There is a thought provoking debate on the rights and wrongs of this in the Doc Martin thread. So this is just an opportunity to post your favourite examples!
My vote goes to the scene in Belleville Rendezvous where the old lady uses her dog as makeshift spare tyre. (A scene inexplicably cut from the DVD release).
Can someone remember the "I like trucking" song of Not The Nine O'Clock News. In the video we see how the truck runs over a hedgehog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9lmCpIzhFo
This looks shockingly real to me. What do you think?
This might not touch upon the real intention of this thread (cause we don't actually see it happen), but my favourite animal cruelty scene is in Blackadder Goes Forth where Edmund tells us how he stuck a curtain rod up a gerbil's bottom to be able to use it as a cleaning instrument.
Quote: sootyj @ August 30 2012, 4:13 PM BSThttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq3-f-L0YSY
In a "League Of Gentlemen" scene a tortoise gets killed too...
First thing that popped into my head was Blazing Saddles:
A Fish Called Wanda had funny animal cruelty. And I do always in enjoy off camera cat howls, one of my favourite being in King Of Comedy during the Jerry Lewis Hostage scene.
That said, I'm usually against it and it takes the shine off things for me. I loved Pulling, but there's a scene where they decide to kill a cat with a brick and I didn't like that.
Hang on, is this about actual animal cruelty or cruelty towards animals for comic effect?
I don't mind it as long as no animals were actually harmed during the filming. But I'm not sure if that's what you mean?
Anyone who actually hurt an animal for 'comic' effect could very much f**k off and die.
If it's very obviously not real, then sometimes it can be funny, but pretty rarely. It's a turn off for me, in general.
Quote: Lee @ August 30 2012, 4:30 PM BSTHang on, is this about actual animal cruelty or cruelty towards animals for comic effect?
I doubt they actually bludgeoned a cat to death in Pulling, but I still didn't enjoy it.
The scissors/cat situation in Nathan Barley still makes me sad.
Quote: Lee @ August 30 2012, 4:30 PM BSTHang on, is this about actual animal cruelty or cruelty towards animals for comic effect?
I don't mind it as long as no animals were actually harmed during the filming. But I'm not sure if that's what you mean?
For comic effect Lee, the clue is in the thread title 
I'm pretty sure nobody finds actual animal cruelty amusing.
Quote: zooo @ August 30 2012, 4:35 PM BSTAnyone who actually hurt an animal for 'comic' effect could very much f**k off and die.
If it's very obviously not real, then sometimes it can be funny,
As for example when Michael Palin beats the shit out of a bloke in a lion's costume in a Monty Python sketch? 
No animals were harmed in the making of this thread.
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ August 30 2012, 4:38 PM BSTAs for example when Michael Palin beats the shit out of a bloke in a lion's costume in a Monty Python sketch?
Hehe, yep! That's about my acceptability level.
Is there a sketch in Snuff Box where Matt Berry kicks a woman's dog after he finds out she has a boyfriend? Or am I making that up? Either way, it was funny.
Quote: zooo @ August 30 2012, 4:37 PM BSTThe scissors/cat situation in Nathan Barley still makes me sad.
Oh, I loved that bit. Right in his head.