Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat

clive

clive

Hi Guys,

I've just had a very distressing e-mail from an actor friend of mine in LA about a film showing at the Toronto Film Festival called "Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat"

It's a documentary about a famous pair of Canadian's who made a film of themselves killing someone's pet cat and then were put on trial and successfully prosecuted for animal cruelty.

There are a number of pressure groups trying to get the film banned.

So, I've got a question

Has anyone here seen the film and can they give us an objective opinion?

It seems to me that the film is bound to become the hyped film of the festival, simply on the basis that it is getting so much controversial coverage. Anyhow, I'd just like to have the facts before I start punching people at festivals. :grumpy:
 
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Haven't seen it (or heard of it, for that matter).

But man, oh man! Google has heard of it!
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11, 200 hits for the exact title name, in quotes.

Lots to read about, for sure, and it's coming from every angle.

This reminds me... I've been meaning to send the title of IndieTalk's film "To Skin A Cat" to the fine folks at PETA. Hilarity will ensue, based on title alone. :lol:
 
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I've not seen the film, nor can I give an objective opinion (because I am an animal lover). But, how can one justify killing a living creature and presenting it as a work of art? If the piece exists, then it's a document of a disgusting ACT OF VIOLENCE. IMO, if festival organizers choose to show this piece of shit then they are accessories after the fact.
 
If the piece exists, then it's a document of a disgusting ACT OF VIOLENCE. IMO, if festival organizers choose to show this piece of shit then they are accessories after the fact.
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Someone needs to read what the film is about and what it shows, methinks.
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Zensteve,

Did I not say, I didn't see the film and I can't be objective...and if it exists...? Are you TRYING pick a fight because I'm not biting.
 
I was at the TIFF for a couple days and, while I wasn't exactly "in the mix" as far as the press and such is concerned, I'll admit that the only mention I heard of this film was on Indiewire in the days leading up to the festival. I saw it on the docket while I was waiting in line for tickets to something else but no one I was in contact with mentioned it, nor did it pop up on the news while I was there (that I noticed).

Methinks this was one big publicity stunt that blew over.
 
If someone made a documentary about the trial and criminal prosecution of Jeffrey Dahmer, would that make them an accessory to murder?
 
Clive said the KILLERS made the documentary and I assume, presented it to the festival organizers. The work shows a crime, did the festival people report it or not. If they didn'report the crime then I'd say they were guilty of knowing of a crime and not reporting it, isn't that what an accessory after the fact is? Knowing of a crime after its been committed and not reporting it? In your example of Jeffrey Dahmer, I would call that filmmaker a reporter.
 
Mmmm... I believe Clive said it was "about" the killers.

Regardless, here is what the film is about from my glorious 10 minutes on Google.

1) Nasty person, with two friends, kill a cat in terrible ways... and film themselves doing it.

2) They get arrested & put on trial (One skipped town)

3) They used as the defense, that what they made was a "work of art" and not animal cruelty.

4) Found guilty. (as should be)

5) Three years later a person makes documentary about the case, (not using the cat-footage.)

6) Animal rights groups think it's the original cat-torture video itself being presented, as "work of art"

7) Hilarity ensues, and Clive starts punching people at festivals.

_______

That's what I came up with. Bless the Internet. :)
 
Zensteve,

You are right, I re-read Clive's original post and yes, it's the documentary 'about' the killers. And I guess I was #6 on your list.

I apologize (I'm becoming pretty adept at that lately), I see 'animal' and 'kill' together and i become a little irrational. I'll just shut the hell up, now. :blush:
 
I can't find my "Let's kiss & make up" smiley, but I did find this smiley which is almost as good.

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All is good in the world, with happy dancing badgers :)

Edit: Found it!
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God i hate animal abusers...i swear..give me not even half an hour in the same room as one, and I'LL be the one in jail.

I dont know if i saw this vid, but i saw a video of two effing foreigners shoving a cat into a small hamster cage. Dousing the cat in alcohol. Lighting the cat on fire. You could hear the cat gurgling and screaming, and choking and suffocating. Pure evil. In this case i hope there is a Hell. and i hope satan sticks his nasty reproductive organ in their..well you get the rest.

