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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 Accused (1988)

7.1/10
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kelly McGillis, Bernie Coulson

A young woman is gang-raped in a bar while onlookers cheer on the attack. The subsequent court trials question her 'easy' lifestyle and whether she in... 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 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

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

Scum (1980)

7.6/10
Director: Alan Clarke
Starring: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford, John Judd, Phil Daniels

A controversial and vivid story of the violence and mindless cruelty inside a government borstal. The brutality of the officers creates pressure on th... Read more

I Spit On Your Grave (1978)

5.7/10
Director: Meir Zarchi
Starring: Camille Keaton

One of the most sick, disturbing movies ever made and previously banned in New Zealand, this is the film that instigated the knee-jerk Video Nasty Leg... 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

In The Realm Of The Senses (1976)

6.6/10
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Starring: Aio Nakajima, Eiko Matsuda, Tatsuya Fuji

Tells of the bizarre true-to-life love affair between a gangster and a prostitute in 1930s Japan. Highlighted by lush visuals and graphic sex, as well... Read more

Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (Blu-Ray) (1975)

6/10
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Uberto P Quintavalle, Aldo Valetti

Nazi-Fascist Northern Italy, 1943-44. Four senior members of government, aided by henchmen and Nazi soldiers, kidnap a group of young men and women. T... 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