Violence Towards Animals in Film

Does anyone know of a site where you can find out before you watch a movie if it shows animals being harmed? I can't tell you how many movies as of late that I have had to stop part way through because I am so upset over some stupid scene with senseless and unnecessary depictions of violence towards an animal. I know that some artsy types (like say the writers or directors) think its essential to the story or whatever... but I say balogna! I would like the choice BEFORE I rent a movie as to whether or not I want to watch such crap.

I would personally like to see it detailed on the ratings, not just as violence, but something along the lines of 'scenes showing violence towards animals'. I checked PETA, and googled but am not having much luck. Lately I've been letting hubby watch any that I think might have it in them first then he tells me if I can watch it or not, but I would like to enjoy watching a movie at the same time once in a while. The latest was Untraceable which I was actually looking forward to seeing until he screened it for me.

I have no problem watching people hurt other people on film, but it almost makes me sick to have to watch animals or children get hurt. I know some of you have said you have the same issue... so has anyone found a solution or is it time to petition to have the ratings people add another warning?

I agree with you. There should be some sort of warning. I can't remember what I saw recently, but it bugged me when in one scene the person was killed and so was their dog. I was like wth? I mean I don't need the visual of the poor dog being killed just because the human did something stupid!

I don't know where you can get warnings but here's one , it's an old movie but if you haven't seen "American psycho" with Christian Bale , don't rent it. Oh and "Butterfly Effect" too. :sad:

I agree with you that there should be some sort of warning on movies for this reason. Unfortunately, I don't think we will live to see the day. So sad. I too stop watching when something like that happens. If I can sense it's coming the movie goes off. :sad:

Oh yay I'm not the only one who has thought of this.

I usually skim the wiki page for a movie before watching it.

Omg do not ever rent some movie about people being killed over the internet.. Untraceable? I think that's what it's called. My dad put it on and in the first seen there's some cat looking at the camera and I was like "Yep they are gonna murder the kitten I'm out of here" .. and I was right.

I really do hate stuff like that... but then again we could be seen as hypocritcal that it's okay for people to be murdered in movies but not okay for animals? Either way it's still fiction for the most part I hope!

I'm not a big movie person at all though.

Try www.imdb.com go to the movie you want to see and scroll down to the bottom, there is a message board for each movie and you can post the question to other members there. Someone will definitely answer the question.

Others not to see are Fear, Signs, and Urban Legends.

I really do hate stuff like that... but then again we could be seen as hypocritcal that it's okay for people to be murdered in movies but not okay for animals? Either way it's still fiction for the most part I hope!


I think it's because, when we see a movie, we sort of figure, the person might have prevented their death, by not going somewhere, or by not doing something they did and the animal was really the innocent bystander, who would not have put up much of a fight, therefore why kill them?

If you are going to make a slasher movie, well okay, you made that choice, and the people made the choice to star in it and others to watch it. But I don't want to see an animal get it in a movie, even if it's pretend. There is nothing about it that makes sense in the movie plot. It's just blatant :frustrated:

but if you haven't seen "American psycho" with Christian Bale , don't rent it. Oh and "Butterfly Effect" too. :sad:


Omg do not ever rent some movie about people being killed over the internet.. Untraceable? I think that's what it's called. My dad put it on and in the first seen there's some cat looking at the camera and I was like "Yep they are gonna murder the kitten I'm out of here" .. and I was right.


Oh, these ones are bad eh? :sad: Tha cat at the beginning of Untraceable. :sad: Butterfly Effect - they shows that awful scene a few times!! :mad: Captivity is bad too. :sad: Oh, and the Hills Have Eyes. :eek:

the hardest one i ever saw was I Am Legend. i cried and cried and cried. my eyes are misting up even now and its been months since i watched it. although i must say, at least in that one she sorta had to die. all of the love and glory of the relationship between man and dog.

-ashley

a little article on it here-
http://pets.families.com/blog/the-dog-in-i-am-legend

Right - I am Legend....forgot that one, man, I cried too when he lost his dog...his best friend.

ACK I haven't seen I Am Legend yet.... but that was one thing I was worried about, now I'll be prepared.

For me the worst doggy death was in Fear (with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Walhberg).

Dear Kelly

The "Content Advisories" are a voted on by all 5 review boards across Canada. The 5 boards meet once a year to discuss common problems and requests; I will discuss your concern with next year's chair about adding to the agenda.
Thank you for your concern

Regards

Janet Robinson
Chair
Ontario Film Review Board

Got that back from the email I sent. Was surprised actually to hear something right away like that.

Hubby watched I Am Legend first for me and said I can't watch it. I'm happy to skip it. To me it just seems that all of these movies with the scenes where animals are killed either purposefully or accidentally, it just isn't necessary, for the plot or otherwise... just put in to upset the audience for no good reason. I think the violence towards people in films is quite enough on it's own.

I wanted to see that movie. Especially since I was curious about it because of the original two movies it was based on. But once I heard about the dog, I decided against it. I figure, well, I get the jist of it anyway so no need to see it.

I think it's a very nasty way to get some emotion out of your audience. It's enough it happens in real life, I don't want to see it in a movie that I hope will take my mind off of real life.

aww, Sam died for love in I Am Legend. :cry:

-ash

I think it's a very nasty way to get some emotion out of your audience. It's enough it happens in real life, I don't want to see it in a movie that I hope will take my mind off of real life.

EXACTLY! The whole reason I watch movies is to forget about all the crap going on in my own life, I already know far too many animals are suffering in the real world, I don't need to see it in films that I hope help me escape for a couple of hours.

Speaking of escaping... I dare you guys not to sing along to Connie and Carla! That is such a fun movie!

I just watched I Am Legend... good movie, horrible doggy death scene. Poor Willow was laying over me at the time and I was clutching her so hard, she was giving those "mommy, what's wrong" kisses. It's a very hard scene, and the movie totally loses any greatness it had after that.

Anything harming animals and children make me sick to my stomach :sad: I have trouble watching Nature programmes showing wildlife just doing what comes naturally.

:offtopic: Byrd - peeps were asking about you today. See off topic forum.

I agree... I hate seeing animals harmed. Don't see No Country for Old Men. There is a scene where everyone dies, even the dogs.

That doggy death scene in I am Legend was added for effect by the people who made the film. In the book he doesn't have that kind of relationship with the dog. It's actually a stray that has survived and he's trying to gain it's trust so he can have a companion, but the dog never comes around to his kindness.

But I agree, violence against animals in TV and movies is just unnecessary and I'm sure no one would complain if they just left that kind of crap out of the movies, it does nothing to add to the plot most times.

The CBC's Fifth Estate did a story earlier this year about cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry, I couldn't watch most of it but what I did see was surprising/sickening. Here's a link to the story http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/cruelcamera/