Top 5 most disturbing films of all time

Top 5 Most Disturbing Films of All Time

 

Why is he writing an article on disturbing films you may ask? Well the thing I like about these kinds of films is that they provoke a reaction, whether good or bad, which can't be said for a lot of brain numbing horror films nowadays. So I thought I would give you a rundown of the top 5 films that I think will make you reach for the cushion, curl your toes and just generally make you feel grossed out.

NOTE: While I have seen all of these films (regrettably), they aren't all films that I would recommend you watch, particularly #3 and #1, if you do feel the need to watch them you've been warned!

 

#5 Funny Games

 

abduzeedo.com

 

Whether its the original or the remake, Funny Games is sure to rattle your bones. The films premise is a home invasion story in which two men slowly force their way into a families home before subjecting them to sick and evil mind games. Its a cold and clinical film, and while all of the violence is off screen, it doesn't make it any less emotionally exhausting. The cinematography is stunning, and Haneke frequently breaks the fourth wall, as well as incoporating a few experimental shots.While the remake is also brilliant as its directed by the same person, its the original that I find brings the most terror, and will likely make you paranoid about anyone that comes knocking at your door for weeks.

 

 

#4 Antichrist

 

www.tribute.ca

 

It seems that Lars Von Trier is intent on repulsing as many people as possible, not only through his films but his personal life (See Cannes). This film may be the pinnacle of his extremity, and what a pinnacle it is. Antichrist is an arthouse drama disguised as a horror film, its a film that deals with tough subjects; depression, religion, fear, child loss, mental health, and does it in a way that shocks and disturbs. The film contains scenes of real unstimulated sex, genital mutilation involving a pair of rust scissors, the blunt horror of nature itself, and various other nasties, all of which are designed to throw you into a depression filled pit of despair. It isn't a film that you should watch if you're feeling fragile, or if you are looking for a cheap and reliable horror hit in the form of jump scares and gore. This is real horror, horror which plays on the realities of the human psyche, and the unrelenting force of nature.

 

 

#3 Salo Or 120 Days of Sodom 

 

                           

 7capitalfilms.blogspot.com

 

While this film is on the list, I strongly suggest that you do not watch it, I found it to be revolting, cruel and morally unjustified, but that's only my opinion. The film is basically about a group of elite Italians who round up a bunch of teenagers and submit them to humiliation, cruelty and violence for 120 days. There is no real point to the film other than the rather obvious and in your face political message embedded within it. The subjects are forced to eat feces, are frequently raped, have their eyes and tongues cut out and are generally treated like dogs. I would assume that most people would not want to watch those sorts of things, but on the other hand, I can predict many people wanting to see it just to see what the fuss is about. I'm not going to stop you from watching it, I merely warn that the voyeuristic pleasures one may think they will get from this picture are simply not there to be had. Avoid at all costs.

 

#2 Martyrs

 

 clubzombie.blogspot.com

 

This film film belongs to the French Extremity movement, and is probably one of the most shocking films I have seen. The narrative is based around a girl who is tortured by a mysterious cult when she is young, who then escapes, I won't spoil any more of it for you as this film is best seen when nothing is known about it. The first half of the film is a mix between a serial killer film and a Grudge-like ghost story, the second is a series of torture scenes. Some people would call it torture porn, I would beg to differ, giving this the same title as films like Hostel is just wrong, as this film has so much thought put into it. Unlike Hostel, the reasons for the torture in this film are (arguably) justifiable, not to the extent of it being ok, but enough of a reason to not switch the film off in disgust. The torture scenes in question are some of the most brutal scenes I have seen in a film, and are so cold, clinical and removed, that they are even more disturbing than they otherwise would have been. The end of the film is simply horrifying, and will leave you emotionally scarred for days. If you're looking for a deeply disturbing film, that will leave images in your head and horrify you, yet has an engaging narrative and thought provoking ideas, I would definitely recommend Martyrs.

