Your Mommy Kills Animals DVD Review

by Kam Williams

Animal Rights Documentary Due on DVD

Did you know that PETA puts more pets to sleep than it finds homes for? Or that the Humane Society doesn't maintain a single animal shelter yet relies on lobbyists to raise hundreds of millions who prey on the emotions of people who probably think their donations are being spent on unfortunate creatures?

If you want to educate yourself about the internal workings of the prevention of cruelty to animals racket, might I suggest this in your face documentary directed by Curt Johnson. Definitely designed with provocation in mind, be forewarned, this flick is a call to arms which prompts you to pick a side by graphically depicting a variety of ways in which animals are mistreated, often with the tacit approval of societies supposed to be watching out for the critters' best interests.

As a result, don't be surprised to find yourself rooting for the radical Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and other more confrontational elements of the movement who employ civil disobedience as tactics. Early on, the film devotes considerable time to illustrating how corporations slaughter and exploit animals for their fur, for their flesh, for cosmetic and medical research, and simply for entertainment.

This makes the outrageous antics of the animal liberation activists tolerable, such as when they arouse a sleeping corporate executive at home in the middle of the night with cries of "Wake up, puppy killer!" or when they call a wealthy woman walking down the street wrapped in a full-length mink "Filthy pervert!" It's just a shame that in response to picketing, rather than rethink their use of animals in research, big business has simply begun to outsource the work to China, Ghana, Pakistan and South Korea, countries where such protest is not tolerated.

Ought to generate empathy for the plight of any living creatures currently subject to an existence defined by the whims of humanity.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 106 minutes
Studio: Ryko Distribution