Salo, 120 Days of Sodom-(1977)
The Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini was known for controversial
material and the last film he directed was easily his most vile.
Salo is a modern adaptation of the works of the Marquis de Sade. Set
in Fascist Italy during World War II, Salo is the story of a group of
perverted fascists who indulge in their own demented desires and pray
upon a group of adolescents. They are stripped, dehumanized and told to not
pray or engage in normal sexual urges. Violations to the rules result in swift
and painful punishment followed by a cruel and prolonged execution.
Pasolini has made this movie more of an
homage to Sadism then he has in trying to condemn it, as if he is
trying to show us visually how disgusting de Sade was in print. The
Fascists engage in every perverted and disgusting manner that their
imagination can bring forth. If Pasolini was trying to show us the sick
parallel between de Sade and these fascists, he is relishing in their
depravity then he is in trying to condemn them. The film is full of
sodomy and rape, both heterosexual and homosexual. The audience is also subjected
to such disgusting scenes as people being forced to eat cooked feces,
razor blades and urinating on one another. We also see the prisoners praying on
one another as each transgression leads them to their ultimate and final act of punishment.
Whatever Pasolini is trying
to say about fascists and de Sade is not clear but Salo is so deep in its filth that we are forced
to almost choke over its gross content. It is well filmed and each scene of torture is shown in full color and shocking detail. It is hard to imagine the utter shock of this film without realizing that the adolescents were probably underage. Universally voted by many e-mail responses as the most disgusting movie ever made.
Ciao!
To think that Pasolini was murdered shortly after, gee I wonder.....
Necrophelia is universally seen to be unacceptable and grotesque. This
might help to explain why so few movies have been made on this subject.
The German film Nekromantik by Jorg Buttgeheit is considered by
many to be the most repulsive and disgusting movie ever made. The plot
alone is enough to turn off most horror fans. In the beginning we see
a young couple brutally killed in a car crash, it is here we are
introduced to Rob the ambulance driver. It seems that Rob has a habit
of collecting body parts and corpses from accident scenes to show off
to his wife. It seems the young couple has a boring sex life and to
put new spice into it they use these body parts in their sex act. Well
Rob brings home a corpse and the couple goes crazy over it, having a
gruesome threesome. The corpse is so decayed that the penis withers off
and Rob cuts a broom handle to replace it. Well would you believe that
the young woman decides to leave Rob, taking the corpse with her. The
remaining scenes show Rob unsuccessfully trying to find sexual pleasure
in other woman, he even resorts to prostitutes. Yet poor Rob cannot
reach proper climax, he then murders these women to become sexually
aroused. Ultimately this leads to his suicide, an ironic ode to
necrophelia. This film is so utterly vile it is a literal abyss of
nihilism with little to please the veiwer except for some decent
special effects which make the film even more unwatchable. A must see
for those who dare as this is pretty intense stuff and is not intended
for your average horror audience. An equally vile sequel was released
1991.
Some guys just can't get laid the old fashioned way....
War was never free of cruelty and in many ways shows just how inhumane we can be towards one another. Many know of the cruel and brutal crimes committed by the Nazis but very few are aware of similar atrocities committed by the Japanese. The exploits of one particular hell camp are the focus of this obscure Chinese film. Man Behind the Sun lists very few credits save the director and producer, not that anyone would care to have their name soiled by this sick film. The film centers on the Japanese medical Squadron 731 based in Manchu. The scientists of 731 used prisoners in hideous experiments designed to test human limits in the fields of pain and human endurance. The plot of the movie offers little outside portraying these cruel and shocking experiments, all in very graphic and exploitive form, in a documentary style. By showcasing these acts one is lead down a cruel man made Hell on Earth. Almost none the characters are given any sympathy or shown pity, one in particular a young boy, the only person you are allowed to develop sympathy for is injected with a plague and before your eyes dies a fast and painful death. The next scene shows his poor body being cut open and his organs being put in jars. The camera never seems to ignore any gory detail and being that this is based on a true story one wonders just how much of this sick display is accurate. The fact that anyone would want to remind us of this cruelty only shows that almost anything is fair game in the movie industry.
Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer-(1986)
This sick little number came into the scene rather quietly, made in 1986 but released on video in 1990 where it received a very strong following in the horror audience. The MPAA had tried to slap the movie with an X rating which was used mainly for pornos but may have been done to stigmatize this intense and shocking film. Michael Rooker plays a man loosely similar to famed serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Henry seems to be an average looking guy and except for the occasional dead body he may have left behind. Working with a scumy partner named Otis, the two enjoy kidnapping and brutalizing woman, often raping and mutilating their bodies. It seems that Henry can only reach sexual climax by killing these woman. Well Henry and Otis find a camera and decide to tape their exploits, an unfortunate family being the subject of the duos murderous deeds. A little change occurs when his partner's sister comes in live with them. Becky is a sweet girl but was the victim of an abusive husband. Henry shows some uncommon compasion and seems to be taken by her. Unfortunately Otis seems to display some perverted urges towards his sister. Henry is quickly offended by this and eventualy murders the sicko pervert. Becky takes this as a sign of love and decides to run off with Henry, yet being the predator he is we soon see Henry driving to a road side and dropping off a suitcase which seems to be dripping in blood. What makes Henry unique is that for such a low budget and graphic plot we have a well made and well acted film. The producers have stymied the viewers by delivering a great film with wonderful direction. Yet what comes across even greater is that by showing the viewers the life and feelings of a sociopath we find ourselves looking into a dark mirror and staring at a sad reflection of ourselves. I strongly recommend this film but must warn you to be cautious as this is pretty strong stuff.
We find many horror movies that use rape as part of the abuse against woman, yet this movie goes beyond what we may call normal. Originally known as Day of the Woman, this sick film would have been buried under the abyss of porno/horror schlocks if it were not for the wonderful lambast given by some notable film critics. Directed by Meir Zarchi, and filmed somewhere in rural New York. The story is about a young woman who moves into a rented house by the lake where she hopes to write a novel. In town she meets some of the local creetins who harass and pester her, nothing too bad at first. Later they go to her place and harass her even more, OK not too bad . Yet for the next 30-40 minutes we are subjected to the brutal beating and rape of the woman by four different men, one of whom being a mental defective. When she recovers from her attack she pulls herself together and seeks out these creetins and disposes of them in most unique and cruel manners imaginable. With the last death done the movie just ends. This film is seen by many as a feminist revenge fantasy in that the victim turns on her attackers and gives them what they deserve. Fair enough, but what we see is the young woman using her beauty to seduce and encourage these men as she gives each one his due. It is hard to say what this movie says about rape but we the viewer must ask ourselves what is acceptable punishment and when is it necessary to take the law into our hands. This is one of those films that makes you feel dirty and violated, where is that shower when you really need it....
David Lynch is well known for such classic movies as Blue Velvet and the strangely addictive Twin Peaks. Yet his first film will be remembered as being one of the most twisted. Made in 1978 and shown mostly in film festivals and art houses, Eraserhead is such a creepy movie that the viewer will find it hard to forget. In many ways watching Eraserhead is like watching a waking nightmare, the characters are bleak, the sets are dark and dirty and we are shown images that defy normal logic. The title character is an odd man who spends his nights watching a small woman dancing in his radiator. We then meet his girlfriend and her family and are witness to a rather uncomfortable meal which may still be alive. Well it seems the love birds have conceived a child which when born resembles a little penis. With this misery at hand the girl runs away, leaving the poor sickly child to Eraserhead. Surprisingly he does a good job at caring for the little one. The movie is 90 minutes long but I swear it seems like 3 hours, the pacing for the last 10 minutes seems to take an hour. Shot in black and white, the movie shows one shocking scene after another and continues to do so until the very end. Like no other film, Eraserhead is the type of film that reminds us that no matter how bleak life may seem all you need to do is pop in this tape and go for a ride in this nihilistic living nightmare.
There are those films which are so outrageous that they are considered
camp, yet this is not one of them. Also known as The Incredible TortureShow, this title seems more appropriate for this really sick film.
