Age of The Nerd
When it comes to horror movies, they normally are delivered in a few different flavours. There are the psychological horror features that grab your attention by electing to be vague in the finer details of its narrative. Ambiguity is often the main ingredient there which can result in some post view discussions on IMDB and the like. There are horror movies that are often referred to as the true definition of the genre. Perhaps coming mostly in the form of ghost and demonic tales, the objective is to purely scare and terrorize the viewer, yet, are very strict with the use of grisly effects. And finally, the type that often appeals to a younger age group, there is the splatter movie! You will have seen one should you have ever seen a single Friday 13th or Freddy Krueger flick.
But there are, factually, moments of carnage in every type of film not named Kung Fu Panda and Toy Story. You will be aware of this if you happened to have seen The Godfather or even the popular television series, Game of Thrones.
This editorial is going to examine three of cinema’s most effective carnage filled sequences. And sometimes, not for the most obvious of purposes!
1. Braindead (1992)
Created by King Kong director Peter Jackson, Braindead is a 1992 production. The New Zealand director was still at a point in his career when he was showing the world what his filmmaking talents could do with an estimated budget of $3,000,000. Braindead, also known as Dead Alive in the US, is a cliche tale about zombies overtaking the population. But what sets this movie apart, despite it’s comedic tone, is it’s blood filled finale which involves the lead hero, Lionel, slaughtering loads of the living dead with a lawnmower!
There seemingly is no shortage of flying body parts and buckets of blood during the approximate 20 minute sequence. If Peter Jackson aimed to outdo himself after making Bad Taste then he succeeded rather easily. Both Bad Taste and Braindead were clear signs that he was destined to go on and give Hollywood some of their most modern and iconic movies.
2. The Thing (1982)
If there is ever a prominent role that Kurt Russell would be remembered for then it would be as Snake Plissken in Escape from LA and his role in The Thing. A remake of 1951’s A Thing From Another World, this feature isn’t particularly visually high on blood but the sight of the aberrant creature and it’s birth from the gut of a dog never fails to make one squirm.
The later sequence in which our heroes try to revive a fellow team member from death, only for the giver’s arms to plunge right through his chest revealing that he’s no ordinary human being is surely a runner up!
3. Hannibal (2001)
The sight of character Mason Verger’s pancake like face would be enough for many to surrender watching, but it is the brain eating sequence during the film’s climax that is the cherry on top. Depending on your point of view, some may find the sequence just plain ridiculous as Anthony Hopkins claimed he once did when watching the pre-release preview of the film. For the rest of us, though, the over the top scene involving Ray Liotta playing a captured and drugged up FBI agent that is forced to eat his own organ is nauseating. Forcing heroine, Clarice Starling to watch her colleague consume his unconventional meal only serves to heighten the terror as she desperately tries to not spill her own guts.
It is also unfortunate that Ridley Scott‘s follow up to the 1991 classic, Silence of the Lambs failed to leave much to the imagination like it’s predecessor did, and the selected approach to be generous with the blood letting was unfortunately the start of the steep decline of this franchise.
Do you agree or disagree?
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