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 Birth of a Nation (1915)
6.7/10
Director: D W Griffith
Starring: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry B Walthall
An epic tale of the Civil War which many consider to be the single most important film in the development of cinema as an art. It is a stunning summar... Read more
The Candy Snatchers (1973)
6.5/10
Director: Guerdon Trueblood
Starring: Tiffany Bolling, Brad David, Christophe Trueblood, Ben Piazza, Bonnie Boland, Vi...
Three depraved criminals kidnap 16-year-old Candy (Susan Sennet) and bury her alive, demanding a ransom from her father. When Dad refuses to pay, the... 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
Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)
7/10
Director: Wisit Sasanatieng
Starring: Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Arawat Ruangvuth
One of the most elaborate productions ever mounted in Thailand, this is a candy-coloured Western made in the high-energy style that characterizes much... Read more
Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
6/10
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Uberto P Quintavalle, Aldo Valetti
Pasolini's final and most controversial film has been banned, censored and reviled the world over since it's first release. The film is based on the M... Read more
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
7/10
Director: John McNaughton
Starring: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold
Based on the shocking true story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Michael Rooker delivers an unforgettable performance of ferocious intensity as Henr... Read more
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
Natural Born Killers: The Director's Cut ( Blu-ray ) (1994)
7.3/10
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Sizemore, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson
Dubbed 'A Clockwork Orange' of the 90s, this all-out audio-visual experience is something that comes along all too rarely. Oliver Stone has, with the... Read more
Bloodsucking Freaks (1975)
4.8/10
Director: Joel Reed
Starring: Seamus O'Brien, Niles McMaster, Viju Krim, Luis De Jesus, Dan Fauci
Cult classic cannibal 'comedy' about the sadistic Sardu, a man who stages elaborate S & M torture shows in an exclusive New York theatre. What the un... Read more
Lipstick (1976)
5.3/10
Director: Lamont Johnson
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Margaux Hemingway, Mariel Hemingway, Chris Sarandon
A controversial account of the rape of a high-fashion model (Margaux Hemingway) and her violent revenge. Mariel Hemingway (Margaux's real-life sister)... Read more