Awesome thread! Glad to see there are some fans of truly shocking cinema out there. I'm not too interested in the torture porn side of things so haven't bothered with Guinea Pig, etc. but here are a few that haven't been mentioned:
"Kids"
Can't believe the morals and lifestyle portrayed in this movie considering how young the actors and characters were/are
"Stephen King's It"
The source of most of my nightmares as a kid. And worst of all is that you can't avoid using the word 'it' in everyday conversation - a fact that your friends are quick to point out when you are 10 years old!
"Heavenly Creatures"
Early Peter Jackson movie based ona true story about two girls who form a weirdly unnatural relationship and decide to kill one of their mothers by beating her to death with a brick in a sock. Really weird and obsessive relationship dynamic portrayed in the film.
"The Jacket"
The sense of claustrophobia and helplessness in this film really got to me.
"8mm"
Snuff films - enough said. I went in thinking this was an action film, as did most of the audience I think since several women started crying and many left.
"Porn of the Dead"
Why would anyone mix these two things together?
"The Proposition"
A really bleak film, that presents the characters with some amazingly tough moral dilemmas in the lawless Australian outback. I have no idea how I would face such situations. The soundtrack by Nick Cave just pushed it over the edge for me.
"Watership Down"
We used to watch this at school. The image of the rabbit with the bloody foaming mouth is emblazoned on my mind forever.
"Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance"
Prequel to Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. One of the most hopeless films I have ever seen. Incredibly smart and creative in how they were able to paint such a bleak set of scenarios.
"La Grande Bouffe"
A group of wealthy French men hole up for the weekend to kill themselves through over-indulgence in sex and food.
"The Devils"
I was outraged by the outcome of this movie, which is made all the worse because it is based on a true story. The hypocrisy of the people involved was staggering. Ken Russel is a genius. Two other films of his have been mentioned already - Tommy and Altered States
"Arachnophobia"
Cause spiders are f*cking freaky.
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These have already been mentioned, but worth elaborating on:
"Caligula"
A film released in 1979 with a budget of $50mil, starring major actors like Malcolm McDowell, Peter Fonda and Helen Mirren that features full blown scenes of watersports, fisting (you don't see that directly), a real orgy with dozens of people, lesbian scenes and loads of straight penetrative sex, not to mention midget sex. How was this ever made?! Thank god it was. Pity it didn't dispel the taboos it set out to dispel
"Cannibal Holocaust"
Such a misunderstood movie. Incredibly powerful due to the raw nature of it. Has a strong message and I don't think anything was gratuitous in its make-up. Without the "offending' scenes, it would not be the timeless, powerful piece of cinema that it is. The sensational name does it a disservice though.
"Salo, or 120 Days of Soddom"
An interesting re-imagining of the Marquis de Sade's book set in fascist Italy. Wasn't that amazed by it. It wasn't as shocking as I had expected, which would have been fine if the story was better, but then again, de Sade's work didn't have much story to begin with.
"Tetsuo: The Iron Man"
A man slowly modifies his flesh to become a metal machine. The scene where he screws the girl to death with his giant drill-bit penis stands out, as does the amazing stop-motion work and the fact that this was pretty much a one-man show - a work of love on the director's part.
"Visitor Q"
Incest, necrophilia, lactation - it has it all.
"Uzumaki"
Again the Japanese and their weird world view. A film about an intense fascination with spirals. They take it to an obsessive level I could never have conceived of.
Anything by Gaspar Noe ("I Stand Alone", "Irreversible", etc.)
This guy has an amazing ability to get under your skin. I loved Irreversible. The film plays out backwards. It starts off with some of the most unpleasant scenes ever seen in a movie, but ends on such a tender note that you almost forget what came before.
"Bad Boy Bubby"
I didn't know the Australians had it in them, but this was one seriously strange film, mostly due to the incest. I actually found it strangely touching considering Bubby's limited mental capacities. It was almost like a f*cked up Forrest Gump
"Network"
I can't believe how long ago this film was made and yet how relevant it still is today
"Pink Flamingos"
I have to take my hat off to John Waters for this masterpiece. He took things in a direction I did not think possible and that is why I seek out f*cked up movies - to expand the possiblities in my mind, cause I can't do it by myself. This film was a true gem of a find - so poorly made, but the twisted creativity of it all makes up for any technical failings