 



 

 

#1 The Human Centipede 2

 

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While the first Human Centipede film may have pushed the boundaries of taste too far with its ideas, the sequel unashamedly obliterates them. Along with Salo, I wouldn't really recommend you to watch this film as such, but since this is a list of disturbing films it would be hard not to put it on here. This is a film which knows it is disgusting, a film where all boundaries are crossed, for the sake of crossing them. The plot is about a man who is obsessed with the original Human Centipede film, and do decides to make his own human centipede, but much bigger. That's really all there is to it, its a satire of the original film itself, and a parody of films that push boundaries. The film was initially banned in the UK, and refused classification, which was then revoked and given an 18 rating, albeit with 32 cuts to the film removing most of the horrid scenes. Some of these scenes involve: A man masturbating with sandpaper, a man raping a woman with barbed wire around his penis, the death of a newborn baby, the force feeding of feces, and the stapling of mouths to buttocks. This is not a pleasant film, its a film designed to create controversy, and therefore sales, and to earn back its budget through the voyeuristic desires of the audience. Again I would avoid this film if you can, it doesn't present any ideas or commentaries forward, but instead is revolting for the sake of it.

 

 

That's it for this post, I promise my next one will be something a little more pleasant! Keep checking twitter for updates.  

Indie Roundup #4

Indie Roundup #4

 

Thought I would post another indie roundup seeing as I won't be reviewing any new films for a few days, here's 3 of my favourite indie/arthouse films that I think you should watch, along with a little summary and a trailer so you don't have to keep switching tabs. Thanks for reading!

 

Mary and Max

 

www.traileraddict.com

 

Some cynics might turn their nose up at an animation film, but really Mary and Max is much more than just an animated film. The film is an exercise in hilarious comedy, brilliant narrative and most importantly, real emotion. This isn't your typical Dreamworks churn out, Mary and Max is in my opinion a real instant classic. The film is made up of two characters, a young girl (Mary) who lives in Australia and a middle aged man (Max) who lives by himself in New York. Mary chooses Max to be her pen pal, and sends him a letter, the letters subsequently begin to be frequently exchanged back and forth between the two, and that's how the majority of the film plays out. It might sound like a drag, but its quite the opposite, the letters are narrated by each character and most of it is pure comedy gold, I can guarantee you'll be belly laughing in this one. Without spoiling anything, the end of the film is simply astonishing, and will genuinely move you in some way or another. The animation is stop-motion, my personal favourite animation style, and invokes nostalgic memories of both past classics like Wallace and Gromit, to more recent uses such as the astounding Anderson penned Fantastic Mr Fox. I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to laugh, it may be an indie film but it is perfectly suited to a family viewing, as long as the kids are old enough to understand the deadpan humour which can border on adult. Overall a modern masterpiece in animation film making.

 



 

Dogtooth

 

                         

www.king-sheep.com

 

Moving on from Mary and Max is a much more sinister film. Its a film which is shocking and controversial, but is also very important. Dogtooth is a Greek film, and made its first appearance at Cannes in 2009, where it went onto win the Prix Un Certain Regard award at the festival, since then it has become somewhat of a cult film among arthouse lovers, and its clear to see why. The narrative is simple, yet complex by its very nature: a family of a mother, father, brother and two sisters live in a house in the countryside, the house is surrounded by high walls so the girls cannot see out. The siblings have never left the house, nor are they ever allowed, not until their 'dog teeth' have fallen out. To teach them about the world outside, the parents play tapes for their children, which teach them words and the definitions for them, its clear from the opening sequence of the film however that nothing in this house bares any resemblance to the real world. For example, the girls are taught that a zombie is a small yellow flower, and that the word 'sea' is a chair. I won't spoil any more of the film for you, but this is only the tip of the iceberg of the strange things that take place during the course of the film. The film is absolutely beautifully shot, using a mix of handheld shaky camera styles mixed with hard, fixed shots and quick cuts. The performances are again astonishing, with the girls being relative newcomers to the film world, one scene in particular involving a strange dance is sure to become an iconic image among arthouse fans. The political messages in the film regarding our overprotective governments and the nanny state are plain to see, which makes reading the film much easier, yet on the other hand creates a strong sense of self awareness and post modernity seen in many other art house films, its a joy to watch. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a mystery unfold, and to see something that they wont have seen before, anyone who isn't fond of intense and violent scenes should avoid.

