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.

H titles




click Title for details Animal Violence Immaculate Corpse
Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse Substantial The expansive middle
Haiku Tunnel Clean The expansive middle
La Haine Clean The elusive top
The Hairdresser's Husband Clean The expansive middle
Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King Clean The expansive middle
The Hall of Lost Footsteps Clean The expansive middle
The Hallelujah Handshake CleanThe expansive middle
Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind Minimal The expansive middle
Hammer Horror: 8-Film Collection Substantial The expansive middle
The Hand (from Eros) Clean The expansive middle
Hände [Hands: The Life and Loves of the Gentler Sex] Clean The expansive middle
Handicapped Future Clean The expansive middle
The Handmaiden Clean The elusive top
Hanfat Asar Clean The expansive middle
The Hang Up Clean The expansive middle
Hangs Upon Nothing Clean The expansive middle
Hannah and Her Sisters Clean The expansive middle
Hannibal Minimal The expansive middle (yawn)
Happily Ever After Clean The expansive middle
Happiness (Medvedkin) Clean The expansive middle
The Happiness of the Katakuris Minimal The expansive middle
Happy Anniversary Clean The expansive middle
Happy End Substantial The expansive middle
Happy Toy Clean The expansive middle
Hard Candy Clean The expansive middle
A Hard Day’s Night Clean The elusive top
Hard Hunted Clean The expansive middle
Hard Soap, Hard Soap Clean The expansive middle
Hard Ticket to Hawaii Minimal The expansive middle contaminated snake
Hard To Be a God Minimal The elusive top captivating
Harlot Clean The expansive middle
Harold and Maude Clean The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Minimal The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 Substantial The elusive top
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 Minimal The elusive top
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Substantial The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Minimal The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Minimal The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Minimal The expansive middle
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Minimal The expansive middle
The Hateful Eight Clean The expansive middle
The Hatred Minimal The expansive middle not watching movies
The Haunted Castle Clean The expansive middle
The Haunted Curiosity Shop Clean The expansive middle
The Haunted Strangler Clean The expansive middle
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Clean The expansive middle
The Haunting in Connecticut Clean The expansive middle
Have a Good Funeral, My Friend … Sartana Will Pay Clean The expansive middle
Have You Seen 'Drum' Recently? Clean The expansive middle
The Hawks and the Sparrows Minimal The expansive middle
Häxan Minimal The expansive middle objet d'Spencer's
Hazel Green & Company Clean The expansive middle
He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection Substantial The expansive middle
The Headless Woman Minimal The elusive top
The Hearse Clean The expansive middle
Heart Beat Fresco Clean The expansive middle
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Clean The expansive middle
The Heart of Britain Clean The expansive middle
Heart of Glass Clean The elusive top
The Heartbreak Kid Clean The expansive middle
Heartless Clean The expansive middle
Hearts and Arrows Clean The expansive middle
Hearts of Age Clean The expansive middle
Heaven Clean The expansive middle
Heaven’s Gate Substantial The expansive middle
Heavy Traffic Clean The expansive middle
The Heisters Clean The expansive middle
Hell (Tanovic) Clean The expansive middle
Hell Behind Bars Clean The smeary bottom
Hell High Minimal The smeary bottom
Hell on Earth Clean The expansive middle
Hell Riders Clean The expansive middle
Hellbent Clean The expansive middle
Hellbound: Hellraiser II Minimal The expansive middle
Hellish Flesh Minimal The smeary bottom
Hellraiser Heavy The expansive middle
Hellraiser: The Scarlet Box Heavy The expansive middle
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Clean The expansive middle
Help Wanted Female Clean The expansive middle
Henri-Goerge Clouzot’s Inferno Clean The elusive top
Henry Clean The expansive middle
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Clean The expansive middle
Her Clean The expansive middle
Her Last Fling Clean The expansive middle
Her Name Was Lisa Clean The expansive middle
Her Odd Tastes Clean The expansive middle
Her Wicked Ways Clean The expansive middle
Here Comes the Bride Clean The expansive middle
Here I Am Clean The expansive middle
Here Is Your Life Clean The elusive top
Hereditary Substantial The expansive middle
The Hero Clean The elusive top
Hero on the Scaffolding Clean The expansive middle
Heroes of the East Clean The expansive middle
Heroic Purgatory Clean The expansive middle
The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast Minimal The expansive middle
Herzog: The Collection Substantial The elusive top
Hi, Mom! Clean The expansive middle
Hidden (Caché) Heavy The expansive middle
The Hidden Fortress Clean The expansive middle
Hideout in the Sun Clean The expansive middle
High and Dizzy Clean The expansive middle
High and Low Clean The expansive middle
High Art Substantial The expansive middle
High Life Substantial The expansive middle
High School Fantasies MinimalThe smeary bottom
High Tension (Switchblade Romance) Substantial The expansive middle
The Highwater Trilogy Clean The expansive middle
Highway Racer Clean The expansive middle
A Hijacking Substantial The expansive middle
The Hills Have Eyes (Aja) Heavy The expansive middle
The Hills Have Eyes (Craven) Heavy The expansive middle
The Hills Have Eyes Part II (Craven) Minimal The expansive middle
Hindle Wakes Clean The expansive middle
Hip, Hot and 21 Clean The expansive middle
Hippy Porn Heavy The smeary bottom
Hired to Kill Clean The smeary bottom
Hiroshima Death Match Minimal The expansive middle
