Mondo movie madness

Don´t call me motherfucker, motherfucker!

That old title from the norweigan rockband Turbonegro is one of the best songtitles ever! It got that in-your-face-asshole-attitude I like. Just like I find movies with that attitude strangely attractive. Of course in real life I prefer that people are polite and that every human being is treated with care and respect (there are some exceptions to the rule here, I´m not Gandhi). In movies nevertheless, the nastier the merrier! I´m sick and tired of movies that wimp out and doesn´t take the opportunity to go all the way. Offensive? Repulsive? Blasphemous? I hope! Sometimes it’s easier to get some people’s attention if you give them a hard punch in the face. Figural speaking that is… anyone can beat my sorry ass any day of the year.

Let´s highlight some of the pictures that has gone all the way and made a long last impression on me!

1. The Exorcist is the only movie that makes me want to believe there is a God. The Exorcist was made when I was two years old, but it is still one of the most horrifying pieces of celluloid ever produced. William Friedkin approached the subject matter as a drama movie and did some really courageous choices in what to show the audience. I mean, the scene with the crucifix is still shocking and the overall atmosphere of the film is haunting and damn scary. And how many movies lets an 12-years old spew out romantic lines like “your mother sucks cocks in hell” and “ Let Jesus fuck you!” That kind of dialogue offends me as well when watching The Exorcist! An extra crucifix under the pillow for Max von Sydows brilliant portrayal of Father Merrin.

2. John Boorman wasn´t fooling around when making Deliverance in 1972. The first 45 minutes is a slow drama about four men on a fishing trip. Beautiful scenery, well written dialogue and good performances don´t give away what awaits them in the dark forest surrounding the creek. But when the terror starts, it never lets go until the credits roll. The “scream like a pig” scene is so utterly disturbing and realistically done that it´s no wonder that it´s a scene that most people remember from the film. Ned Betty really looks like his virginity is stolen from him, and his performance is outstandingly good. A grim reminder of that it is a beautiful world we live in, and that it´s the human race that has some serious fucked up problems. An extra banjo for the brilliant “dueling banjo” scene in the beginning.

3. Martyrs. A real showstopper! I was literary tongue-tied after watching this unflinching French movie. The best horror movie in years and it has one of the best female performances I´ve ever seen in a movie of this kind. Martyrs is totally remorseless and it really feels like someone has punched you in the face hard, time and time again while watching it. I don´t want to give away anything about this film. Cannot stress enough how much you need to see this one!

4. Guinea Pig 2 –Flower of flesh and blood is an old classic. The Japanese knows how to set the record straight with good taste. If it´s not eels up in women’s body cavities, humiliating candid camera shows, longhaired ghosts, cute schoolgirls or outrageous animated hentai, you know that you can always count on them in making extremely gory movies. Even though there has been a lot more violent movies produced since Guinea pig 2 came out, it is THE one that broke boundaries and made Charlie Sheen reach for the telephone and call the F.B.I . No plot, no story, just the dismembering of a young Japanese female lying on a table. Great special effects and a good alternative for watching either Pretty Woman or The Lion king.

5. Inside is another French movie and also a really disturbing one. The interesting thing about Inside is that it could easily been done without all the gore and blood, because as in the case with Martyrs, there is a good solid plot in the movie as well. But Inside also goes all the way and does also make you cringe in some of the scenes where the violence goes over the top. Solid performances and enough blood to fill up a bathtub.

6. Even though all the cannibal movies produce in the seventies in Italy was groundbreaking it surely is Cannibal Holocaust that takes the gold medal. It contains rapescenes, abortionscenes, scenes of animal mutilation, cannibalistic murders and some ad lib puking. Not only that, Cannibal Holocaust is also is a sharp comment on how far a documentary filmmaker can go to make a movie and especially the makers of mondomovies. Not the perfect movie for a date in other words. If your date is not into hardcore cannibal movies that is!

7. Irreversible is infamous for a grisly rape of the beautiful Monica Belluci that lingers on in one continuous take for about ten minutes. The scene with the fire extinguisher also makes an impact (to say the least). A movie that stays with you for a long time after you´ve seen it.