 

 

 

Like Crazy

www.heyuguys.co.uk

 

This Sundance darling is far from perfect, but to contrast Dogtooth I thought I would include one of my guilty pleasures. Like Crazy is a realistic depiction of a long distance relationship, there's not much more to it than that. Its a film which does not bend to the conventions of romance films, but instead adopts a more typical indie style, albeit more engaging through the use of the films unscripted dialogue. The film isn't necessarily part of the Mumblecore movement, which is now peeking into the mainstream through the recent Lena Dunham TV show Girls, but is more of a mix of indie drama with elements taken from the mumblecore movement. The narrative revolves around a student from London who is studying in America and a joiner who lives there, they form a relationship and fall in love, but when Anna (Felicity Jones) goes home for the summer and tries to go back to see him, she is told she outstayed her visa, and is deported home. The film is shot in a typical Sundance indie style, and there are some beautiful locations which really make the film shine, on the other hand the film can border on schmaltzy, and while it is very realistic and doesn't follow the cliche, it is still cheesy. There are so many things to love about Like Crazy, the free form dialogue, the performances (particularly Felicity), the cinematography, the ending but equally  there are some niggles. If you're looking for a love film that isn't like all the others you've watched over the past few years, I would definitely give this a shot, its down to earth, realistic and emotional towards the end.

 



 

Thats it for this weeks indie roundup, keep checking @Karlrichings and @Thatfilmfeeling on Twitter for updates to the blog!



Evil Dead Review

Evil Dead Review

 

bloody-disgusting.com

 

As a massive fan of the 1981 original, I entered the cinema prepared to be disappointed, based off most of the other horror remakes that have been released in the past few years, all being terrible (apart from maniac). I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed, as such.

 

For anyone who is unaware of the Evil Dead films, the original trilogy released during the 80's and 90's are loved by most horror fans, mostly due to the genre pioneering original and the post modern comedy sequel. The remake, while not directed by Sam Raimi, does have him and some of the other production teams that were present on the originals working in the background, which is always somewhat reliving. It's pretty apparent that Fede Alvarez, the new film's director, was attempting to pay tribute to the original, while also creating a new style of film for the younger generation, and in my view he succeeded. The narrative is pretty similar to the original film, but this time the reason for going to the cabin is so one of the party can go cold turkey, and while it doesn't stray from the formula too much, it does have moments which elevate it above your standard teen horror flick. The moments come in the form of subtle references to the original trilogy, the way certain scenes are shot or the fact that the cabin looks exactly the same as the original give a sense of nostalgia, which makes the narrative seem less monotonous to the people who have seen the original.

 

In terms of technicalities, the look of the film is spot on. The cinematography is beautiful, even for a grimy film like this, and the familiar swooping camera returns from the original. The set design is again brilliant, and is a great throwback to the originals, making the film seem closer to home to fans of the franchise. The effects in Evil Dead are absolutely disgusting, which is a relief, I was fully expecting the film to be much tamer than the original in gore and blood, but to be fair I think this one surpasses it. Some of the scenes are downright repulsive, Alvarez isn't afraid of giving the audience what they wanted and more, some scenes left me clasping my hand over my mouth at the sheer hideousness of them. The performances are solid, with the standout being Jane Levey as the drug addict Mia, and while shes no Ash, she does add to the horrifying atmosphere. While the atmosphere is brilliant, and the gore unrelenting, I did feel slightly let down at the sheer scare factor of it. This might be due to my overexposure to horror films but I felt that it could have done with a bit more oomph in the disturbingly scary category, it was just too glossy to really have any true scare potential.

 

To any fans of the original, I would strongly urge you to at least try the remake, while its more style over substance, and the indie vibe is gone, it does succeed in creating some gory and over the top moments that the series is known for. The narrative may not stray from the path, but it is the original evil dead that paved the way, so in essence nothing was really needed narrative wise to make this any more entertaining. If you haven't seen the original, I would suggest watching it before the remake so you can catch some of the nods, but otherwise its a great horror film and is well above the standard set these days.    

 

8/10

Top 5 Horror Films of All Time



Top 5 Horror Films of All Time

 

To celebrate the release of the new Evil Dead, I thought I would give you all my opinion on the best horror films of all time, this list is only my opinion and there are hundreds of great horror films that I could have included if the list was bigger. So here is your horror film roundup.

 

#5 The Blair Witch Project

 



filmstokeepyouawake.wordpress.com

 

Arguably the first 'found footage' style horror film came in the form of The Blair Witch Project, a film made on a shoestring budget with amateur actors and only one camera. What it lacks in gloss, it more than makes up for in creepy atmosphere, a slow burning tension and an ending which leaves you with goosebumps. This film when watched alone in the dark is truly chilling, and will give you nightmares for weeks. The film has become somewhat of an iconic cult film, and I'm pretty sure that it will be terrifying generations to come.

