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Electrocuting an Elephant
Electrocuting an Elephant
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Electrocuting an Elephant

Electrocuting an Elephant

1903
Documentary
Short Film
1m
This is a film taken of the execution of Topsy, an elephant employed to help build Luna Park on Coney Island. She had killed three men, including a drunken spectator who fed her a cigarette. Cyanide-laced carrots fed to her by park officials failed, and the ASPCA forbade a hanging. Thomas Edison, meanwhile, had been publicly killing dogs and cats with AC power to show that his DC power was more effective and less dangerous. (imdb)

Starring:

Thomas A. Edison, Topsy

Genre:

Documentary

Country:

USA

Language:

None
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Electrocuting an Elephant

1903
Documentary
Short Film
1m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 11.81% from 294 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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kaiserkomoriKaiserkomori
Rated 09 Feb 2010
0
0th
Edison: "Look what a terrible invention Tesla has made! One so heinous that it poses a threat to our very lives. What will happen if it falls in wrong hands? Like mine?"
Rated 09 Feb 2010
overratedoverrated
Rated 25 Aug 2010
1
0th
Fuck yes, this is why I signed up for this site.
Rated 25 Aug 2010
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 13 Jan 2010
25
6th
Part of Edison's smear campaign against Tesla's invention of AC power, as mentioned in the summery. Interesting historically, but otherwise only really contributes to proof that Edison was a dick.
Rated 13 Jan 2010
kubricksuckskubricksucks
Rated 25 Nov 2013
50
1st
Though horrific to the modern viewer this noble sacrifice ultimately brought about the electronic elephant.
Rated 25 Nov 2013
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 11 Jan 2014
0
3rd
Bizarre and horrifying. The jaunty music makes it even more surreal. Also, why were the options "hanging" and "electrocution," instead of a 50-cal bullet to the brain? Just saying. Elephants are awesome. Fuck you, Edison.
Rated 11 Jan 2014
bownBown
Rated 16 Mar 2010
0
0th
Delivers what it promises, which is that Thomas Edison was a massive douche
Rated 16 Mar 2010
pilgermannpilgermann
Rated 01 Aug 2009
10
1st
I suppose it's interesting that this was filmed and all, but it's just a display of idiocy. Too bad there wasn't any footage of the elephant killing the drunk dude.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
sebbysebby
Rated 09 May 2009
0
0th
Edison was, among other things, a cheater, a thief, and an all-around fuckface. Here is an example of some of that.
Rated 09 May 2009
spleenspleen
Rated 08 Mar 2012
0
0th
Honestly, haven't seen it but I have tickets on reserve for the sequel "Anal Raping Thomas Edison".
Rated 08 Mar 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 15 Jan 2012
60
12th
I'm pretty impressed by AC power. So was the elephant.
Rated 15 Jan 2012
vercettivercetti
Rated 14 Mar 2010
0
0th
Get fucked.
Rated 14 Mar 2010
jebJeb
Rated 09 May 2009
18
13th
Thomas Edison like we have never seen him before. He proved two things: He's both a demented animal killer and a fool.
Rated 09 May 2009
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 08 Apr 2014
15
0th
The older I get, the more I realize how much of a dick Edison was.
Rated 08 Apr 2014
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 06 Mar 2012
50
43rd
A great and thoroughly gripping epic all but undone by the shoddy CGI.
Rated 06 Mar 2012
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 06 Feb 2012
0
0th
An effective display of how disgusting we can be at times. Bravo. Thomas Edison was a grade A cocksucker.
