MovieChat Forums > Braindead (1993) Discussion > As a 14/15 year old kid, it literally sc...

As a 14/15 year old kid, it literally scared the hell out of me.

posted 3 years ago by TheMan18 (12550)
6 replies | jump to latest

And in a somewhat negative sense to be honest, although I haven't formed an opinion on the movie at the time, I actually was a little too put off by it and its over the top gore etc.

But years later I began to appreciate it much more.

Having said that, I would imagine that at least some of my friends and family members would probably not really like this movie on those grounds, even though, besides it being rated as quite possibly THE goriest and bloodiest film EVER made, and certainly the most goriest HORROR COMEDY in existence, it is actually overall a highly acclaimed and well respected film by critics and audiences alike, and many of them see it not just an over the top gore fest, comic or otherwise, and appreciate it for that (though many DO) alone, but also a very clever slice of New Zealand social satire and a very inventive film with top notch acting, superb direction and cinematography, clever script, effectively hilarious one-liners, humour, and of course, clever and inventive and effective use of special effects and mega gore.

Not to mention, besides his other efforts, including (to my mind his greatest masterpiece) "Heavenly Creatures" (1994) and other works like "Bad Taste" (1987), its director Peter Jackson later went on and made the mega acclaimed blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" (2001), which by the way many of my friends and family, including those who don't know much about Peter Jackson OR this gory classic "Braindead" (1992), actually hugely admire, and that movie is and was considered for long time as one of the ten greatest films EVER and even if you could argue, this at least for one proves the great TALENT of its director Peter Jackson.

But anyways, when you first saw this movie, "Braindead", how did you feel?

P.S. To anyone bothered or at least SOMEWHAT bothered about the gore factor of this movie etc, did you really find it much more violent than say any Robert Rodriguez or Tarantino outing? Or Hollywood fare like "Starship Troopers" (1997) and Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" (1998)? Or works of the likes of Takashi Miike's "Ichi the Killer" (2001) and the lot, and others? In other words, can maybe some somewhat but not TOO sensitive people appreciate this movie even DESPITE as opposed to BECAUSE of the gore, but in its full UNCUT version of course? Cheers.

[–] Anotherday (7181) 3 years ago

I felt queasy and laughed a lot. The custard scene was the moment I felt most queasy.

Outside of that, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[–] TheMan18 (12550) 3 years ago

When you saw it as a youngster, were you at least SURPRISED by how gory it turned out to be? I was definitely in my time.

[–] Anotherday (7181) 3 years ago

Not really. The VHS sleeve showed some of the gore.

[–] TheMan18 (12550) 3 years ago

In 2001's FilmFour "Extreme Cinema" strand presentation on this film, Mark Kermode claimed that at the time this film "scared the living daylights out of those audiences who couldn't believe that such a film was possible let alone legal", which basically meant, they took it seriously and didn't like it because of the gore and it upset and frightened them in an off-puttingly NEGATIVE sense.

Have a look - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8dzwJOKpw4&t=99s

[–] Anotherday (7181) 3 years ago

I can see that for some. At this time, I was fairly desensitized by Troma, Charles Band, and Stuart Gordon. My friends and I regularly saw Italian horror movies because they were cheap movies sold at the gas station down the road. The covers were always awesome.

I remember the horror section at our video rental store. It was massive.

[–] TheMan18 (12550) 3 years ago

Speaking of SERIOUS "horror" and "extreme cinema" films, besides the works of George A. Romero, one of the major inspirations for this film, Peter Jackson's ultra-gory zombie horror comedy "Braindead" (1992), was Ruggero Deodato's notorious and controversial (it was banned and censored in many countries and was even subject to some legal investigation over its real scenes of animal killings) Italian horror film "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980) which although isn't as gory as this one, is overall a more disturbing and for many audiences more if not much more off-putting film, and that film for one is actually a SERIOUS intentionally disturbing horror movie and besides gross violence, upsetting imagery and adult themes, it is also disturbing and dark and in many ways socially relevant due to the statements it attempts to make on human nature as well as other topics like cannibalism, media manipulation and how good and evil in humanity can at times be blurred and exist in places less expected.