We’re going to try to keep this to relatively mainstream films. That’s not to say that some lesser known indies haven’t had some shocking moments, but things seem that much more disturbing when the movie in question reaches a wide audience.
Beginning with our honorable mentions, we’ve got to include I Spit on Your Grave, one of the most censored and banned films of all times. Camille Keaton played Jennifer Hills, who was raped for the better part of the first half of the film. Plenty of NSFW moments there. Also those infamous shit-eaters in Salo: 120 Days of Sodom were certainly shocking. Some outstandingly memorable and brutal moments appear in the indies too, like Father’s Day and Hanger. A clit being severed with rusty shears highlighted the extremely gruesome violence in Antichrist. Dead Alive had plenty of gross outs, but one of the most toe-curling moments ever was the hobbling of Paul Sheldon in Misery. Yikes!
Now, we can’t be so self-centered as to just appreciate WTF moments from more recent films although of course with new technology the realism of the F/X is increased tremendously. We saw a throat-slitting in the early scenes of The Seasoning House that looked like it was straight out of a terrorist video. It was absolutely stunning, but we have to remember that horror fans of years ago also had stunning moments of their own that may seem tame by today’s standards but blew their minds when the film was released. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes as we go through the list.
One of Us. Gooble, Gobble – Freaks (1932)
Tod Browning’s remarkable movie about a group of sideshow freaks (adapted from Clarence Aaron ‘Tod’ Robbins’ 1923 short fiction story Spurs) is stunning even now, over 80 years later. There isn’t just one WTF scene in this movie; the whole thing is insane. And the reason why? Because Browning decided to use actual deformed individuals to play the role of the sideshow performers. Ever see a guy with no arms or legs light a cigarette with a match? Well then, step right up! But how smart a casting move was this? Evidently, it wasn’t too bright because after Freaks was unleashed to an unsuspecting public in the early ’30s, Browning (who had just directed Bela Lugosi in Dracula two years earlier) could no longer find work. He directed 57 films before Freaks and just four after. In creating Freaks, he literally made himself as much of an outcast as the strange members of his cast. In a sense, that is the most stunning part of this tale – how one choice by a man trying to do something new and creative destroyed his career. However, on the positive side, Browning would certainly be proud to know his film, because of the unique choice he made, is still, to this day, infamous and appreciated by those who enjoy a look at the darker side of things.
Lila Discovers Mrs. Bates – Psycho (1960)
The ending of Psycho was so stunning and so important to Alfred Hitchcock that he went as far as to outright ask the audience not to share the shocking ending with those who hadn’t yet seen the film. He also bought up as many copies as he could of the novel the film was based on to try to keep the ending secret. And what a secret it was! Lila Crane, desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Marion, finds herself being chased into the cellar of stately Bates Manor, only to find a preserved corpse sitting in a chair and Norman, half-dressed like a woman, wig wild on his head, brandishing a butcher knife. For 1960 this was a shocking moment, and every time a new viewer gets to watch Psycho, even today, without prior knowledge of the ending (as rare as that is), it still holds up brilliantly.
And moving on to some more modern OMG moments…
Crucifix Masturbation Scene – The Exorcist (1973)
Okay, you’d imagine that the title of this section pretty much describes everything you need to recall this insanely disturbing scene, but let’s replay it all, shall we? First, we have young Regan MacNeil jabbing a crucifix into her crotch screaming, “Let Jesus Christ fuck you.” Okay, horror fans might be able to handle that, but for the average movie goer, we’re already off the charts. From here she grabs her mother’s head (played by Ellen Burstyn) and pushes it down into her now bloody nether region. Then the scene commences with one of the most iconic shots in the history of horror: the headspin scene. Yep. This one is definitely NSFW!
Infant Head Stomp – The Human Centipede 2 (2011)
It’s hard to believe that Dr. Heiter would not be extreme enough to make this list, but that is indeed the case. It’s the sequel, featuring Laurence R. Harvey as Martin, that makes the grade. And strangely, it’s not even the direct human centipede scenes that are the most disturbing, although when Martin gives each member of his ‘centipede’ a laxative, that’s damn close to earning a spot on the list. It’s actually the pregnant woman, Rachel, whom we’ll focus on. Left for dead, she suddenly awakens and bolts from Martin’s room of horrors; Rachel then jumps into a car in an attempt to escape. In an instance of unfortunately bad timing, she goes into labor at this same moment. Leaping into the car, the baby suddenly burst forth from her loins. Unfortunately, its head lands right under the accelerator pedal just as Rachel stomps on it in a frantic attempt to escape Martin. Squish. And, just like that, a WTF moment is born.
Ned Beatty Gets Buggered – Deliverance (1972)
Here comes young Ned Beatty, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on the set of his first feature film. How exciting! And what a thrilling film…an outdoor adventure set in the wilderness of the southland of America. What could be better? Then…uh oh. Indeed, Deliverance was Ned Beatty’s first film (although we’re quite sure he was well-informed on all of its content before they got to the set in Georgia). Indeed, it’s hard to get more shocking than being attacked, stripped down, and anally raped by a couple of backwoods hillbillies. Beatty handled the scene like a champ, however, and along with the unforgettable guitar/banjo duel, helped to make Deliverance the landmark film that it became. “Squeal like a pig”, indeed.
