle
A Film Unfinished Minimal The expansive middle
The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky Extreme The expansive middle
The Films of Doris Wishman: The Daylight Years Clean The expansive middle
The Films of Lionel Rogosin, Volume 1 Clean The expansive middle
The Films of Lionel Rogosin, Volume 2 Clean The expansive middle
The Films of Don Davis Clean The expansive middle
La Fin de notre amour Clean The expansive middle
Final Episode (Battles Without Honor . . .) Clean The expansive middle
Finis terrae Clean The elusive top
Firefly: The Complete Series Clean The elusive top
Fireman of the Folies-Bergère Clean The expansive middle
The Fireman’s Ball Clean The elusive top
Fires Were Started Clean The expansive middle
Fireworks Clean The expansive middle
The Firm: Director’s Cut (Clarke) CleanThe expansive middle
The Firm: Broadcast Version (Clarke) CleanThe expansive middle
The First Films of Akira Kurosawa (Eclipse 23) Clean The expansive middle
First Love Clean The expansive middle
The First Man Clean The expansive middle
First Man Into Space Minimal The expansive middle
The First Time Clean The expansive middle
A Fish Called Wanda Heavy The smeary bottom
Fish Tank Substantial The expansive middle
The Fisher King Clean The expansive middle
Fishing with John Substantial The expansive middle
Fist of Fury CleanThe expansive middle
Fit To Kill Clean The expansive middle
Fitzcarraldo Substantial The elusive top
FitzPatrick Traveltalks: Volume 1 Minimal The expansive middle
Five Deadly Venoms Clean The expansive middle
Five Dolls for an August Moon Clean The expansive middle
Five-Minute Films Clean The expansive middle
The Five Obstructions Clean The expansive middle
Five Shaolin Masters Minimal The expansive middle
Five Superfighters Clean The expansive middle
The Fjällbacka Murders Clean The expansive middle
Flatliners Clean The expansive middle
Fleabag: Series One & Two Clean The elusive top
Flesh and Bullets Clean The expansive middle
Flesh and Laces Clean The expansive middle
Flesh-Eating Mothers Substantial The smeary bottom
The FLESH Triple Feature Minimal The expansive middle
Fleshpot on 42nd Street Clean The expansive middle
The Flight of the Phoenix Minimal The expansive middle
The Flicker Clean The expansive middle
Flik Flak Clean The elusive top
The Flock Clean The expansive middle
The Florida Project Clean The expansive middle
Flowers in the Attic Clean The smeary bottom
The Flowers of St. Francis Minimal The expansive middle
Flying Down to Rio Clean The expansive middle The Carioca
Flying Padre Clean The expansive middle
The Fog Clean The expansive middle
Fog and Crimes (TV series) Clean The expansive middle
Fog Line Clean The expansive middle
Follow That Skirt Clean The expansive middle
A Follower for Emily (Clarke) CleanThe expansive middle
Foot and Mouth Extreme The expansive middle
Footlight Parade Clean The expansive middle
Footprints Clean The expansive middle
For All Mankind Clean The expansive middle
For Single Swingers Only Clean The expansive middle
For the First Time Clean The expansive middle
For Your Consideration Clean The expansive middle
For Your Eyes Only Minimal The expansive middle
The Forbidden Clean The expansive middle
Forbidden Games Heavy The expansive middle
The Forbidden Room Clean The elusive top
Force Majeure Clean The elusive top
Foreign Correspondent Clean The expansive middle
Forgotten Gialli Volume 1 Minimal The expansive middle
Forgotten Gialli Volume 2 Clean The expansive middle
Forgotten Silver Clean The expansive middle
Forza Bastia Clean The expansive middle
The Fountain Clean The expansive middle
Four Christmases Clean The expansive middle
The Four Elements Clean The expansive middle
The Four Feathers Clean The expansive middle
Four Letter Heaven Clean The expansive middle
Four People: A Ballad Film Clean The expansive middle Peggy Seeger
Four Times That Night Clean The expansive middle
Fox and His Friends Clean The expansive middle
Foxy Brown Clean The expansive middle
The Foy Family in 'Chips off the Old Block' Clean The expansive middle
Fragile Clean The expansive middle
Fragment of Seeing Clean The expansive middle
Frank & Eva Clean The expansive middle
Frankenhooker Minimal The expansive middle
Frankenstein Clean The expansive middle
Frankenstein Unbound Substantial The expansive middle
Frat House Clean The expansive middle
Fraternity Vacation Clean The expansive middle
Fräulein Devil Minimal The expansive middle
Fräuleins in Uniform Clean The expansive middle
Freaks Clean The expansive middle
Freddie Rich and His Orchestra Clean The expansive middle
Free Fire Clean The expansive middle
FreeDogme Clean The expansive middle
French Cancan Clean The expansive middle
The French Connection Clean The expansive middle
French Connection II Minimal The expansive middle
The French Sex Murders Clean The expansive middle
Friday the 13th Substantial The expansive middle
Friday the 13th Part 2 Substantial The expansive middle
Friends (Griffith) Clean The expansive middle
Friends with Money Clean The expansive middle
Fright Night Clean The expansive middle
Frivolous Lola Minimal The expansive middle
From a Night Porter's Point of View Clean The expansive middle
From: First Hymn to the Night - Novalis Clean The expansive middle
From First to Last Clean The expansive middle
From Russia with Love Clean The expansive middle
From the East Clean The expansive middle
From the Life of the Marionettes Clean The expansive middle
The Front Page Clean The expansive middle
The Frontier Experience Clean The expansive middle
Frontier Marshal Clean The expansive middle
Frontier of Peace Clean The expansive middle
Frontrunners Clean The expansive middle
Frost/Nixon Clean The expansive middle
Frozen (Green) Clean The expansive middle
Frozen Scream Minimal The smeary bottom
Fruit of Paradise Clean The expansive middle
Fuego Clean The expansive middle
The Fugitive (Griffith) Clean The expansive middle
Fugitive Girls Clean The smeary bottom
The Fugitive Kind Clean The expansive middle
Fultah Fisher's Boarding House Clean The expansive middle
Funeral Parade of Roses Clean The expansive middle
The Funhouse Clean The expansive middle
The Funky World of Adult Cartoons Clean The expansive middle
Funny Games (Haneke 2007) Substantial The expansive middle
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Clean The expansive middle deleted scene
The Furies (Vorkapich) Clean The expansive middle
The Further Adventures of Super Screw! Clean The smeary bottom
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