Most violent movies

[Chrysalis]

I'll say it again.Oldboy

I have heard many things about this film and its been highly recommended to me. As of yet I haven't gotten around to watcing it - even though I enjoy Korean movies.

Some of the most violent and twisted films seem to originate from that general area of the world.

[Montresor]

I own a copy. Seen it many times. Old Boy is a great film. One of the best films of the last twenty years, that's for sure. Definitely ranks up there in the violence stakes too.

Another Korean film of extreme violence (and also happens to be excellent) is Brotherhood of War - a film which makes Saving Private Ryan seem like a warm-up.

Has anyone seen In a Glass Cage? An Argentinian film about a nazi war criminal and his rather deranged nurse. It has two scenes in which young boys are murdered which are some of the most confronting I've ever seen. Possibly the bleakest film ever made, and definitely in my top-three horror films of all time.

[taraswizard]

No Country for Old Men. An incredibly violent movie, that almost completely lacks any morality.

[Chrysalis]

Koroshiya 1 ( Ichi: The Killer) by MikeTakashi (who has already been mentioned prevously) is also quite violent in nature.

I am told Creep is pretty bad too but not seen that myself.

[The Dreaming]

Are these just American movies? Because the average Anime is about a zillion times more violent than that. Where the hell is 300? Sin City?, Kill Bill, Terminator II, Aliens? Is it cause no one in their right mind would take these movies seriously?

As for the most frightening Violence I have ever seen... it was in a not really very violent movie, Frailty. (PICK IT UP! One of only a handful of movies that have actually gotten into my head and scared something deep inside of me. Alien is another)

I also don't think that anyone who has seen Battle Royal would put it anywhere but the number 1 spot.

And what about Rollerball with James Caan! Excalibur! Gladiator!

That list is rubbish... The only movie that I think actually belongs on it is Reservoir Dogs.

[Chrysalis]

As for the most frightening Violence I have ever seen... it was in a not really very violent movie, Frailty. (PICK IT UP! One of only a handful of movies that have actually gotten into my head and scared something deep inside of me. Alien is another)
.

Great film! I own a copy. It has the added bonus for me as one of my favourite actors is in it also

[Montresor]

That list is rubbish... The only movie that I think actually belongs on it is Reservoir Dogs.

Actually, I thought Resevoir Dogs was pretty tame. I mean, the camera pulls away from the notorious (supposedly) ear cutting scene and you don't even really see anything. Compare that to the ear cutting scene in Chopper, for instance, and Resevoir Dogs doesn't even rate a mention. The film Resevoir Dogs shamelessly plagiarises (City on Fire) is more violent on the whole, and it's not even that violent.

The last fifteen minutes of Audition has yet to be surpassed for shocking violence, as far as I'm concerned. Great movie too.

Then you have the whole seventies Italian cannibalsploitation films, like Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox etc etc, all of which contain real animal snuff. On the whole much nastier and gorier than most american films which go for the gore angle.

Eaten Alive/Mangiati Vivi, for instance (not the Tobe Hooper one), is notorious for one scene in which (spoiler tagged it because it's strong sexual violence):

Spoiler

Two women are captured and raped by cannibals. They are then eaten alive, arms and legs being hacked off while they are still struggling. One woman gets her breasts cut off, and all the cannibals share it around for a bite. Five minutes or so of this and finally the women are gutted completely, their carcasses then being sort of stretched out, I assume, to dry. A deeply stupid movie on so many levels, but fun in a "what a ridiculous piece of trash" kind of way.

Day of the Dead is also by far the goriest of Romero's Dead series - the climax alone has some unbelievably impressive and extreme gore.

[drew]

Full Metal Jacket

DAMN I loved that movie.

The second half WAS really violent too.

When that guy get picked off by the hidden sniper, and the res of his squad had to just sit and watch.

[Chrysalis]

Full Metal Jacket

DAMN I loved that movie.

The second half WAS really violent too.

When that guy get picked off by the hidden sniper, and the res of his squad had to just sit and watch.

It is great on many levels. I actually had to watch it for a media studies class too. Looking at how socialisation got broken down and rebuilt and how woman were portrayed at that time.
I won't bore you with the details but it is on my 'very good films' list!

[drew]

Mine too.

And its nice to see the origon of the "Me love you long-time" phrase.

[Brinn]

Interesting list but relatively tame stuff. Although I must admit I might be missing the distinction between violent movies and gory movies. "Saving Private Ryan" was a very violent and powerful movie but the violence is an integral part of the narrative of the story (i.e how can you tell a war story without violence?!?!) and therefore it doesn't come off as gratuitous. Movies like Private Ryan and Hannibal just don't jump to mind when I think of the most violent movies out there. Likewise films like "Dead Alive" don't do it for me either as there is a an undercurrent of comedy to relieve the tension and it's all a bit tongue-in-cheek (Although I did love the movie).

