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Extreme Cinema

The films listed below are (in)famous for arousing controversy on their initial release, be it for explicit scenes of violence, sex or extreme political beliefs . The best films in this collection use their notorious elements not merely to shock, but to provoke ('Salo' uses its disturbing sequences, borrowed from Sade, as a comment on Fascism, whilst the sickening rape scene in 'The Accused' rightly refused to soften the depiction of this despicable crime). The following films can still cause impassioned debate, in some cases decades after they were made... See also the category 'Asia Extreme'. Right: One of the most shocking debuts 'Man Bites Dog'.

The Horseman (2008)

6.6/10
Director: Steven Kastrissios
Starring: Peter Marshall, Brad McMurray, Caroline Marohasy

An Australian revenge flick that pushes the limits, telling the gritty story of a father out to avenge his daughter's death. He drives through north Q... Read more

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

4.4/10
Director: Tom Six
Starring: Akihiro Kitamura, Dieter Laser, Andreas Leupold, Ashley C Williams, Ashlynn Yenn...

Advertised as being 100% medically accurate, this outrageous horror film finds two stranded American tourists and a Japanese businessman held captive... Read more

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (Blu-ray) (2009)

4.4/10
Director: Tom Six
Starring: Akihiro Kitamura, Dieter Laser, Andreas Leupold, Ashley C Williams, Ashlynn Yenn...

Advertised as being 100% medically accurate, this outrageous horror film finds two stranded American tourists and a Japanese businessman held captive... Read more

The New York Ripper (1982)

6.4/10
Director: Lucio Fulci
Starring: Jack Hedley, Almanta Keller

Start spreading the blood...I'm slashing today. if you want to wake up to the sound of a city that never stops screaming, then see Italian horror mast... Read more

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

7.2/10
Director: Mel Gibson
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Sergio Rubini

Likened to a snuff movie by some critics for its sustained brutality, director Mel Gibson's impassioned religious biopic chronicles the last 12 hours... Read more

The Passion of the Christ ( Blu-ray ) (2004)

7.2/10
Director: Mel Gibson
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Sergio Rubini

Likened to a snuff movie by some critics for its sustained brutality, director Mel Gibson's impassioned religious biopic chronicles the last 12 hours... Read more

The Piano Teacher (2001)

7.5/10
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoit Magimel

"The Piano Teacher" is a powerful and controversial new drama from the award winning filmmaker Michael Haneke ("Funny Games"). Isabelle Huppert ("8 Wo... Read more

Triumph of the Will (1934)

7.5/10
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Starring: Adolf Hitler

Leni Riefenstahl's breathtaking film record of the 1934 Nazi Nuremberg Rally is universally regarded as one of the most outstanding documentaries ever... Read more

Zombie Holocaust (1980)

5.3/10
Director: Marino Girolami
Starring: Ian McCulloch, Alexandra Delli Colli, Sherry Buchanan, Peter O'Neal

AKA 'Dr Butcher MD'. In an effort to expose a flesh-eating cult in New York City, Peter Chandler and Dr. Lori Ridgeway set out on an expedition to the... Read more