Friday, April 09, 2010

5 Foreign Movies that are Shocking as Hell (and that you may not have heard of)

Clearly, my post on the new freakishly bio-torture film, The Human Centipede has got me thinking of other foreign flicks that have been labeled as "most disturbing" or "totally shocking". I had to search long and hard to figure out what I HAD seen and what I could put comprehensively on a list. What I have down below is what I can remember and probably just a few of the movies I've seen that are disturbing as hell.

Sure there are others, but I tried to think of the ones that you may NOT have heard of. So sit back and relax and feel comfort that you probably haven't seen it (applause if you have). Note that all these films are either from 1992 or 1974...weird.

5.) Man Bites Dog

Country: Belgium (1992)

the jaded viewer says: One of the first serial killer movies that was funny, yet highly disturbing. It's a mockumentary as a film crew follows Benoit, a sadistic serial killer.

So why is it shocking?

Well the fact that our protagonist kills without any remorse and the crew though appalled does nothing the murders and even helps in some cases.

Also the ending is by far ironically twisty. Just a good indie flick but with some of the blackest humor you will ever see in a movie.

4.) Dr. Lamb

Country: Hong Kong (1992)

the jaded viewer says: Sure the easy pick from China is to go with an Anthony Wong Ebola Syndrome flick. But for some unknown reason Dr. Lamb sticks in my head.

Simon Yam stars as Lam Gor Yu aka Dr. Lamb, a disturbed loner who drives a taxi at night, looking to rid the streets of what he considers to be human garbage.

This is Category III stuff which has graphic scenes of mutilation, necrophilia and serious amounts of splatter, gore and carnage.

It's one movie that sticks in my head as the pinnacle of HK splatter and shock.

3.) Benny's Video

Country: Austria/Switzerland (1992)

the jaded viewer says: It's a Michael Haneke film that's NOT Funny Games. Haneke's Benny's Video is disturbing as shit in that arthouse sort of way.

The subject matter is pig slaughter, kid on kid violence and some haunting family issues. It's methodical (as Haneke shows in his other movies) and the violence is a look into Haneke's thesis of violence on film.

It has a lot to say and leaves an impact you soon don't forget. Mostly because of Benny and his video.



2.) Vase de Noces aka The Pig Fucking Movie

Country: Belgium (1974)

the jaded viewer says: It's a movie about a guy fucking pigs...but it's done all avante gardy.

So I will leave you with some phrases because there really is no plot in this black and white grainy film.

Pig Fucking
Pigacide
Human/Pig Hybrids
Feces Urine beverage
Suicide


1.) Sweet Movie

Country: Canada/France/West Germany (1974)

the jaded viewer says: Coprophilia people. Yup. This movie has it. That's eating shit for pleasure for the uneducated.

But more than that, Sweet Movie loads up on all sorts of no no's that will ban your film in many countries. Pedophilia, real sex on film, childacide.

Read the insane plot at Wikipedia involving 2 separate narratives, one of a "Miss Canada" and the other of Anna.

For some unknown reason the only thing I remember is the second narrative of Anna luring kids with candy and doing the unspeakable to them.

Hell I have no idea what the themes are in this. All I know is my jaw dropped after watching this flick.

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Well there you have it. I hope this was somewhat educational. If you decide to hunt down these flicks, be warned you have to have some uber warped mind to get through them. They easily will make you sick to the stomach.

Did I miss one? What are your most disturbing or shocking films you've seen (American or foreign)?

16 comments:

  1. I haven't seen any of the films you listed, though I have heard of Man Bites Dog. You've got me intrigued with the Haneke film because I loved Funny Games.

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  2. I've heard of all these, but have only seen Man Bites Dog--which is a great flick. Vase de Noces and Sweet Movie I've read quite a bit about, but I don't know if I'm ready to venture into them just yet...but I'm sure I will at some point.

