Question: I just saw the Korean movie Oldboy and, while I thought it was a terrific movie, one scene had me wondering. In it, the main character eats a live octopus. Does Korea have the same rules regarding treatment of animals as the U.S.? I mean, if that same scene were shot in the U.S., both PETA and the ASPCA would have a field day.
Answer: If that scene were shot in the U.S. it would have been done with special effects, because a man eating a live squid (actually several squid, in multiple takes) would be absolutely, positively unacceptable under the guidelines established by the American Humane Society (not the ASPCA), which are binding upon on any film or TV production shot under the provisions of the Screen Actors Guild/Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Certified Agreement. The U.K. is extremely strict about the treatment of animal actors; some other countries aren't. This is the point at which I have toread more