The setting for this movie is an off-off broadway Grand Guignol style
show. The wicked magician Sardu creeps people with his realistic torture
scenes which are not only genuine but live. The theatre is a cover for
his group of sadists who enjoy kidnapping and torturing young naked women.
Behind the scenes his assistant Ralphus keeps a number of caged women
canninbals for their evil deeds. Sardu also enjoys using these woman as human dart boards and urinals.
Whether it is meant as a joke is debatable as these scenes are played
on and taken for granted, talk about pure exploitation. The real joke is that the special effects
are some of the worst on screen, the blood looks purple and is very
glue like (Klingon blood?). The scenes of torture and dismemberment are so fake a
nine year old could do better. Either way Blood Sucking Freaks is a
sad attempt to attain camp status, and since the movie was made with a really low budget it shows.
Try sitting through this one more then once.....
It seems the director of this movie got wind of my review and threatened to sue me if I did not remove or rephrase the review, Ok but I would not be proud of a film that is VERY similar to Herschell Gordon Lewis's Wizard of Gore.
Oliver Stone has embelished such controversial topics as JFK, Vietnam, Wallstreet and the life of Jim Morrison. His play on the media is one of his most unique and twisted of the bunch. Natural Born Killers is on one hand a satire on the media and how it turns sicko killers into heros and on another a disgustingly sick attempt to find humor in senseless murder. Woody Harrelson plays the murderous Mickey who is in love with the equally vicious Malory played by Juliette Lewis. At times the movie uses sitcom metaphors to poke fun at sick issues like child molesting and spousal abuse. Later we see a whirlwind chase of these criminals as the media shows their carnage and the attempt to apprehend these vile killers. The violence is at times cartoonish while too often enough brutally graphic. We see little guilt or redemption from the murderous duo and are subjected to their love story. Some find this movie to be quite funny and satirical in nature, I found it to be immoral and a bad attempt at satire. Not once do we see any motivation towards redemption and we find that people who grew up in dysfunctional families will be dysfunctional. The only relief I found was the death of the tabloid reporter who deserved what he got. Being a more mainstream movie then the rest, Natural Born Killers is still just as depraved in its moral tone then any film in this list, except maybe for Salo. Let us hope the media does not fall into the trap of making a vile killer into a hero, oops too late!!!!
One of the most mainstream movies in the list yet I found it too be one of the most disturbing and creative films in recent history. Jacob Singer is a postal worker (Sic!), who is haunted by what may or may not be drug induced nightmares, the result of a bizarre experiment during the Vietnam War. The only relief in his sad, wasted life is the comfort in his co-worker/mistress played by the lovely Elizabeth Pena and his chiropractor friend played by Danny Aiello. Jacob Singer is confronting sick visions which make him feel as if he is turning into a madman, at the same time we witness flashbacks of a more happy and very different life prior to his wartime experience. Jacob has indeed lived two very different lives and one wonders what makes him live the way he does, he is an intelligent and well educated man working for the post office. In time Jacob discovers that his war buddies are being killed off and that they all were receiving chilling visions as well. He encounters a chemist who tells him they were part of a plot to increase their efficiency as soldiers by drugging them with a super LSD. Meanwhile, Jacob is experiencing some truly nightmarish visions, one of the most notable being a mad hospital with deformed souls and equally deformed doctors. Somewhat confusing in its eerie nightmare vision and gory visuals, Jacob's Ladder delivers a most unique trip into the world of a man who may or may not be living. The finale is very creepy and has An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge style twist ending. Having watched this movie many times I still find myself wondering just what the hell is going on in his life, about the only logical conclusion being that he is dead and is in hell. What is certain is that Jacob's Ladder is neither mild nor passive in its nature, it is shocking and brilliant in its use of gory visuals and nightmarish visions which will leave the viewer reeling in their own sanity.....