I also saw a video of some punk ass bitch, skateboarder, BASH a dogs head with his skate board. The dog was just sitting there, laying down, after he got hit the first time the dog screamed and barked, then the bastard hit him again and the dog turned its face into the corner and tried to get away (it was trapped in a corner).

Thanks a lot..now im so pissed off i could snap at anything...god i hate animal abusers.
 
7) Hilarity ensues, and Clive starts punching people at festivals.
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I know it may not sound like it, but I must be maturing. These days I do some research and get my facts straight before getting into fights at festivals.

I used to be notrious for my bad boy act at festivals (mainly heckling and throwing bread rolls at idiots). I don't think I'll be invited to the Sony party at the Edinburgh Film Festival for many years.

Anyhow, it seems like the film died on the vine at the Toronto Film Fest, but I'd still like to know whether the documentary has some validity as a piece of work or whether it's an exercise in hype.

If it's the later, the director better not do any open Q&A session near any bread type products
;)
 
It would be interesting to know what cases/circumstances the filmmaker is drawing parallels to, (like, 'people hunt for sport and kill a living creature' ) to support his/her Casiust argument. But I've always believed this reasoning was more effective at making the rest of us feel better about horrible breaches of morals(like reminising about the good times at a funeral) rather then truely explaining the heinous crime of psychos. But then I'm not an expert on morals/codes of ethics.
 
I know it may not sound like it, but I must be maturing. These days I do some research and get my facts straight before getting into fights at festivals.
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Clive, this is by far the most disappointing thing I've ever read on these boards....
 
Clive, this is by far the most disappointing thing I've ever read on these boards....
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Only if you take me literally and not in the totally ironic manner it was intended. Sorry :blush: I try to keep my posting here fairly light and frothy and this time I misjudged it.
Just for the record, I've never thrown a punch in anger, or any other way in my entire life. Not even at school.

Is this a transatlantic language thing? In the UK "picking a fight," just means having a verbal argument or debate with.

I think, given the content and the controversial nature of the issue, that the director of the documentary in question should expect the work to be questioned and it's validity debated. What I was trying to say, without success, is that at least these days I take the time to research the issues, talk to people and attempt to get a clear idea of the issues, before getting into a heated debate with someone. Previously, I used to just react emotionally.

Seriously. This documentary raises real moral dilemmas for me. On the one hand I have a genuine commitment to free speech and it's social importance; on the other hand, one of the things that I have a gut abhorrence of, is any form of cruelty to animals. I know that to understand what this filmmaker is trying to achieve, that I should watch the film, but I also know, that I wouldn't be able to sit through any cruelty shown on screen.

I'm just not sure how I feel about any of it.

My gut reaction is that this is an ambitious documentary maker, looking to make a name for themselves by doing contentious work and nothing is more contentious that animal cruelty. If that's the case, if this is another example of, Is it Art or Is it Hype? then the actions of that particular filmmaker are despicable. If, however, their intention is to create a provocative work that has a genuine impact and message, then I'd like to know that.

Either way, I'm uncomfortable and as I've shown today, my reaction to that is sometimes misplaced machismo.

:abduct:
 
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rizien said:
I dont know if i saw this vid, but i saw a video of two effing foreigners shoving a cat into a small hamster cage. Dousing the cat in alcohol. Lighting the cat on fire. You could hear the cat gurgling and screaming, and choking and suffocating. Pure evil. In this case i hope there is a Hell. and i hope satan sticks his nasty reproductive organ in their..well you get the rest.

I also saw a video of some punk ass bitch, skateboarder, BASH a dogs head with his skate board. The dog was just sitting there, laying down, after he got hit the first time the dog screamed and barked, then the bastard hit him again and the dog turned its face into the corner and tried to get away (it was trapped in a corner).
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When I was in high school, there was supposedly a photo of one of my more "nice girl" classmates performing fellatio on a cow. I never saw the pic, but I always wondered if that would be considered animal abuse. If so, I never got abused in high school.

Poke

PS I am attaching a pic of my dog Dreyfus ("I was in JAWS!!!"). He says he would like to be abused by Lassie (the girl one, not the guy ones).
 
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