Oh Komomo – Imprint (2006)
Any number of Takashi Miike works could have made this list, but something about Imprint really cuts to the bone. A selection from Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” anthology series, Imprint is extremely graphic and was deemed too brutal to air on the cable network, even after series creator and executive producer Mick Garris requested it be edited and toned down a bit. Miike thought his work would cozy up just to the line of what was acceptable on American television but then later said that he “evidently misestimated.” Yep, a bit. It wasn’t the scenes featuring aborted fetuses that really got to the viewers as much as the brutal, lengthy torture of lovely Komomo. With bamboo shoots going in and under places you don’t even want to think about, this scene in Imprint is a toe-curling nightmare.
Skewered and Filleted – Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Widely viewed as one of the most censored and banned films of all time, Cannibal Holocaust has a slew of scenes that fit this list, including some real animal cruelty that got the filmmakers in hot water. Ruggero Deodato certainly succeeds in creating a violent look at a tribe of primitive cannibals but went off the deep end with the filming of the butchering of a giant turtle. And, as those who’ve seen the film will attest, nothing is left to the imagination. However, if you manage to make it through the turtle and all the rest of the violence and cannibalism, you get a look at one of the most iconic NFSW moments in horror: the impalement of a native girl on a huge pole that goes…well, right up through her and out the mouth. The scene is legendary as is the film. WTF?!
Whacks on, Whacks off – The ABCs of Death – “L Is for Libido” (2012)
Filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto is on fire. His unforgettable segment in V/H/S 2, entitled “Safe Haven,” could make its own case for inclusion on this list, but he goes even further with his short entitled “L Is for Libido” in The ABCs of Death. For those not familiar with this particular piece, it involves a man who wakes up to find himself in a masturbation contest…to the death! And as the man continues to cum faster than each of his opponents, the inspiration for their masturbation becomes more and more vile as the stages go on, including a leg amputee who masturbates with her prosthetic and an old man violating a young boy. Shocking? I would say so. There is an oh, so brief look at the film in the very last second or two of the trailer below. Tjahjanto is becoming a fan favorite for his edgy work, and “L Is for Libido” is just another feather in his cap.
Cock Bite Revenge – The Last House on the Left (1972)
Your daughter, Mari, is dead. Through a crazy serious of events, you find out that the people who murdered her are in your house, staying there as guests. They appeared as weary travelers who fell upon hard times on the road and needed a place to stay for the night (yeah, stuff like that really went on in the 70’s). What would you do? As the truth became clear to Dr. and Estelle Collingwood in The Last House on the Left, they decided they must take revenge for what befell their daughter. And shortly before Dr. Collingwood is engaged in a battle to the death with the infamous Krug in the living room, Estelle has a plan of her own for Krug’s associate, Weasel. She lures Weasel outside under the false pretenses of some hot sex, but during the obligatory blowjob, Estelle chomps down and bites Weasel’s dick off. Yeouch!
Tree Rape – The Evil Dead (1981)
Ellen Sandweiss played Cheryl, the original deadite in The Evil Dead. And how did she become possessed by those pesky demons? After hearing some strange noises and wandering out into the woods alone, Cheryl is raped by a demonic tree. That’s right; for those who have never seen The Evil Dead (and for shame if this is you!), then you certainly remember this OMG moment as Cheryl is restrained by the roots, stripped, and her legs spread apart as she is violated by a tree that makes the scary apple throwing trees from The Wizard of Oz seem like a walk in the park. These trees from The Evil Dead are no joke!
“I’d fuck me. I’d fuck me hard.” – The Silence of the Lambs
Of course when the film The Silence of the Lambs comes up in conversation, the first name most people think of is Hannibal Lecter. However, only overshadowed because Anthony Hopkins was so incredible was Ted Levine playing the other serial killer, “Buffalo Bill” Jame Gumb. In the process of constructing a suit made from human skin, Buffalo Bill’s dark side unveils its depths as the movie rolls on, culminating in a real WTF moment as he poses in front of a mirror, all decked out in his favorite clothes (yes, you know the scene). And while he applies his makeup, he utters that memorable line, “Would you fuck me? I’d fuck me. I’d fuck me hard. I’d fuck me so hard.” And then he goes for the famous move when he tucks his Johnson between his legs like Detective Einhorn in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and shimmies around admiring his would-be vagina. *shudder*
Newborn Porn – A Serbian Film (2010)
Banned, censored, and basically shunned in as many ways possible, A Serbian Film is nothing if not intense. When a woman whose teeth have been removed is killed by suffocation while giving a beejay isn’t even within the top two shocking moments in your film, then you’re definitely doing something cutting edge. The vile ‘newborn porn’ scene is one of the most downright disgusting things you’ll ever see in a horror film, and the climax of the movie, when Milos finds out just who he’s raping under that sheet (those of you who’ve seen it know what I’m talking about; those of you who haven’t, consider yourselves lucky). A Serbian Film is nothing less than a brutal assault on everything you hold sacred. For any of you sick and twisted Dreadies out there that are just too curious, A Serbian Film can be seen on YouTube in its entirety for free. Nothing is safe in this film, and it indeed is one of the most extreme examples of WTF ever produced.