Rated 06 Feb 2012
obdurateObdurate
Rated 08 Jan 2012
0
0th
This might be the first 0 I've ever given a movie. People have commented on Edison, so I don't have to, so I'm taking my disgust out on something else: Criticker. Why did you think I'd give this a 19? What the fuck Criticker, I thought we were friends.
Rated 08 Jan 2012
frankswildfrankswild
Rated 21 Feb 2011
15
4th
Thomas Edison was a real asshole
Rated 21 Feb 2011
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 07 May 2009
5
44th
rofl, owned
Rated 07 May 2009
dmcrimsonDMCrimson
Rated 07 Dec 2015
0
0th
A net negative to the world in every sense.
Rated 07 Dec 2015
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 22 Mar 2015
0
0th
Edison was a thief and a scoundrel, Tesla was the man.
Rated 22 Mar 2015
axleblazeaxleblaze
Rated 13 Aug 2014
1
0th
Gets a point for being the inspiration behind one of the best episodes of Bob's Burgers
Rated 13 Aug 2014
nrooNroo
Rated 11 Mar 2014
0
0th
fuck you
Rated 11 Mar 2014
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 10 Jan 2014
0
0th
Didn't realize Thomas Edison was such a terrible person. Another thing the American education system failed to mention, I guess.
Rated 10 Jan 2014
jack_bzJack Bz
Rated 26 Sep 2010
0
2nd
Delivers, unfortunately.
Rated 26 Sep 2010
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 02 Sep 2010
60
40th
LOL, oh man that's fucked up...but amazing. Tony Jaa would strongly disapprove.
Rated 02 Sep 2010
killerbobbKillerBobb
Rated 11 Jul 2010
15
0th
This is something terrible but hard to look away from. The event on it's own was pretty rotten but to learn that Edison orchestrated the whole thing as a tool in a smear campaign against Nikola Tesla makes it even worse to watch.
Rated 11 Jul 2010
velvet_croweVelvet Crowe
Rated 04 Jun 2010
34
27th
This simply proves that Edison believed that he didn't mind killing elephants.
Rated 04 Jun 2010
tds4aTds4a
Rated 14 Mar 2010
0
2nd
"Topsy" is the best possible cutesy name for an animal so harshly slaughtered. Jesus christ.
Rated 14 Mar 2010
ytadelYtadel
Rated 13 May 2009
0
0th
Shocking animal cruelty...
Rated 13 May 2009
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 07 May 2009
45
5th
Looking at the history makes it quite interesting, but still it's of a terrible quality and limited appeal. Thomas Edison: inventor, entrepreneur, elephant killer.
Rated 07 May 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 27 Aug 2024
5
2nd
A landmark in human beings' enthusiastic documentation of their own penchant for committing atrocities.
Rated 27 Aug 2024
mandontevenmandonteven
Rated 18 Aug 2014
5
1st
viral marketing was a young art at the time
Rated 18 Aug 2014
naurunauru
Rated 05 Sep 2013
10
6th
Well that's something I've never seen before and will probably never see again.
Rated 05 Sep 2013
kojilessKojiless
Rated 06 Mar 2012
5
2nd
Electrocuting an Elephant: the most informative movie title in the history of cinema...until Fried Green Tomatoes.
Rated 06 Mar 2012
nobletNoblet
Rated 02 Mar 2012
4
0th
Ugh.
Rated 02 Mar 2012
bojanglesBojangles
Rated 21 Aug 2011
15
3rd
Look at Edison over there with his damn electricity..
Rated 21 Aug 2011
adalonAdalon
Rated 27 Aug 2010
50
23rd
How do you rate this? on style? content? direction? I'll stick with the middle of the road 50
Rated 27 Aug 2010
begoniabolbegoniabol
Rated 16 Aug 2010
4
7th
What a shock....!..?
Rated 16 Aug 2010
vespera23vespera23
Rated 01 Aug 2009
0
0th
This is a snuff film, not an artistic endeavor. Viva Tesla
Rated 01 Aug 2009
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 03 Jul 2022
0
0th
The best movie of all time if what you want to see in a movie is an elephant get electrocuted. If not, you can very safely skip this. Only thing it has going for it is it delivers exactly what it promises.