I've heard two films mentioned on this thread that I would consider very violent. The first is "Irreversible" (think of the climax with Jennifer Connely in "Requiem for a Dream" and multiply by 5X) and "Ichii the Killer" (which also has a slightly comedic comic book feel to it but not so much as “Dead Alive”). I admit I haven't seen all the films mentioned on this thread like "Oldboy" (I've heard very good things about this film), “In a Glass Cage” (I haven’t seen many Argentinian films but If you want confrontation Montressor, keep reading), or Battleroyal but I can assure you that there is a trilogy of films that may make you rethink your definitions of violent.

These films are pointedly exploitative, brutal, revolting, damaging, nasty, disconcerting, vile, mean-spirited, nihilistic and lack any semblance of humanity. They will leave a mark and may make you wish you could shower your eyes and brain after having seen them. I refuse to watch the third in the series as the first two were all I needed to see of this type of cinema. Those who are either weak in constitution or psychologically vulnerable need not apply.

The movies are “August Underground”, “Mordum”, and “Penance” by Fred Vogel, founder of Toe Tag Pictures who was formerly a make-up artist for Tom Savini (of Romero’s “Dead” Series fame). They are all simulated snuff films and the effects are nasty and realistic. The following is a review of “AU” and “Mordum” (as “Penance” (2007) was not released when the review was written) by Matt Hill of Atrocities Cinema: The whole review can be found here.

So, you've probably read my review for Fred Vogel's August Underground's Mordum, and if you've read that review, you'll know that I referred to that film as being one of the most genuinely disturbing, sick, and outright horrifying films I've ever seen. You'll also know that Mordum is the "sequel" to a pus-addled cinematic sore known as August Underground. I first heard about this film a few years ago, and I remember seeing about ten minutes of a tenth-generation bootlegged VHS copy at a party I had attended. I remember having a tide of opposing emotions and sensations wash over me; guilt, disgust, fascination, curiosity, fear...all of these things pulled at my mind in a grim tug-of-war. The funny thing is that, until fairly recently, I had forgotten all about August Underground. I had forgotten that I ever heard about Toe Tag Pictures. I had forgotten I had ever heard about the sick, simplistic genius embodied by Fred Vogel's putrid productions. If those memories had stayed buried, I might be a happier person today. Now, before you get all pissed off and accuse me of overdramatizing this whole thing, let me explain:

The August Underground films are twisted, wholly evil films, but they will prove to be incredibly important in the history of horror cinema. They are purely indicative of the fact that there are filmmakers out there who are so completely disenfranchised with the state of sanitized modern mainstream horror films that they will go to incredible...unspeakable lengths to produce something that is diametrically opposed to your standard overhyped PG-13 (or even "hard-R") slag.

The DVD’s can be had through Amazon or at Toetagpictures.com for any of you who are brave/stupid/callous enough to want to test your mettle (Or drop me an address and I’ll be glad to send you mine as I won’t watch them again). Be warned, these movies cannot be enjoyed in any traditional sense of the word. Rather they are to be endured. I’ve seen all the so-called “torture-porn” movies out there (Hostel 1 & 2, Captivity, the Saw series, Wolf Creek, Hard Candy, etc…) and liked them. I didn’t like this series, at least the two of them I’ve seen.

[Montresor]

The Vogel films certainly have a reputation . . .

I haven't seen anything more than still-shots of them myself and, from what I gather, they leave most so-called gore films for dead. They remind me of a short film called Aftermath, a film solely about the autopsy of a young woman's corpse, and the morgue attendant having sex with the viscera. Pretentious pile of garbage, with pretty much nothing but shock value and good effects to recommend it (though it has one laughably bad effect at the end which at least made me wonder if I was supposed to be looking at a stuffed dog toy with entrails).

As Brinn says, it's all down to context. A film like Private Ryan may have, on the whole, better gore effect than say, New York Ripper, but it doesn't have that film's meaness and sleaze, which elevates it to the old 'video-nasty' territory.

[Brinn]

Hmmm....Aftermath. Never heard of it but it sounds like a nice Holiday film for the whole family. I'll have to do a web search and see what I can learn about it.

As for Vogel's reputation; I hate to think that there is a group of horror afficianados out there that are more "in the know" than myself but all evidence points to this fact. I like to think of myself as a horror connoisseur but, honestly, prior to a friend of mine telling me about the Vogel films about a year ago, I had never heard any mention of them.

I think Vogel's website and/or Youtube may have some extended clips from the movies if you're interested. I'm at work so I can't provide a link but later tonight I'll see if I can find something for you.

If you have a strong stomach and can appreciate the movies on a technical level, (i.e. as a compilation of special effects) you may find them amusing in a twisted sort of way.

