Salem Moviegoers to Get Message From Horror King Eli Roth Condemning Cruelty to Animals

For Immediate Release:
August 6, 2024

Contact:
Maddy Missett 202-483-7382

Following reports that four teens were arrested this summer in connection with the killing of a Salem family’s cat, who was shot at point-blank range outside their home in May, Eli Roth—whose new film Borderlands opens on August 9—has a message for local moviegoers. Horror buffs who rush to Salem movie theaters to watch the latest film by the director of Cabin Fever and Hostel might be surprised to receive the special message starring Roth himself, in which he denounces real-life violence to animals. In the spot—which will play before each showing—Roth emphasizes that torture belongs solely on the screen and urges people to always report cruelty to animals.

“People see me, and they expect, OK, ‘Something’s going to happen. Someone’s going to get beheaded,’” says Roth in an accompanying interview. “I wanted to use that attention that I get with violence in movies to draw attention to the problem of violence against animals.”

Each year, countless dogs, cats, and other animals are abused, tortured, or killed, and these crimes often go unreported. Studies have shown that people who commit violent acts against animals often move on to human victims, which is another reason to report any animal neglect or mistreatment to local law-enforcement authorities, animal control officials, or PETA.

The spot will run at Regal Cinebarre Movieland, Regal Santiam, and Regal Willamette Town Center as well as at theaters in other cities, including Boston; Los Angeles; Orlando, Florida; and Portland, Oregon.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.