“Torture Porn” two words that tend to have horror fans either dribbling with deviant pleasure, or cringing at the moral panic the sensational term has created. To be fair it is a very apt and clever way of summoning up the famous Hostels, Saws and Captivities out there, a term coined (apparently) by David Edelstein; a film critic who accused Eli Roth’s Hostel as displaying torture in the same style as ‘money shots’ back in 2006.
But it also has the capacity to stir up the Mary Whitehouse’s out there and can demonize a perfectly fun albeit nasty film – in my opinion. The term is now not often used in the most flattering light! It’s a horror ‘movement’ that’s hard not to have an opinion on however and one I personally find interesting. Surely a morbid fascination with laying the body bare on a slab like a piece of meat and opening it up to stare transfixed isn’t necessarily new, take the ultimate torture movie “The Pit and the Pendulum” for example! Written in 1842 and realized as a movie in 1961. The real issue for many I guess ishow far gore has gone and how much do we revel in pain? In fact there’s probably nowhere left to go now I imagine, but for me ‘torture porn’ or whatever you want to call it has a definite place in the genre, it was as some argue reacting to the constant hellish news imagery of prisoners of war, Guantanamo Bay, stories of real torture. Well that’s if you want to get all deep on the subject – but if however you’d like a season which celebrates these depraved movies than look no further than Horror Channel’s “TRAPPED AND TORTURED” season featuring three premieres.
First up, CAPTIVITY Saturday 3rd May at 10.50pm Network Premiere
Again a film that might divide audiences, this Network Premiere still has some real caliber behind it; written by Larry Cohen (It’s Alive, Phone Booth) and starring 24’s Elisha Cuthbert (that girl certainly has a pair of lungs) this movie sees arrogant model Jennifer drugged, kidnapped and held hostage in a room rigged up with torture technology designed to push both her body and mind to their absolute limits. Is there a message in here somewhere?
THE LOVED ONES Saturday 17th May at 10.50pm Network Premiere
Another Horror Channel premiere that first graced UK audiences at Frightfest back in 2010 to rapturous applause, this Australian Horror takes the ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ notion to devilishly dark levels. When Lola asks hot stud Brent to the prom he turns her down, big mistake. Demented Daddy and loopy Lola kidnap him, chain him up and force him to partake in a gruesome Prom Night all of their own!
MOTHERS DAY (2010) Saturday 31st May at 10.50pm UK Premiere
This remake stars the brilliant and convincingly demented Rebecca De Mornay (The hand that Rocks the Cradle) as the mad mamma in a performance that has to be seen. A botched robbery goes wrong and three brothers head to where they thought their mother lived, except it’s now owned by middle class yuppies. After a spot of humiliation and torture, the murderous matriarch comes round to whip her psychotic siblings into shape. And then you learn who the real psycho is! Home invasion horror at its best.
Other films in this season are the brilliant Wolf Creek and Inhuman Resources. Trapped and Tortured Saturdays throughout May.
HIDDEN Friday 9th May at 10.55pm UK TV Premiere
Why is it that only in Horror movies does some lucky git inherit a castle (Castle Freak) or gorgeous hotel (The Beyond), why can’t that happen to me eh? Well it’s a mixed blessing of course in the UK TV premiere of HIDDEN. Brian Carter learns his recently deceased Scientist – mum left him her ‘hospital’ where she researched ground-breaking treatment for drug addiction. Just so happens this is actually a huge ancient Monastery in the lush Italian countryside and mummy wasn’t entirely ethical in her medical experiments! As his friend’s bodies begin to pile up, the sinister truth hidden within the monastery walls is revealed!
DOCTOR WHO Weeknights Double Bills at 7.50pm
Last month saw the launch of our hugely popular ‘Who on Horror’ weekend and you can still catch the classic adventures of DOCTOR WHO featuring (in May) Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker along with their trusty companions, rogue time lords and devious daleks! DOCTOR WHO in double bills from 10am, 3.15pm and 7.50pm weeknights on Horror.
So that’s May wrapped like a choking head in cellophane for ya, enjoy!
Please do tweet me, I love a good gritty chat about all things Horror; www.twitter.com/emmybooth
