Well - it’s safe to say that the first part of this video series had you guys pretty -- engaged
- and I suppose that’s the territory that comes with controversy, right?
People are incredibly vocal when it comes to exploitation cinema and splatterhouse movies,
because controversy sells - and in most cases, it's the reason why horror cinema can either
be so hotly successful, or not so much - throw it in the bin - and let’s never talk about
it again.
Well, if you thought we’d hit the mark with Part 1 - there’s still a lot more where
that came from.
Hello horror fans, and once again welcome back to the scariest channel on YouTube - Top
5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Horror Movies That Were Almost Too Real - Part 2.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was from Marlon Brando’s legendary horror monologue
in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
Because, you know - researching lists like this - you manage to see some stuff… some
pretty, unforgettable stuff.
Stuff like this.
Kicking off at Number 5 - Men Behind the Sun, 1988
And to say that this film cut a little too close to the bone is putting it lightly.
Because it didn't.
It straight up hacked an arm off.
And well, when you understand the controversies of the film’s narrative, you can see exactly
why.
Men Behind the Sun, is a 1988 exploitation-horror film directed by T.F Mou that graphically
depicts the historical war atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army at Unit 731
during the Second World War.
It was the first ever film to be given a Level 3 rating by the Hong Kong censorship board
- although some dispute whether it should have even been rated at all.
Because of its wildly graphic content, this film was just flat out banned by everyone
and everything after it’s limited release - and although Mou claimed that he was trying
to depict historical accuracy - that message kind of got shoved into a blender and buzzed
down into a smoothie that missed the point.
In fact, it caused so much outcry in Japan that T.F Mou received numerous death threats
years after its release.
For the most part, that was down to an extremely controversial scene that Mou claimed was actual
autopsy footage of a young boy - and another scene were a live cat appeared to be eaten
alive by hundreds of frenzied rats - which were then later set on fire.
Yeah.
Not sure about this one.
Coming in at Number 4 - Blood Sucking Freaks, 1976
Woah buddy - where do we even begin.
What makes this film all the more un-stomachable - is that following its original release,
it was marketed as a horror comedy.
Although, there isn’t a lot of comedy to it, really.
Or tragedy.
It’s just kind of flat and bleak - and doesn’t really offer a lot of anything, other than
a million and one different methods of on-stage torture.
Originally shot under the title of, Sardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins - and then
retitled to The Incredible Torture Show - before settling on the distribution title of Blood
Sucking Freaks - the history of its namesake pretty much sums up its content.
Its confused, at best.
But - despite the non-stop gross out tactics that Blood Sucking Freaks deployed, it was
the events that unfolded after the films release that cemented it eternally in the upper echelons
of cult classic exploitation cinema.
The films main character, the violent and depraved Dr. Sardu - played by Seamus O’Brien
- was stabbed to death by a burglar in his own apartment shortly after the films release.
Not only that, but model Viju Krem - who plays the character of Natasha Di Natalie - was
shot and killed during a hunting accident several years later.
Both of their tragic deaths only added to the cult status of Blood Sucking Freaks, further
contributing to the films legendary notoriety.
Next up at Number 3 - A Serbian Film, 2010.
Oh boy.
I’m not gonna lie guys.
I tried to keep this film far, far away from this list - but eventually, it’s clear - there’s
no denying this fact - 2010’s A Serbian Film is one of the most widely controversial
movies ever made.
And rightly so.
Because if you’ve seen A Serbian Film, you’ll know that seeing it once is one time too many.
The thought of watching this film again makes me slightly anxious - and if that’s not
too real, I’m not entirely sure what is.
The film itself was investigated in Serbia for crimes against sexual minors, and crimes
related to the protection of minors - bagging the films writers and director several court
appearances, all of which were later unfounded.
Now - don’t get me wrong, I kind of wanted to give this film the benefit of the doubt
- after hearing that it had much more allegorical themes to it than first met the eye, but all
of that pretty much goes out of the window after the second act - and any artistic merit
that this film had just slowly crumbles in front of your eyes in an even more depressing
turn of events.
The closing few moments of this film are some of the most mentally scarring scenes I have
ever witnessed in cinema.
Straight up.
Brutally honest.
And that’s alongside several other scenes that already give this film the notoriety
its gathered.
You might think that you want to watch A Serbian Film.
Trust me.
You don’t.
Save yourself the trauma.
Swinging in at Number 2 - Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, 1975
Okay - the flip reverse of A Serbian Film.
And something that very much manages to successfully garner artistic credit.
But also.
I don’t say this lightly.
It’s still messed up.
Really, really messed up.
As director John Waters said - Salo is a beautiful film, it uses obscenity in an intelligent
way, and it's about the pornography of power - which is pretty spot on, really.
Written by Sergio Citti and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Salo is loosely based on the
book The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade, yet this time - is set during World
War 2, in the fascist Italian Republic of Salo - focusing on four wealthy, corrupt Italian
politicians that kidnap eighteen teenagers and subject them to months of physical, sexual
and mental torture.
It was the public reception of this film where things became far too real, though - being
immediately banned in several countries - following an investigation of graphic scenes of abuse
against actors thought to be younger than eighteen years of age.
After its first underground screening in England, at the Old Compton Street cinema club in Soho,
London in 1977 - the premises were actually raided by the Metropolitan Police, after a
bootleg copy of the film had been seized.
Stories like this were pretty much commonplace up until the early 90s - and in many ways,
Salo is perhaps one of the most controversial movies ever made.
The weird fact that it’s actually really good is exactly what Pasolini intended.
And finally - coming in at our Number 1 spot - Faces of Death, 1978
Annddd - there aren’t really many clips I could possibly show of 1978’s Faces of
Death without getting this particular Top 5 Scary Video flagged on all parts of algorithmic
no-no.
Because - well, Faces of Death was so real, in the sense that it was - for the most part,
literal footage of people dying.
Yeah.
Although, several of the human death scenes shown in Faces of Death, as well as a monkey
being killed - are obvious fakes, Allan A. Apone, the special effects artist for the
movie - claimed that around only 40% of the film is fake.
The rest - is genuine footage.
And it’s pretty harrowing stuff.
Faces of Death is a curiosity piece, it was made with the purpose to shock and revolt
its audience.
But when we compare it to the majority of footage that is it out there in the internet
ether now - it isn’t exactly anything new.
In 1978 though?
Oh boy was this film the edgiest damn thing you could ever get your hands on.
Yeah, I don’t really have much more to say on this one.
104 minutes of people dying.
Most of its very much real.
It made 35 million at the box office.
Yeah.
Faces of Death.
Well - there we have it horror fans, our Part 2 list for the Top 5 Horror Movies That Were
Almost Too Real.
Why don’t you let us know your thoughts, as well as any choice picks in the comment
section down below.
Before we depart though, let’s take a quick look at your choicest remark from over the
past few days.
Lightning Konno says -- This is why nobody sticks around to the end of the video.
The featured comments are all just people begging for shout outs.
-- … … Did I just create a paradox?
Well, this is awkward, isn’t it.
On that confusing note, horror fans - that’s all we’ve got time for in today’s video
- cheers for sticking around all the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video, make sure to hit that thumbs up button - as well as
that subscribe bell - and I’ll be seeing you in the next one.
As per usual, I’ve been your horror host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5
Scary Videos - and until next time, you take it easy.