[Cagliostro]

Interesting list but relatively tame stuff. Although I must admit I might be missing the distinction between violent movies and gory movies. "Saving Private Ryan" was a very violent and powerful movie but the violence is an integral part of the narrative of the story (i.e how can you tell a war story without violence?!?!) and therefore it doesn't come off as gratuitous. Movies like Private Ryan and Hannibal just don't jump to mind when I think of the most violent movies out there. Likewise films like "Dead Alive" don't do it for me either as there is a an undercurrent of comedy to relive the tension and it's all a bit tongue-in-cheek (Although I did love the movie).

I've heard two films mentioned on this thread that I would consider very violent. The first is "Irreversible" (think of the climax with Jennifer Connely in "Requiem for a Dream" and multiply by 5X) and "Ichii the Killer" (which also has a slightly comedic comic book feel to it but not so much as “Dead Alive”). I admit I haven't seen all the films mentioned on this thread like "Oldboy" (I've heard very good things about this film), “In a Glass Cage” (I haven’t seen many Argentinian films but If you want confrontation Montressor, keep reading), or Battleroyal but I can assure you that there is a trilogy of films that may make you rethink your definitions of violent.

Miike (the guy who did Ichi The Killer) is someone who is interesting me of late, but for the reasons you mention: because he does take the violence to a level that is just plain disturbing. Not masturbatory disturbing like I felt House of 1000 Corpses was (like the filmmakers were getting off on the violence which really turned my stomach and will keep me from watching any more of Rob Zombie's movies), but powerful disturbing. Audition was my introduction to him, and what started as something of a Hitchcock feeling film became the modern day equivalent of the shower scene from Psycho. I have never squirmed in my seat as much as I did watching the end of this movie, wishing the scene would end. Still, it was powerful, and worked. Ichi The Killer was just plain disturbing, and several things from it have ended up in other films, such as Pan's Labyrinth. I still haven't seen a lot of Miike's films, but what I have seen has mostly been in the realm of Ichi The Killer. However, I did see a movie called "The Happiness of the Katakuris" (if I remember correctly), and found the zombie musical to be a lot of fun with only a few disburbing bits. But it is completely insane and hilarious and a nice change from the rest of what I have seen from him.

[CovenantJr]

Koroshiya 1 ( Ichi: The Killer)

That's the first time I've seen the (Anglicised) Japanese title. Amusing to me that it actually contains the figure 1. (Ichi = one)

[Brinn]

"Audition" is the only Miike film I own. Decent stuff but not as scary or disturbing as I had heard.

I was checking for clips of "A.U." or "Mordum" for Montressor and found the full length "Mordum" on-line for free. I won't hyperlink it as I don't want to contribute to the delinquency of any of the younger watchers but I'll send the link to anyone who's interested. Drop me a PM for the link.

[dlbpharmd]

And your wife was worried about ME being an ax murderer?

[Brinn]

Hey, I watch this stuff so I can spot an Axe muderer a mile away!

[Montresor]

Hmmm....Aftermath. Never heard of it but it sounds like a nice Holiday film for the whole family. I'll have to do a web search and see what I can learn about it.

Yeah, a light-hearted family film.

I hear DreamWorks are doing a remake, with Tom Hanks as the morgue attendant, and Christina Ricci as the cadaver. If Spielberg directs, it can have as much graphic violence in it as it wants, and it'll still probably just get a PG.

As for Vogel's reputation; I hate to think that there is a group of horror afficianados out there that are more "in the know" than myself but all evidence points to this fact. I like to think of myself as a horror connoisseur but, honestly, prior to a friend of mine telling me about the Vogel films about a year ago, I had never heard any mention of them.

I stumbled upon them in some list or other, forgot about them, and then had a friend tell me about them last year too.

Has anyone else here seen or heard of Taxidermia? It had a pseudo-mainstream release down here (it played at the city's main film festival, and I've seen copies for sale in DVD stores).

It's a Czech film, which aims to revolt on just about every level possible. It also happens to be beautifully shot, and very well acted. It has just about anything you can imagine in it that might revolt - a main character who daydreams about molesting Hans Christian Andersen's Little Matchstick Girl; some very, very extreme violence; obese speed-eaters vomiting gallons; brief shots of hardcore sex and much, much more. The final sequence of violence is, to say the least, quite gruelling (and I consider myself very thick-skinned).

As I said, though, the film is really quite beautiful - and it's almost impossible to look away from. In a league of its own for shock value and atmosphere. A very hard film to get out of your head, and I found myself thinking about it for days and days, unable to make my mind up about just what I thought of it.

[CovenantJr]

Has anyone else here seen or heard of Taxidermia?

A friend with fairly extreme taste in films told me about it. She said it's the second most horrific film she's seen. I forget what the first was, which is probably a mercy.