Rated 03 Jul 2022
snorlaxjonesSnorlaxJones
Rated 05 Jun 2022
0
0th
I actually used to think it was a myth that Edison killed animals to prove the safety of DC power. Was he on drugs? Or would drugs have helped?
Rated 05 Jun 2022
sybaritesybarite
Rated 18 Feb 2022
40
26th
Real horror.
Rated 18 Feb 2022
seymour123seymour123
Rated 20 Apr 2019
0
1st
That was the worst thing I've ever watched to that very day.
Rated 20 Apr 2019
bhajansunlobhajansunlo
Rated 05 Mar 2018
40
13th
The OG snuff film!
Rated 05 Mar 2018
hotsakehotsake
Rated 09 Dec 2016
20
3rd
Not sure what to think but I didn't enjoy this.
Rated 09 Dec 2016
gnalkhereGnalkhere
Rated 19 Nov 2016
0
0th
Well, you know what they say; The Lumieres invented the documentary, Melies invented the fictional film, Edison was a thieving cunt
Rated 19 Nov 2016
backwardsuitbackwardsuit
Rated 02 Nov 2015
20
1st
Disgusting and hideous actuality that says some unfortunate things about humanity. Powerful piece of industrial propaganda by Edison but exploitative in the extreme and ethically not worth it for me.
Rated 02 Nov 2015
nilbogNilbog
Rated 28 Oct 2015
0
0th
Whelp, as soon as film was invented, people wanted to watch animal gore porn. Interesting that the ASPCA forbade a hanging. I wonder how you'd hang an elephant?
Rated 28 Oct 2015
tonykbTonyKB
Rated 23 Sep 2014
50
24th
50 fordi dette er ikke noe å rangere. Kun en oppvisning i hvordan bruke et kamera.
Rated 23 Sep 2014
ribcageribcage
Rated 26 Apr 2014
10
3rd
far too predictable
Rated 26 Apr 2014
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 22 Mar 2014
1
1st
Ouch.
Rated 22 Mar 2014
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 08 Jan 2014
1
1st
the first and last film of topsy the elephant. :(
Rated 08 Jan 2014
neonmanNeonman
Rated 15 Jul 2013
0
0th
:(
Rated 15 Jul 2013
demorestDemorest
Rated 02 May 2013
1
6th
Snuff
Rated 02 May 2013
funkyastroFunkyAstro
Rated 03 Dec 2012
20
22nd
Humans - 1. Elephants - 0.
Rated 03 Dec 2012
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 23 Jul 2011
7
1st
There's really nothing good about this film.
Rated 23 Jul 2011
zayankZayanK
Rated 21 Jul 2011
7
6th
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Rated 21 Jul 2011
johnnydarkjohnnydark
Rated 30 Dec 2010
20
3rd
i wish i had never seen this, but i guess it's worth a few points for showing something almost no one will or has ever seen
Rated 30 Dec 2010
coheedCoheed
Rated 11 Nov 2010
60
35th
The history behind the short is more complicated than it may appear (the elephant was executed for killing 3 men, one of which was a trainer who fed her a lit cigarette). It is difficult to rate something like this, but it can't be ignored and swept under the carpet.
Rated 11 Nov 2010
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 19 Sep 2010
2
18th
wtf
Rated 19 Sep 2010
ebelcEbelC
Rated 26 Mar 2010
0
1st
There's an elephant. Alive. They electrocute the elephant. Then it's dead. Just that, and well, a complete story about the fight between different electricity standards, and probably the first advertisement that used images in movement to tell the public "our competitors are evil, use us". But that's all out of the video itself that it's quite bad in any way you imagine.
Rated 26 Mar 2010
antitypeantitype
Rated 12 Mar 2010
13
3rd
Holy shit, wow.
Rated 12 Mar 2010
vertiggoVertiggo
Rated 26 Sep 2009
0
0th
Idiots...
Rated 26 Sep 2009
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 08 Jun 2009
0
1st
Oh man, no.
Rated 08 Jun 2009
cerebrusCerebrus
Rated 08 May 2009
30
10th
that was mean of you edison :(
Rated 08 May 2009

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