There are few films that are so nihilistic and bleak we are glad to not occupy the world in which it is set. Combat Shock, also known as as American Nightmares, is a notorious exploitation piece set in a ghetto slum with characters that are even more depressing then those in real life slums. Combat Shock is the sad story of a Vietnam vet living in poverty in the Bronx with his wife and child. Each day is a struggle to survive in a world populated with killer pimps, prostitutes, and drug addicts. To make things worse the child is not quite human, having been altered by the effects of Agent Orange on the father. In this sad life we see little if any comfort. The film makers have made no attempt to show any compassion or relief for the characters. They lead such a bleak end existence that death is a welcome salvation from the horrors of reality. The only outlet for these poor souls is the world of drugs and violence. Even with all this bleakness the man's life gets worse, leading to his extended murder-suicide of his family and himself. This is one of those movies that is so raw in its intensity that it makes the nihilism and violence of Taxi Driver look like a Disney film. Remember this next time you feel a little bummed out.
Being that many movies have used this title I must explain that this one is not only the real deal but the most vile of the pack. A low budget gore flick with no moral perspective that its own makeup artist wanted to be removed from its credits. Tom Savini would later become famous for his award winning FX as well as acting and directing many later horror films yet his realistic FX are the only saving grace in this gutter film. Like many horror films we have a loner with no social grace or personality, in this case a real mama's boy who enjoys murdering women and using their scalps to adorn his mannequins. The nature of this habit is for nothing more then his perverse sexual pleasure. He is suffering from the torment of an abusive mother and longs for her love. Pity, because the audience is treated to little more then the graphic scenes of murder and of the mutilation of the victims shown in bloody red detail. Like many other slasher films this one displays strong anti-woman feelings and the attitude that woman are only good for killing and raping. Displaying little if any value this film only seems to sink into the abyss of cheap slasher flicks, yet its overt immoral tone and downright negative feelings towards woman in general place it in the hall of the disturbed. Carolyn Munro appears very much against type as a woman who is actually drawn to this sicko, will he do her in.... Who cares!!! Luckily the producer/writer/star Joe Spinell died before making Maniac 2.
Wes Craven has made a name for himself as a leading director in the
horror genre with such notable films as A Nightmare on Elm Street, and
The Serpent and the Rainbow. Yet his directorial debut will always
remain one of the most perverse and vile films to be seen as a horror
classic. Joined by Sean Cunningham (Friday the 13th), Craven used
Ingmar Bergman's Virgin Spring as a loose guide in this film which has
two young girls out for a good time meeting up with a trio of murderers.
The gang brutalizes, rapes and murders both girls. Afterwards the trio somehow find
their way back at the house of one of the girls and when caught face
a wrath far worse then anything committed by the trio. This film is a
powerful look at revenge and the day-to-day violence with which we
have become blind to. What also adds to the films shock value is that
it was a shoe string budget with a cast of unknown actors, making it
feel more like a documentary then an exploitation slasher flick. The film
also features a cruel murder at the hands of the mother who uses the
Lorena Bobbit technique of felatio . Normally a piece of cheap
exploitation like this would be hidden away or fall into the abyss of
rental hell, yet with Craven's reputation and a surprisingly positive
review by none other then Roger Ebert (I kid you not, this is a personal
favorite of the critic), The Last House on the Left has found itself to
be a milestone of spatter flicks and as one of the most disturbing revenge
films made. We'll leave the porch light on!
Like the spaghetti westerns of the sixties, cheap Italian cannibal films
were the rage in the seventies. Although we can't really figure out why
there was a market for them anyway. Yet like many of the westerns
these films had similar plots and very identical conclusions. A group of
white explorers would enter the dense jungle of the Amazon rain forests
and meet up with very friendly cannibals who were only looking to have
these guests as their next meal. With the many films made one wonders
why no one noticed the very similar techniques and stories. We see
woman gang-raped, and men getting their nuts cut off or having their
skulls opened up for a nice dessert of fresh brain. Everyone seemed
to be a potential meal for each other. Yet with all this, Cannibal
Holocaust presents the viewers with very real looking and often cruel
animal deaths committed by the Westerners. It may have been put in to
suspend our belief but little can divert the fact that this is still
a cannibal movie. The film makers revel in showing us that the explorers
are often time just as cruel and brutal as the savages they are visiting.
