SNUFF HAPPENS

I was intrigued when I read the headline "Movies I Will Never See: Grotesque" over at Horror Squad. I usually reserve that title for movies like The Ugly Truth, Transformers 2 and anything directed by Rob Zombie. Obviously with a name like Grotesque, it seems like a perfect match for a site dedicated to horror films. Why would they choose not to watch it? After reading the review and watching the trailer (there's your warning), I'm almost inclined to agree. Grotesque is pure torture porn with little to no story and very graphic mutilations.

"Whereas Hostel was for kids, Grotesque is for adults. This is billed as the "cruelest Japanese splatter movie ever" and it truly lives up to that billing. It is no small relief that the film lives up to its movie title, a torture porn genre that has largely taken over the horror field. No CGI effects here, just sadistic violence that rarely flinches away, use of excellent makeup and prosthetics and shot very convincingly. Needless to say, in the finest tradition of Japanese gore cinema, the plot is minimal, with a young couple played by AV actress Nagasawa Tsugumi and Kawatsure Hiroaki (recently in "OneChanbara") being snatched off the street, only to wake up shackled in a grimy basement. Without even having the decency to explain why, a particularly sadistic madman (Osako Shigeo) proceeds to degrade, torture and mutilate them. This film is not for the faint of heart."

I love horror films but they have become endurance tests over the last few years. I own Hostel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Eden Lake, all of them are all well done films but there are few surprises or scares in these movies. The violence is so extreme, watching the movie becomes torture for the audience. While I peek out from behind my fingers at the screen, I'm left to wonder where horror films can go from here.