Hiroshima mon amour Clean The elusive top
His Girl Friday Clean The expansive middle
His Last Request Clean The expansive middle
His Royal Slyness Minimal The expansive middle
His Trust Clean The expansive middle
His Trust Fulfilled Clean The expansive middle
The History of the Arkanar Massacre Clean The expansive middle
History Is Made at Night Clean The expansive middle
Hitch Hike to Hell Clean The expansive middle
Hitch-Hike (Campanile) Minimal The expansive middle
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Minimal The expansive middle
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Substantial The expansive middle
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Minimal The expansive middle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Minimal The expansive middle
Hobgoblins Clean The smeary bottom
Hobson's Choice Clean The expansive middle
Hoist Clean The expansive middle
Hokusai Clean The expansive middle
Hole in the Soul Minimal The expansive middle
A Holiday Pageant at Home Clean The expansive middle
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey Substantial The elusive top
Hollywood Ending Clean The expansive middle
Hollywood Handicap Clean The expansive middle
Hollywood Horror House Clean The expansive middle
Holmes & Watson Minimal The smeary bottom
The Holy Girl Clean The expansive middle
Holy Motors Clean The elusive top
The Holy Mountain (Franck) Clean The elusive top
The Holy Mountain (Jodorowsky) Extreme The expansive middle Edward Hopper
Home, James: James Maon Turns Again to Heddersfield Clean The expansive middle
The Home-Made Car Clean The expansive middle
The Homecoming Clean The expansive middle
Homer, the Late Comer Clean The expansive middle
Homework Clean The expansive middle
The Honeymoon Killers Clean The expansive middle
The Hoodlum Minimal The elusive top
The Hooked Generation Clean The expansive middle
Hoop Dreams Clean The expansive middle
Horns Clean The expansive middle
Horror Express Clean The expansive middle
Horror Heaven Clean The expansive middle mediation of failure
Horror House on Highway 5 Minimal The expansive middle
Horrors of Malformed Men Substantial The expansive middle
Hospital (Kieslowski) Clean The expansive middle
Hospitals Don't Burn Down Clean The expansive middle
The Host Clean The expansive middle
Hostel Clean The expansive middle
Hostel Part II Clean The expansive middle
Hot Blooded Woman Clean The expansive middle
Hot Flashes Clean The smeary bottom
Hot Fuzz Clean The expansive middle
Hot Honey Clean The expansive middle
Hot Legs Clean The expansive middle
Hot Love Clean The expansive middle
Hot Lunch Clean The expansive middle
A Hot Night at the Go Go Lounge! Clean The expansive middle
Hot Pepper Clean The expansive middle
Hot Thrills and Warm Chills Clean The expansive middle
Hot & Saucy Pizza Girls Clean The expansive middle
Hotel (Figgis) Clean The expansive middle
Hôtel des invalides Clean The expansive middle
Hôtel du Nord Minimal The elusive top
Hotel Magnezit Clean The expansive middle
Hôtel Monterey Clean The expansive middle
Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie Clean The expansive middle
H.O.T.S. Clean The expansive middle
Hotter Than Hell Clean The smeary bottom
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Lanfield) Substantial The expansive middle
Hour of the Wolf Clean The elusive top
The Hourglass Sanatorium Clean The elusive top
House (Borowczyk & Lenica) Clean The expansive middle mush-mouthed
House (Miner) Clean The expansive middle
House II: The Second Story Clean The smeary bottom
House Call Clean The expansive middle
House of 1000 Corpses Clean The expansive middle nice guys
House of Cruel Dolls Clean The expansive middle
House of De Sade Clean The expansive middle
The House of Fear Clean The expansive middle
House of Flying Daggers Clean The expansive middle
House of Games Clean The expansive middle
House of Mirth Clean The expansive middle
House of Pleasures Clean The expansive middle
House of the Dead (Alien Zone) Clean The expansive middle
The House of the Devil Clean The expansive middle
House of the Living Dead Heavy The smeary bottom
The House on Tombstone Hill Clean The smeary bottom
The House That Jack Built Heavy The expansive middle
The House with Closed Shutters Clean The expansive middle
Houseboat Horror Clean The expansive middle
The Housemaid (Im) Clean The expansive middle
The Housemaid (Kim) Heavy The expansive middle
How Much Do You Love Me? Clean The expansive middle
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck Clean The expansive middle
How To Be Loved Clean The expansive middle
How To Make a Doll Clean The expansive middle
How Wang-Fô Was Saved Clean The expansive middle
Howard's End Clean The expansive middle
Howl Clean The expansive middle
Hua yand de nian hua Clean The expansive middle
Hugh Clean The expansive middle
Hugo Pool Clean The expansive middle
Huie’s Sermon Clean The expansive middle
Humain, trop humain Clean The expansive middle
The Human Centipede [First Sequence] Clean The expansive middle
The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence] Substantial The smeary bottom
The Human Condition Heavy The expansive middle
The Human Tornado Clean The smeary bottom
Human Voice Clean The expansive middle
L'humanité Clean The expansive middle
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Dieterle) Clean The expansive middle
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Substantial The expansive middle
The Hunger Games: Complete 4-Film Collection Substantial The expansive middle
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Clean The expansive middle
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Clean The expansive middle
The Hunger Games Substantial The expansive middle
The Hunger: Wetwork Clean The smeary bottom
The Hunt Substantial The expansive middle
The Hunt for Red October Clean The expansive middle
Husbands and Wives Clean The expansive middle
The Hurricane Substantial The expansive middle
Hurricane Kalatozov Clean The expansive middle
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