 

 

 



 

#4 The Wicker Man

 



cinemaknifefight.com

 

This 1973 cult mystery is widely celebrated as one of the best horror films of all time, and while it may not be horrifying or heart pounding scary, it is genuinely disturbing, and its comments on religion and paganism are fascinating. The film's premise concerns a girl who has been reported as lost on a small island off the coast of Scotland, a policeman is sent to the island to investigate, which predictably does not end well. I won't spoil it for you, but the narrative is massively engaging on the first watch, and on multiple watches you're sure to notice new things and catch hints of what happens in the end that you missed the first time. Christopher Lee is brilliant as the kooky leader of the island, and its easy to convince yourself that this community of pagans could actually exist somewhere. Overall a masterpiece, not only one of the best horror films of all time, but surely one of the best films ever made. 

 



 

 

#3 Audition

 

thetestmarketevolution.com

 

For those who have seen Audition, its pretty easy to see why its on my list, for anyone else, I suggest watching it as soon as you can, as in my opinion it is a masterclass in gore and shock horror. The film begins with a man who attends an audition set up for him by his friend to find him a new wife, he falls in love with one of the girls, who then turns out to be a complete maniac. That's as far as I will go with the narrative, as there are a few twists and unexpected turns that I don't want to spoil. If you're a gore hound, you'll love this film, it really lives up to its shock horror label, and doesn't stint on the blood and toe curling torture scenes involving huge needles and eyes. If you're looking for some Asian shock horror with plenty of gore to spare, definately give audition a watch.

 

 



#2 The Evil Dead

 

www.brainermagazine.com

 

I can picture all the groans from many of you finding out that this is on my list, yes it's a predictable choice and yes its on pretty much every horror list, but this film has inspired many of the films you see today. Exploitative, trashy and low budget it is, but its also original, iconic and well revisited by today's horror films. The basic narrative will be so familiar to you all now, you'll probably be able to guess every line that's coming, but in the end, this was the film that started it all. Its about a group of teens who go on a trip to a cabin in the woods, and then accidentally release a bunch of evil spirits who then use the teens as prey. The narrative has become so well used, that the post modern Cabin in the Woods is directly influenced by the film, as well as most of the subsequent teen horror films. The film isn't scary by today's standards, and the effects are laughable, but that is what makes the film so damn good! Everything is so well done, and so well thought out that it doesn't matter if there isn't a glossy Hollywood glimmer on everything. Some might argue that The Evil Dead 2 is the better film, and I would be inclined to agree, the sequel however is more of a comedy and so wouldn't really be suited to this list. If you haven't seen The Evil Dead, you must watch it, as you've most likely seen a film that has been directly influenced by it.

 

 

#1 The Shining

 



collider.com

 

Kubrick is one of my all time favourite directors, so its no surprise that this is #1 on my list. Its an absolute masterpiece, and is virtually flaw free in my eyes, I can watch it over and over and over and keep picking up on new things and never get sick of it. This is partly due to the films brilliant narrative that keeps you guessing, but also due to the beautiful cinematography and set design, the swooping camera follows the characters around like a stalker, which only adds to the unease which is present throughout the entire film. The narrative (as if you don't already know) revolves around a family who are looking after a secluded hotel for the winter season, as the film progresses it is apparent that the father of the family is becoming increasingly psycho, and the rest is history. If you're a fan of horror or just films in general and you haven't yet seen The Shining, I urge you with everything I have to watch it, it really is a flawless masterpiece that will chill you and leave some disturbing imagery in you're head, as well as crawling deep under your skin.

 

 

 

There were so many other films I could have put in this list, Psycho, V/H/S, Paranormal Activity, The Descent to name a few, and these films are just a starting point for anyone wanting to delve into the horror genre and the review of The Evil Dead (2013) will be up in the next few days!



Papadopoulos and Sons Review

Papadopoulos and Sons Review

 

www.screenrush.co.uk

 

Papadopoulos and Sons is a British indie comedy drama about a wealthy man who loses it all and subsequently works in a chip shop, only to find that what he really wanted was right in front of him, his family. Sound predictable and schmaltzy to you? You'd be right.

