"No animals were harmed during the making of this film...", NOT!

[Seantn]

This past week , on 2 seperate occasions, two horses have died during the filming of the movie "Flicka", a remake of "My Friend Flicka".

Filming was monitored by the American Humane Association.

So, how will the credits read? Usually it has the American Humane Association's logo and says "No animals were harmed during the production of this movie"...

I'm not thinking it'll say "Two horses were killed during the production of this movie."

[Joe Molotov]

According to their website:
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/P...a_film_ratings

Monitored Unacceptable
The production filmed an at-risk segment unauthorized by American Humane, resulting in injury or death of an animal.

But that would only be used if the filmmakers did something cruel or dangerous with the animals. If the animals just died of natual causes, then they'd probably just just use the "No Animals Harmed in the Making of this Movie".

It's pretty cool reading their reasons for movies they've declared Unacceptable in the past, if you're morbid like that.

Apocalypse Now was filmed in the Philippines in 1979. According to AHA’s research, a water buffalo was hacked to pieces during the making of the film, earning the film an Unacceptable rating from AHA.

[Seantn]

The animals on Flicka didn't die of natural causes...One of them got overly excited and tripped over it's leash, breaking it's neck. The other one, I'm not sure how it died, but i'm almost positive that it too wasn't natural.

[Josh H]

[Seantn]

Yep, that was probably how the second one died.

[natevines]

Why are so people so damned concerned with the safety of animals on film sets? I read somewhere that, in The Shawshank Redemption, the part where the maggot is eaten isn't real because that would've violated some stupid code. This a maggot we're talking about. A MAGGOT.

[Josh H]

Animals don't voluntarily choose to be in movies. They are being made to do it, so the least we can do is ensure they aren't harmed.

[Cygnet74]

Originally Posted by natevines

Why are so people so damned concerned with the safety of animals on film sets? I read somewhere that, in The Shawshank Redemption, the part where the maggot is eaten isn't real because that would've violated some stupid code. This a maggot we're talking about. A MAGGOT.

you mean the code of "i don't want to eat a live maggot, can we mock up a fake one please"? is that the code you're referring to?

[movielib]

Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle

Animals don't voluntarily choose to be in movies. They are being made to do it, so the least we can do is ensure they aren't harmed.

Do you think the Flicka people were not trying to not harm the animals? Shit happens.

[natevines]

Originally Posted by Cygnet74

you mean the code of "i don't want to eat a live maggot, can we mock up a fake one please"? is that the code you're referring to?

Doesn't he feed the maggot to a bird? I doubt the bird voiced such a demand...

[BigDan]

I'd like to see a disclaimer like "Many animals were harmed during the making of this movie. Most of them were delicious."

[Seantn]

"No animals were char-broiled...they were all cooked using propane and propane accessories. Especially the ones that were still alive".

[PopcornTreeCt]

I get pretty pissed when I see animals harmed in movies. Movies like Andrei Rublev where its considered "art" makes me sick.

[Mr. Salty]

Originally Posted by Seantn

The animals on Flicka didn't die of natural causes...One of them got overly excited and tripped over it's leash, breaking it's neck. The other one, I'm not sure how it died, but i'm almost positive that it too wasn't natural.

From the AHA Web site:

On Monday, April 11, 2005, a horse appearing in a low-risk scene in the film Flicka was cantering in a circle with a rider on its back. It appeared the horse took a misstep resulting in a compound fracture to one of its hind legs. The horse never fell and did not step into a hole. The horse was well trained and rehearsed for the scene.

Immediately after breaking its leg, the horse was led by the trainer to the trailer where the attending veterinarian administered medical care. It was then determined by the attending veterinarian that euthanasia was the most humane treatment for this inoperable injury. The veterinarian reported that this type of injury is rarely seen and is not preventable.

American Humane’s Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media require that all horses, including those used in the filming of Flicka, are cleared by the production company’s veterinarian and are certified to be in good health. This was the case with the horse used for this particular scene, and there was no way of predicting or preventing this injury.

Originally Posted by natevines

Why are so people so damned concerned with the safety of animals on film sets? I read somewhere that, in The Shawshank Redemption, the part where the maggot is eaten isn't real because that would've violated some stupid code. This a maggot we're talking about. A MAGGOT.

Because animals used to get injured or killed all the time during the filming of movies, especially horses, because it was easier to use things like trip wires to cause horses to fall, rather than use trained animals. Several shots in "House of Flying Daggers" were edited out of the film for release in the UK, because trip wires were used.

Most people don't enjoy seeing animals killed unecessarily for their entertainment.

[The Cow]

pretty sure kvrdave is behind this somehow, someway

[RyoHazuki]

Lars Von Trier's new film Manderlay had a donkey killed for one scene. John C. Reily quit the movie over that.

[Cygnet74]

Originally Posted by RyoHazuki

Lars Von Trier's new film Manderlay had a donkey killed for one scene. John C. Reily quit the movie over that.

just wanted to add that ultimately, Von trier decided to cut the scene.

[natevines]

Originally Posted by Mr. Salty

Most people don't enjoy seeing animals killed unecessarily for their entertainment.

Killed, no. But harmed/injured slightly? Yes, if it makes for a great scene. You mention the trips for the horses. I doubt any of them died. Limitations like this probably help filmmakers to be less hesitant in using CGI, and that bothers me.
Trip wires are one thing, Cannibal Holocaust is another (though I love the film )

[Cygnet74]

Originally Posted by natevines

Killed, no. But harmed/injured slightly? Yes, if it makes for a great scene. You mention the trips for the horses. I doubt any of them died. Limitations like this probably help filmmakers to be less hesitant in using CGI, and that bothers me.
Trip wires are one thing, Cannibal Holocaust is another (though I love the film )

not trying to insult your intelligence or powers of perception, but often times, what appears to be a real animal sustaining an injury was a faked effect. for example, the horses that rode into a wall of spears in Braveheart were life-size models and nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. and with regard to cgi, i think it's advanced enough that the horses collapsing on the battlefield in ROTK were convincing enough. harming or putting at risk a live animal is unnecessary, especially in this day and age.

[Rockmjd23]

Originally Posted by natevines

Trip wires are one thing, Cannibal Holocaust is another (though I love the film )

I'd love to see a modern disclaimer for that one. "No animals were harmed during the making of this film, except the turtle, the muskrat, the monkey, the pig, spider, and lots of other stuff too"

[Rizor]

Originally Posted by Mr. Salty

Several shots in "House of Flying Daggers" were edited out of the film for release in the UK, because trip wires were used.

Does anyone know if horses were hurt/killed during the making of House of FLying Daggers? I saw the movie last week and some of the horse stunts looked really violent.

[Breakfast with Girls]

Originally Posted by natevines

Killed, no. But harmed/injured slightly? Yes, if it makes for a great scene. You mention the trips for the horses.

Also, it's okay if the neighborhood kids torture your cat a little if it entertains them.

[Rockmjd23]

Originally Posted by Breakfast with Girls

Also, it's okay if the neighborhood kids torture your cat a little if it entertains them.

Well, that depends. If you can make a funny "owned" .gif out of it then it's okay

[natevines]

Originally Posted by Rockmjd23

Well, that depends. If you can make a funny "owned" .gif out of it then it's okay

Precisely. You guys catch on fast.

[Josh H]

Originally Posted by movielib

Do you think the Flicka people were not trying to not harm the animals? Shit happens.

I was just replying to the poster asking why we should be so concerned about the safety of animals on movie sets, not anything to do with the Flicka incident.