NOT SAFE FOR WORK: 13 Gruesome Decapitations

Steve Barton |

Apr 17, 2014

Se7en: We never actually see the severing of Gwyneth Paltrow’s head in Se7en, but it still earns placement on this list, and for good reason. Few pictures capture emotions as David Fincher’s awe inspiring shocker managed. Even fewer successfully blend genres of film. This was a perfect hybrid flick. And this particular moment was the ultimate less is more scene, in which we were gifted a bit of honest movie magic. It’s hard to manufacture an emotionally crushing visual… without a visual – David Fincher and Brad Pitt (who proves here like never before that he’s far more than just a hunky dude, he’s a supremely talented thespian) made it happen, and it was legendary beyond fathomable reaches. No one saw the impact of that fateful encounter coming – many predicted the great reveal, most certainly – but none anticipated the heartbreaking response we all experienced.

Hatchet: In 2006 Adam Green set out to bring the hulking slasher of the 80s back to prominence. With the return of the beast also came the return of over the top gore and preposterous comedy. It sounds like a moronic idea, but Green really hit a homerun with Hatchet and his nasty creature, Victor Crowley. The brand epitomizes everything that ever rang as fun for those of us who grew up on genre tapes in the 80s, and the man is owed a sizable measure of debt for such a feat. The fact that he was able to keep the wheels spinning for three movies is admirable. Many prefer the first of the Hatchet films, and when you see the gore and you catch the jokes (there’re plenty of subtle lines that may go unnoticed upon a single viewing, in addition to the blatant punchlines), it’s no challenge understanding why. Among the many amazing shots in this campy future classic is a scene in which sleazebag faux-porn director Doug Shapiro gets decapitated, Linda Blair style. Victor literally spins this douche bag’s head around 360 degrees before popping it free of the spinal column. Nasty, but well played.

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