 

I will commend the film for its lightheartedness, god knows we need some of that around these days, but what I won't forgive it for, is its utter refusal to try and do something new with the genre. The British comedy has been going for many years now, creating some classic films like The Full Monty and Love Actually, but on the other hand creating some not so classic films, think this year's Song for Marion. Unfortunately this film falls into the latter category. The plot revolves around a father of a small family who are extremely wealthy due to his Greek food business, when his business takes a turn for the worst he is left with little money, and so enlists the help of his brother who suggests reopening the brother's old chip shop. If there was ever a film in which you could guess every line that was about to be said this is it, no effort has been made to alter the formula we have seen so many times, and unfortunately for the film, this is the main downfall.

 

I say unfortunately, because there are some surprisingly solid performances throughout the film, most noticeably Stephen Dillane as the cynical and miserable father, and Georges Corraface as his happy-go-lucky brother, there are tiny minuscule sparks of brotherly chemistry between the two, which makes watching the film a bit less of a bore. Technically speaking, the film is solidly directed and shot, and is never hard to watch, which adds to the lighthearted nature of the film, a style which some people will love and some will loathe. On the other hand there are some horrendous performances, Frank Dillane as the son James is unbearably cringey and awkward, and by the end of the film you will want to strangle the youngest boy of the family, a tiny swat who's dialogue is so irritating you'll want to tear off your ears. As well as the performances, the set design and general look of the film is sub par, generic and dull, with most of it taking place on a street somewhere in London which looks like the takeaway haven that lulls you in with its classless tentacles after a night out.

 

So then, if you're in the mood for something light hearted, something that will fulfil your desire to be entertained in a mind numbingly predictable way, then check this film out, otherwise, keep clear.

 

5/10

Beasts of the Southern Wild Review

Beasts of the Southern Wild Review

 

collider.com

 

I know this is a late one but I only recently got round to seeing it after missing it when it was released late last year. I understood the general idea of it from the trailers, but what I did not realise was how good it actually turned out.

 

The film's plot, if you can call it that, revolves around the lives of a community of people living on the edge of America in the deep South, their community is threatened by a flood and a little girl called hush puppy and her father must survive. It sounds simple, and it is, but the main difference to a lot of films here is that the narrative is told in a poetic way, it isn't a set of plot points that follow on from one to another, but rather Hush Puppy's perspective of the events around her. In this sense, it draws similarities to films like The Tree of Life, where there is a plot but it is told in a way which is not obvious and instead focuses on the characters' feelings and experiences. There are several basic commentaries made in the film, the first being a somewhat preachy environmental lesson regarding the ice caps melting, the second being an anti consumerism theme which is not forced down the audiences throats, but is still creeping in the background of the events that unfold. While some may see this as a fantasy film from the trailers, presumably a way to attract a larger audience, the film is in no way a fantasy film. The beasts in question are merely the fears of little Hush Puppy, and by the end of the film, these literal beasts are dispelled in a way which suggests a coming of age. This coming of age leads to an ending which is very moving and emotional, and as the closing credits roll you're sure to at the very least have been touched.

 

The lead role played by Quvenzhane Wallis is absolutely sensational, its easy to see why she was nominated for so many awards, she is sure to become one of the future great talents of the industry. Wallis manages to capture the essence of childhood, while at the same time portraying the difficulties of having to grow up wonderfully and effectively. Dwight Henry as Hush Puppie's dad Wink is also a brilliant performance, more so towards the end of the film, you genuinely feel like this could be a real father and daughter, which makes the film even more affecting. As well as the acting, the cinematography is gorgeous, I'm a sucker for a shaky handheld camera, I find that done well it really adds immersion factor, and in this case I felt that it succeeded. I understand some critic's frustration at the direction, particularly during scenes of movement and action, as it sometimes seems unnecessarily distracting and motion sick inducing, but in the larger context I felt that it succeeded. The environments are also beautiful, with some amazing industrial backdrops and impressive lighting effects used to make the film look as natural as possible, though not anywhere near the level of a Dogme 95 film.  

 

If you're looking for an uplifting, yet gritty and realistic film, which will require some effort from you, then watch this film. If on the other hand you need some mind numbing popcorn entertainment, give this a miss, as the patience and effort required from the viewer will turn some people off. Overall a magnificent directorial debut with some stunning performances.

 

9/10