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  3. Holy jesus! I haven't seen any of these and I consider myself to have seen some f-ed up shit. Wow dude, you must have an iron stomach :)

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  4. Have not seen any of those. Some of mine are I Spit On Your Grave, Last House on the Left, and Cannibal Holocaust. Man you are the master of finding the fucked up. I don't know if that's a compliment. :)

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  5. I saw Man Bites Dog way back in the mid-90's and loved it. It was featured in a fantastic issue of Gorezone magazine, along with Reservoir Dogs. I haven't seen the other films, but will have to check them out fo sho!

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  6. MAN BITES DOG is all sorts of awesome, probably one of the better films I have seen all year! The others I havent even heard of, but apparently with good cause. I want to say I will be sure to check them out.. But only in the same curious sense I had with 2G1C

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  7. I have seen all of the flicks but The Pig Fucking Movie, which now I must look for. Benny's Video is one of my favorite Haneke films, after Funny Games. So disturbing. Nice choice in films!

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  8. That is an inspired list that I will definitely avoid. Salo and Visitor Q would make my list but they seem tame compared to the above!

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  9. Shu - I had to do some serious searching to the find the pig fucking movie.

    Everybody - There really is no need to see any of these flicks (though Man Bites Dog is a must see)

    I mean Sweet Movie is indeed comepletly f-ed up but these were all really bizarre arty surreal 70s flicks that if your jaded like me, its fun to take on some visual fuckedupness.

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  10. I haven't seen any of these as of yet, though I managed to get a hold of Man Bites Dog and will be watching it soon - I also plan to see Benny's Video, as I very much like Haneke's work. Dunno 'bout the others, as it were.

    My vote for sickest films I have seen, though, would have to go to:
    American: August Underground - The whole trilogy, really, but I think the first one is far superior, as a film, to the other two. Regardless, Fred Vogel and Allen Peters are truly twisted.

    Foreign: Dead or Alive - I love Takashi Miike - Ichi the Killer is one of the greatest films I've ever seen (and is plenty messed up itself) - so when I saw this at a pawn shop on DVD for two bucks, I had to get it. In addition to some great Yakuza/Triad gang violence and the strangest ending to an otherwise seemingly serious film I've ever seen, Dead or Alive has got: a chick drowning in a kiddie pool full of her own defecation, a chick getting banged by a dog, a dog getting a handjob, a guy ripping his own arm off, and a guy having his stomach contents splattered across the floor via shotgun blast.

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  11. ive seen man bites dog. Good entertainment but man, movies like salo, irreversible, august underground....etc didnt make me flinch a bit. so i really hope this list is for the truly maniacal viewer where each frame is like a kick to the balls.
    ill get back to ya. thanks

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  12. Most disgusting movies I've seen thusfar is the German underground film "Nekromantik", which includes a scene of a couple having sex with a rotting corpse, animals being slaughtered for real, someone killing himself while reaching an orgasm, a cat being smashed against the wall and hung over a bathtub, etc. I've seen quite a lot of messed up stuff, but this one is the only movie that ever made me feel horrible watching it in the first place.

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  13. Yup Nekromantik is a sick sick film which is why you should see Nekromantik 2!

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  14. I haven't seen any of these films but I'll probably have to hunt a couple down. The most disturbing film I have ever seen is A Serbian Film. It totally fucked with my head. I legit felt guilty for seeing what I did. It does however have a pretty great soundtrack.

    http://www.contrafilm.net/trailers

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  15. Korrigan - A Serbian Film was damn disturbing. I ranked it #1 horror film of 2010.

    http://jadedviewer.blogspot.com/2010/11/serbian-film-review.html

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  16. For somone like me who truly is a connoisseur of the depraved and f*ed up film of sorts, this list is amazing. Ive seen A Serbian Film, Salo, August Underground (trilogy), Dans Ma Peau, Trouble Every Day, Baise Moi etc so to say the least, I believe we may be kindred souls :)

    I do want to add that I don't see these movies because Im a pervert, I see them to see where the mind will go when left to its devices, and, to see the depravity of the mindset of both writer and director. Its also refreshing to sometimes push the boundaries of what is considered both taboo and unacceptable.

    Thank you for understanding! If ANYONE on here ever wants some advice or to talk movies, feel free to email me:
    s.bohnow@yahoo.com

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