NOT SAFE FOR WORK: Severed Arms and Legs of Horror Cinema: An Off of Body Experience
Steve Barton
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Off With His Foot: Boy, did James Wan trigger something massive with this little gorefest. Saw was every bit as psychological as it was gory, and that’s part of what made it special. Facing one’s own mortality is nightmarish, and Wan threw that right in the face of the film’s leads… and right in the face of those bold enough to tune in to the film. Believe me; it’s a far more intricate example of cinema than most would admit (I’m not echoing that sentiment in regards to the flick’s sequels). But what really left audiences compelled? What really had the masses talking? That fucking severed foot! Holy hell, what a call to make: cut off my foot and survive, or wait it out and die? That’s nasty stuff, and it’s just as nasty when Dr. Lawrence Gordon makes his bloody decision.
Gimme a Hand… Make That an Arm: Critics’ panning of Freddy vs. Jason will never sway my love for the film. It’s an amazingly gratifying piece of work, not because of the care invested or technique applied, but because it’s balls to the wall fun, right out of the gate. It also screams vintage Universal monster crossovers, which inhabit a sizable portion of real estate in my heart. There are a load of entertaining shots to behold in this goofy but great flick. One of those key moments comes in a battle between genre icons Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees – two of the 80s most beloved villains. The war is wild as all hell and ultimately culminates with a few parts being separated from the bodies they were once attached to. The great moment? When Jason rips Freddy’s arm right the hell out of socket and off of his body. It’s just… great. Watch it and see.
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