Chaos - most brutal movie ever?

[The Red Vine]

This movie came out in August and the filmmakers pretty much insisted on it having the title of the "most brutal movie ever".  I had never heard of it until I read Roger Ebert's zero-star review. I think it's a remake in some ways of Wes Craven's Last House on the Left. It's gotten awful reviews from most everyone else too (out of the very small audience that actually did see it). It's probably crap.

Here's a trailer...

http://www.onlyamovie.com/trailer.html

[mogwai]

well that was shit!

talking about shit, i thought the trailer was an ad for laxatives. (for severe constipation)

[Gamblour.]

Ebert absolutely hates it.

Review: Zero Stars

A discussion with the filmmakers

[squints]

I remember reading the whole thing with ebert a long while ago, the director dresses like a professional wrestler. I figured it was trash and hoped the xixaxers wouldn't even bother

[bonanzataz]

that ebert review makes it sound like one of the best horror movies to come out in years! now i'm dying to see this!

It is an exercise in heartless cruelty and it ends with careless brutality. The movie denies not only the value of life, but the possibility of hope.

a film that transcends all barriers of decency.

I cannot ignore it, nor can I deny that it affected me strongly

when was the last time a movie made you feel like that?! how can none of you even be slightly intrigued?! this movie sounds very important. it is almost impossible to shock an american movie audience these days. it sounds like this movie succeeded. i'm going to try and check it out.

[Pubrick]

when was the last time a movie made you feel like that?!

wolf creek. check it out before this american crap.

thanks.

[bonanzataz]

when was the last time a movie made you feel like that?!

wolf creek. check it out before this american crap.

thanks.

i'm dying to see wolf creek, but my friend says it's shit. looks like it'll have to do, though, b/c this movie's been out of theaters for months, and it doesn't look like a dvd release is coming any time soon.

[grand theft sparrow]

when was the last time a movie made you feel like that?! how can none of you even be slightly intrigued?! this movie sounds very important. it is almost impossible to shock an american movie audience these days. it sounds like this movie succeeded. i'm going to try and check it out.

SPOILERS

You're not wrong, it does sound like this movie succeeds in shocking people because we're so desensitized to fake violence that the only way to get us these days is to give us as close to real violence as possible.  But that doesn't mean it's entertaining.  And judging from the filmmakers' rebuttal to Ebert, it sounds like they think their film is deeper and more important than it is... in short, they sound like the Paul Haggis of splatter.  But what these guys have done is nothing special; 90 minutes of torturing and killing a girl?  Anyone could film a movie like that and it would be just as effective.  I couldn't care less about the moral implications of making a film like this; the necessity to show pure evil on film A) works against the film as an entertainment; and B) will always be undermined by documentaries of atrocities that actually occurred (4 Little Girls, any Holocaust doc, 9/11 docs, etc).  Why try and simulate evil when the real thing has been so much worse than anything anyone is capable of showing on screen?  This is no better and no more important than the PG-13 horror movies these douchebags are bashing.

I have little desire to see this outside of to see just how far they're pushing the envelope, whereas something more conventional than this appears to be has more to offer than virtual snuff.  I could be wrong, it could very well be the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre but from what Ebert said and from that wanky trailer, it looks like it's going to be the last 10 minutes of TCM stretched out to feature length.  Being scared is one thing, being freaked out is another... and being nauseated and left feeling violated is a WHOLE other thing (as I learned from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) that just isn't entertaining.  

[The Red Vine]

I don't know exactly how far the movie goes. Not many other people do either since it played in about 9 theaters across the country. But I saw some pics of the men cutting off her nipples, actually it was more like biting off. If it goes to those kinds of extremes with a pretentious filmmaker just trying to shock everyone like that, then the movie isn't worth seeing.

this basically says it all....

http://www.onlyamovie.com/director.html

[Garam]

That review is very similar to Ebert's review of I spit on your grave. He's not such a big fan of exploitation.

[Ravi]

I'm more interested in being disturbed by the more plausible dark aspects of human nature than stuff like this that's just made to shock and disturb on a visceral level.

[Gamblour.]

This is about the producer from that same website:

The producer of CHAOS is Steven Jay Bernheim. Steve is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University and has been producing films with David DeFalco under the Dominion banner for nearly 10 years.  In 2001, Steve became the co-owner of Dominion Entertainment with David DeFalco.



Steve's producing credits include the direct to video hits POINT DOOM, GANGLAND, REDEMPTION and THE BACKLOT MURDERS.  Steve's writing career began at Harvard where he was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon.  More recently, he co-wrote THE BACKLOT MURDERS.



Steven's creative influences are derived from cinéma vérité and serious drama.



Steve's role as creative producer of CHAOS involved all aspects of turning the idea into a reality, including concept and  script development, casting, production and post production.



"Of all of my film projects, CHAOS is the one that I am proudest of. Frankly, most of the other ones were basically crap, of one form or another."



"My goal in making CHAOS was, from the beginning, to see whether we could make an extremely realistic film, with great emotional impact, on a limited budget. I have always been inspired by ultrarealism and objectivity - cinema verite - in dramatic films. My favorites include IN COLD BLOOD and THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS."



"In making CHAOS, I always pushed for realism in every dimension: in the casting, in the dialogue, in the effects, in the camera work, in the absence of a score, in the sound mix, everywhere."



"During production, I had a banner made that said, KEEP IT REAL, and I hung it from my trailer."



"I think David and I accomplished the goal of making an objective, neutral and ultralistic film about a horrific crime, and I think the film is truly artistic in that achievement."



"I am proud to be one of little CHAOS's two dads."

I find it very hard to believe that this guy went to Harvard, not that dumb assholes can't get into harvard, he's probably loaded, that's probably how he gets this shit produced and bankrolled. I mean, KEEP IT REAL.

[squints]

That review is very similar to Ebert's review of I spit on your grave. He's not such a big fan of exploitation.

He gave last house on the left 3 1/2 stars.

[Garam]

Yeah, but that was a remake of a Bergman film, so he got some brownie points.


Kidding. I realise I'm wrong anyway, because he wrote those silly 'Beyond the valley...' movies.

[grand theft sparrow]

This is about the producer from that same website:

Steven's creative influences are derived from cinéma vérité and serious drama.

Can we change "Inspiring Actress Jacki Lynn" to "Derived From Cinéma Vérité and Serious Drama"?