10 Twisted Contemporary Films That Could Inspire an Entirely New Video Nasty List
Matt Molgaard
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Video Nasty is a UK term that was coined in the early ‘80s as reference to a series of (72 initial) films deemed so gruesome or controversial they were not fit to see release to the public. A few filmmakers were actually prosecuted as a result of their works. Some slipped into the cracks. Some were edited to the point in which they could receive certification to open the door for release. Regardless, the Video Nasty moniker became a thing of legends back in the ‘80s.
Nowadays censorship is a lot different, and filmmakers are able to get away with creating some very risqué material. But even now, in this day and age, absurdly extreme films draw a measure of ire from critics, executives and fans. Little – outside of some edits – is ever done to tamper with these films, which is great. As a fan, I like seeing extreme material.
But that gravitational pull I feel led me to an interesting question: what films, today, would find themselves on a Video Nasty list? Especially all the liberties studios and television networks have extended to filmmakers. Again, censorship is, to an extent, lightening up. But there are always going to be films that could easily find themselves blacklisted from a number of outlets.
Check out 10 horror films that could easily make a Video Nasty list!
Martyrs
Pascal Laugier’s tale of a haunted young woman who was severely abused as a child, only to track down her tormentors and exact her brand of extreme violence, is an impacting effort. There are a lot of great things happening in the film, and Pascal Laugier’s approach to the story – which is far more character focused than grotesque –ultimately takes viewers in a paralyzing direction. Despite a certain level of ambiguity in the earlier goings of the film, which force viewers to question this young woman’s sanity. But the truth soon comes out. And that truth is as heinous as one could expect. This young lady was indeed tortured, and now it’s her turn to do the torturing. But torture aside, it’s the unbelievably nauseating visuals and continued torture of the feature that pushes Martyrs into a realm occupied by very few other pics. I could delve into the ridiculously gruesome visuals of the flick – which immediately qualify this film for a placement on a modern day Video Nasty list – but you’re better off seeing it for yourself. You may never want to watch Martyrs a second time, but at least a single viewing is required, just to see how perverse this flick is.
Inside
As a father of three, I have a true understanding of emotional vulnerability. I’m also extremely understanding of the motivation to protect ones offspring. Our children are everything. They are our future. They’re the ones that will carry our name through life and they’re the ones who will begin to build their own legacy. That’s what we want for our kids: healthiness, happiness and success. And that’s exactly why victimizing children, and mothers (for that matter) on screen, is astoundingly taboo. Yet, that’s exactly what directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury did. They gave us a story that features a lunatic bitch stalking and eventually attempting to literally carve an unborn baby from the belly of an already tortured, battered, bruised and bloody mother-to-be. It’s horrifying, and it’s extremely hard to watch.
Video Nasty material? Yes!
Maniac (2012)
If you’re going to throw a pick like Maniac at the foot of the NVALA, you can expect to have a book hurled right back at you. It’s a good thing we live in 2016, because those eye-popping visuals – those graphic shots that look a little too real for comfort, would send any member of the National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association sprinting for the nearest trash can, lunch making an unwanted return long before that trash can was within grasp. I love the film, but even I’ll admit, that scalping business looks more like a glimpse of a certified snuff film than a refined independent picture. There’s no doubt this has all the makings of a Video Nasty nomination.
A Serbian Film
Hands down the most challenging picture to sit through on this list, Srdjan Spasojevic’s obstinate and offensive picture, A Serbian Film, is repulsive right out of the gate, and it only gets more gruesome as the run time ticks away. In a nutshell, it’s about a fading porn star who receives an opportunity to make a new film. What he doesn’t initially know is that this porno is an extreme snuff film, pedophilia, beatings and death all incorporated into the “picture” to stunning success (in leaving us mortified). The film wraps with an absolutely heartbreaking revelation. Truth be told the final act may be the most disturbing stretch of film in history.
The Human Centipede 3
Well holy fuck, I don’t even know where to go with this. I prefer not to think too much of the film, especially when I’m so close to lunch time. The film is… well, you know what it is. It’s a strange procedure conducted only by the craziest. Mouths affixed to anuses. The earlier films featured relatively small centipedes. The third, however kicks that number up to 500… Prison inmates. And it isn’t just the centipede that constantly pushes the boundaries. Trust me when I tell you that there’s enough graphic content here to leave you feeling constantly queasy. The Human Centipede 3 tries so hard to shock that it forgets to tell a quality tale. Too bad. Doesn’t change the fact that this has Video Nasty written all over it.
Saw III
Okay, just keeping it real here and letting you know what you already know, which is that any single one of the Saw films could easily land on this list. Saw III however featured a few death scenes that border on unwatchable. It isn’t hard to envision this film earning any kind of ban given that absolutely stomach turning torture rack setup. Seriously, that scarred me. I’ll never watch that one again.
Headless
A direct tie-in to the absolutely genius indie film, Found, Headless thrives on venturing far, far overboard. In Found we were introduced to a troubled young boy who discovers that his brother is a serial killer who finds himself acting out the things he sees in a horror film, Headless. Well, this is Headless, and it features a myriad of paralyzing shots that feel really, really authentic. So authentic – at times – in fact, that it feels as though we’re watching an actual home video. Major spoilers are being avoided, but know this, as it will give you an idea of how intense this picture is: one scene involves a masked murderer penetrating a bloody severed head… all the way up to the point of ejaculation. Yeah, go ahead and think on that for a few minutes.
Bone Tomahawk
Bone Tomahawk is a very interesting little piece of work. The vast majority of the story unravels in the same fashion that a classic western might, with a small group of men riding their horses through the desolate desert. But things take a turn for the worse once these Americans run into a cannibalistic tribe. From this point forward all hell has been unleashed, and what you’re going to see in regards to gore is simply too realistic. It’s horrifying, and it leaves the viewer in a level of shock known by few men. Is this final act extreme enough to warrant a Video Nasties brand? Hell Fuckin’ yes, I think it is!
Oldboy
You saw this one coming, right? Come on, now – you had to! The story is actually brilliant, focusing on a man who’s been kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years. But one day, he’s set free, even seeing a few valuable commodities tucked in his pocket on the way. But adjusting to freedom once more isn’t so easy, until he meets the helpful and concerned citizen, Mi-do. She’s got a good heart and she’s happy to make sure the man isn’t busted beyond healing. An intimate relationship soon blooms… but soon we get one of the most shocking, repulsive and traumatizing twists in the history of cinema. It’s certainly the sort of forbidden territory that would lead to major consideration for shameful induction into the Video Nasty library.
Morituris
Raffaele Picchio’s film, Morituris isn’t a bad movie. It isn’t a tacky movie. It isn’t an offensive movie. No, Morituris is a dumbfounding and nauseating abomination that serves no purpose other than to attempt proving that ultraviolence and despicable, repeated acts of human torture are the “in” thing. The full film feels entirely misogynistic, and it seems to enjoy spitting the proverbial phlegm in the face of the viewer. There’s absolutely no respect for anyone in this offensive pic, but it clearly feels as though females are “deserving” victims more so than anyone else. Finding any message in the film feels nearly impossible, which could indicate that Raffaele Picchio really doesn’t give a steaming hot shit for women… or quality storytelling. I don’t know if those assumptions are true, or if Picchio may simply be too reckless to even care. Whatever the case, there’s zero doubt that Morituris belongs with the outcast films.
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