As a sign of the human condition this film gets bloodier, darker and
more vile. It seems that we can enjoy the fact that none of these people
will get out alive and who cares anyway, after all it is rather sad
to be reminded of our primitive rages and cruelty toward man.
Never let it be said that John Waters made what you might call mainstream
movies. After all the man that brought you Serial Mom, Crybaby and
Hairspray could never justify any film unless it had some bit of
controversy. That is why Pink Flamingos will always be the most bizarre
and perverted of the pack. Pink Flamingos like many of his other movies
is set in his hometown of Baltimore and stars his gang of regulars who
all seem to have been found at the local dive on the corner. The most
famous of the pack was the late Devine, a crossdresser with whom Waters
would see everyday as a student, Devine was more then just an actor,
he was the very embodiment of what John Waters wanted to portray. As
in other films, Devine plays a large woman who is trying to find her
identity, in this film it is the title of "Most Filthy Person in the World".
Well it seems the trailer park dwelling Devine is up against new
competition, the Marbles feel they are the most filthy people and aim
to prove it. In the course of the film we witness kidnapping, rape,
sodomy, white slavery, baby selling, furniture rubbing, drug dealing
and just about every other form of depravity, all in the attempt to
gain the coveted title of Most Filthy. When we reach the final deadly
confrontation Devine eats a turd and proclaims herself the most filthy
person in the world. Pink Flamingos shocks its viewers with a collection
of very gross people doing even grosser things, all of this in an attempt
to make the audience wretch in their seats. As with many Waters films
we find the all out shock to be upsetting and unpleasant, yet what
separates this film from many of the above is that this is pure satire
and in no way is designed to scare the audience, what we do see is every
attempt to gross out an audience and make them feel sick about the
film. Pink Flamingos will never be the family classic that Serial
Mom is but as an all out cult film it will forever reign at the top.
This Spanish made film deals with a perverted love between a man and
those he had brutalized during the war. Sometime in the early 1950's
a former Nazi commandant is forced to live in an iron lung after an
accident. Unable to care for him, his wife hires a young man to look
after him. Ironically the man is a former prisoner of the commandant
whom he had sexually abused and tortured as a child. Even in his sad
state he continues to revel in the memories of the past. This suddenly
awakens a passion in the young man who brings in young boys to torture,
much to the delight of the commandant. Their exists some sort of sick
homosexual love/hate relationship between them. The fine production values
and compelling acting seem to draw the viewers closer instead of
turning them of. Yet this film does rely heavily on pediphilia and
homosexual desires to make its point. Not what you would call light
and easy viewing.
Mary Wilcox is a very beautiful woman who has a strange habit, she
loves kissing corpses. Although not as strongly intense as the more
vile Nekromantik, Love Me Deadly is still a sick film. In the
course of her merriment Wilcox encounters a mortician who invites her
into his cult of necropheliacs. We are then witness to scenes of
corpse groping and all out orgies with the dead. Yet it is the mortician
who is the real sicko, inviting prostitutes of both sexes over so
he can embalm them alive. Wilcox eventually pursues and kills the
mortician by stabbing him. The film has all the look and feel of the
standard slasher flick yet it has some unique touches that set it apart
from the slasher flicks. A really sick film in content and nature we
must appreciate that necrophelia films are rare and not too common.
I included this evil little film not because it is unique in the slasher
genre, actually it is a typical cookie-cutter slasher flick and very
similar to Friday the 13th. Then again most of these films were, often
trying to cash in on this exploitation horror cliché. What
makes Sleepaway Camp different is that the ending is one of the most
shocking conclusions ever filmed. I will not give it away but let us
just say that it left me in a freaky state for the next few days. So
go out and rent it, fast forward if you wish but watch it and try not
to freak out when they show the last scene.......
Last House on the Left-(1972)
Maybe Wilcox should meet Rob from Nekromantik and they could live happily
ever after.
I swear that this film shocked the hell out of me
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