In a Jan 26 2006 New York Magazine article, David Edelstein coined a now familiar phrase – ‘Torture Porn‘. Though he was initially commenting on Eli Roth’s Hostel, Edelstein stepped back and identified what he saw as a new horror trend. Following Saw’s unexpected box office success in 2004, a handful of movies released in […]
Read More
Eli Roth is one of the more divisive filmmakers in the horror genre today. Though his filmography is relatively small, Roth has had his hand in numerous projects, including AMC’s recent Eli Roth’s History of Horror. In the early 2000’s, Roth emerged alongside filmmakers noted for pushing the envelope of onscreen violence including Rob Zombie […]
Read More
Spring Break is here! Thinking of getting away with friends for a week of drinks and debauchery? Well, you may have second thoughts after this edition of The Chopping Block. With college students invading sunny resorts, it’s time to take a look at some of the best ‘spring break’ or ‘destination’ horror films. Drunk, students […]
Read More
Aside from Rob Zombie, few current horror filmmakers understand exploitation cinema like Eli Roth. From his debut Cabin Fever to his ‘Torture Porn’ contribution Hostel, Roth has a penchant for gore. Yet Roth’s homage to the cannibal exploitation subgenre, Green Inferno, struggled to find an audience. Critics were even less impressed. Was it the excessive […]
Read More
Fourteen years ago, Lionsgate Films released a small independent horror film by two unknown filmmakers. The filmmakers were James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Yes, the same James Wan responsible for The Conjuring and Insidious franchises. He’s also directing a little movie called Aquaman. And Leigh Whannell just directed one of 2018’s better genre films, Upgrade. […]
Read More
In the 2000’s, the horror genre was arguably dominated by three trends: (1) Torture Porn, (2) Remakes, and (3) the New French Extremity movement. The classier European cousin to ‘Torture Porn’, the New French Extremity movement pushed against what one previously thought could and couldn’t be shown on screen. From High Tension to Inside to […]
Read More