#1 ·
No, I’m not talking about suffering along the lines of "The English Patient" or "Shakespeare in Love," but rather those beautifully sadistic displays of human anatomy...
Since we're all sitting here impatiently waiting for "Saw IV," I figured it was high time to revisit some of the most legendary torture sequences ever put on screen.
10. Hostel (2005)
Let's kick things off with the flick that dragged the sadistic genre back into the spotlight. While the torment in both sequels is hard to forget, I’ll stick to the first one, where a charming, middle-aged Dutchman gets to play with a terrified young American; first, he goes to town on the kid's knee with a drill, then slices through his Achilles tendons and just lets him go. The kid actually believes he's free, which leads to a few agonizing seconds...
...where our unlucky protagonist desperately tries to scramble toward an exit, only for this absolute piece of trash to drag him back and play surgeon on his body for a bit longer.
9. Ichi the Killer (2001)
A sadistic psycho with slits cut in his throat—just enough to blow cigarette smoke through—decides to extract information in a pretty "original" way; he hangs a guy on hooks (kind of like those scenes you see in India), stabs him through the beard and cheeks with a massive needle, and pours boiling oil (the same stuff he used for his shrimp earlier) all over his back.
8. The Wild Bunch (1969)
People in the American West certainly have their own unique ways of dealing with enemies...
To liven up a rural party, they decide to tie a prisoner to a wagon and drag him through the dirt all day long, while kids ride over him, splash him with water, and mess with him using sprayers.
7. Waxwork (1988)
In this 80s horror flick, there's one particularly striking scene; vampires in a castle basement hold a bound victim, condemned to eternal misery, from whose legs they tear off pieces of meat every single day for dinner.
6. Tango & Cash (1989)
Out of the mountain of unforgettable torture from 80s action movies ("Rambo: First Blood Part II," "Lethal Weapon," "Nico," "Showdown in Little Tokyo"), I decided to go with this witty duo who get tortured in prison with electricity and water... honestly, all they needed was a gas leak to complete the whole utility infrastructure nightmare.
5. Marathon Man (1976)
In this thriller, alongside Steve Martin from "Little Shop of Horrors," we have the darkest dentist in cinematic history (played by Laurence Olivier) using his dental expertise to try and squeeze vital info out of a confused Dustin Hoffman.
4. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
An indifferent Mr. Blonde, right before he starts the heavy lifting, gives the cop a little advice: "Pray for a quick death that isn't coming," followed by a slapping, an ear slicing, and being doused in gasoline...
3. Braveheart (1995)
Even if the real William Wallace was a thief and a killer of innocents, it didn't stop us from shedding a tear while those corrupt Englishmen hung him, stretched him, and ripped his guts out. All he had to do was say "Mercy"...
2. Audition (1999)
Along with "Hard Candy" from 2005, this is easily one of the most traumatic films for men, after which I'm convinced you might find yourself appreciating women just a little bit more.
Basically, a girl who has had enough of being abused decides to take her revenge in a truly cruel and terrifying way; she takes a male pig who approached her through a fake audition and paralyzes his body (and his tongue, so he can't scream), while leaving his nerves fully intact so he can sit there and soak in the pain while she jams needles into his stomach and eyes and gently saws at his feet with wire.
1. Saw III (2006)
The "Saw" franchise really took torture to a whole new level. The thing is, the tormentor doesn't even have to break a sweat doing the actual work (which is usually exhausting); instead, he can just...
...lean back in his chair and enjoy watching the victims struggle to escape while exposing themselves to all sorts of agony.
While every single torture in the first three films deserves its moment, the one I find myself thinking about most is the last one in the third installment; a man is strapped to a medieval-looking device that slowly rotates, tearing apart his limbs first, and finally his neck.
Even Jigsaw admitted it was his favorite setup.
Anyway, if any of you can think of something else, feel free to chime in.
And don't forget to pack a barf bag before you head to the theater.
Since we're all sitting here impatiently waiting for "Saw IV," I figured it was high time to revisit some of the most legendary torture sequences ever put on screen.
10. Hostel (2005)
Let's kick things off with the flick that dragged the sadistic genre back into the spotlight. While the torment in both sequels is hard to forget, I’ll stick to the first one, where a charming, middle-aged Dutchman gets to play with a terrified young American; first, he goes to town on the kid's knee with a drill, then slices through his Achilles tendons and just lets him go. The kid actually believes he's free, which leads to a few agonizing seconds...
...where our unlucky protagonist desperately tries to scramble toward an exit, only for this absolute piece of trash to drag him back and play surgeon on his body for a bit longer.
9. Ichi the Killer (2001)
A sadistic psycho with slits cut in his throat—just enough to blow cigarette smoke through—decides to extract information in a pretty "original" way; he hangs a guy on hooks (kind of like those scenes you see in India), stabs him through the beard and cheeks with a massive needle, and pours boiling oil (the same stuff he used for his shrimp earlier) all over his back.
8. The Wild Bunch (1969)
People in the American West certainly have their own unique ways of dealing with enemies...
To liven up a rural party, they decide to tie a prisoner to a wagon and drag him through the dirt all day long, while kids ride over him, splash him with water, and mess with him using sprayers.
7. Waxwork (1988)
In this 80s horror flick, there's one particularly striking scene; vampires in a castle basement hold a bound victim, condemned to eternal misery, from whose legs they tear off pieces of meat every single day for dinner.
6. Tango & Cash (1989)
Out of the mountain of unforgettable torture from 80s action movies ("Rambo: First Blood Part II," "Lethal Weapon," "Nico," "Showdown in Little Tokyo"), I decided to go with this witty duo who get tortured in prison with electricity and water... honestly, all they needed was a gas leak to complete the whole utility infrastructure nightmare.
5. Marathon Man (1976)
In this thriller, alongside Steve Martin from "Little Shop of Horrors," we have the darkest dentist in cinematic history (played by Laurence Olivier) using his dental expertise to try and squeeze vital info out of a confused Dustin Hoffman.
4. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
An indifferent Mr. Blonde, right before he starts the heavy lifting, gives the cop a little advice: "Pray for a quick death that isn't coming," followed by a slapping, an ear slicing, and being doused in gasoline...
3. Braveheart (1995)
Even if the real William Wallace was a thief and a killer of innocents, it didn't stop us from shedding a tear while those corrupt Englishmen hung him, stretched him, and ripped his guts out. All he had to do was say "Mercy"...
2. Audition (1999)
Along with "Hard Candy" from 2005, this is easily one of the most traumatic films for men, after which I'm convinced you might find yourself appreciating women just a little bit more.
Basically, a girl who has had enough of being abused decides to take her revenge in a truly cruel and terrifying way; she takes a male pig who approached her through a fake audition and paralyzes his body (and his tongue, so he can't scream), while leaving his nerves fully intact so he can sit there and soak in the pain while she jams needles into his stomach and eyes and gently saws at his feet with wire.
1. Saw III (2006)
The "Saw" franchise really took torture to a whole new level. The thing is, the tormentor doesn't even have to break a sweat doing the actual work (which is usually exhausting); instead, he can just...
...lean back in his chair and enjoy watching the victims struggle to escape while exposing themselves to all sorts of agony.
While every single torture in the first three films deserves its moment, the one I find myself thinking about most is the last one in the third installment; a man is strapped to a medieval-looking device that slowly rotates, tearing apart his limbs first, and finally his neck.
Even Jigsaw admitted it was his favorite setup.
Anyway, if any of you can think of something else, feel free to chime in.
And don't forget to pack a barf bag before you head to the theater.