The ‘banned’ poster campaign for Captivity.
Torture-porn is raising the same questions in the mainstream as extreme-porn has in jizz bizz. With the UK release of ‘Hostel: II’, Time Out has joined the debate with a look at reactions to the new wave of torture porn which started with SAW.
The content of Hollywood and Jizz Bizz torture porn is similar, sexy women subjected to degradation and violence, but while Hollywood presents the torturers as evil (unless they’re called Jack Bauer) and its victims as sympathetic, porn presents those inflicting violence as the viewer’s avatar and suggests the subjects of violence are stupid, willing or deserving of the abuse they receive (hence the emphasis on women being made to ask for more and consent on camera).
Does knowing Elisha Cuthbert wasn’t hurt making Hostel:II ‘Captivity’ mean it’s right to treat its content differently to un-simulated violent porn (which we currently do), and if so, when porn films stop pretending to be documenting reality, and start to openly simulate violence, will porn get more extreme as once impossible fantasies are expressed without inhibition?
Are Hostel like movies with graphic sex-scenes what we have to look forward to?
Are Hostel like movies with graphic sex-scenes what we have to look forward to?
Probably not, since it would be prosecutable as obscenity in the U.S.
I stay away from both “extreme” (mainstream and adult).
What’s disturbing; for me at least is that people flock to see such features. Somebody is obviously getting their kicks seeing torment for the sake of torment. True it’s fake, but still. It tells a lot about viewer who CRAVES to see such things.
The argument made in the 1980s over Jason does not apply here. Mr. Voorhees’ deaths (himself included) were petty over the top, boardering on cartoony. The man always keeps coming back - an immortal. It’s not reality.
But this new trend is different. It banks its plot on very reality heavy gore. This isn’t so much fiction considering the genuine violence in the world - current events.
As for the second part of your Q - NO. You’re walking on Hellraiser territory. Dark side of humanity. That should remain under lock and key.
Movies - fantasy; it’s still pretty fucked up (torture porn). But in the end of the day, the effects guys/gals wipe off the make-believe wounds and go home. The latter would be authentic. Those will not wipe off and would run deeper than skin.
I’m a long time reader of AVN. A few months back they had an ad for an erotic asphyxiation DVD. That’s so no cool. In fact that’s fuckin’ irresponsible. I put that in the came camp as those who film simulated rapes. Dude, that alone tells me a lot about your sick twisted daydreams. Crying out loud, it’s same deal as yelling FIRE in a theater just for laughs. NOT FUNNY.
Hey Sam,
I’m going to have to disagree here. I don’t understand how people are mature enough to view pornography, have abortions and other very adult things yet when “torture porn” (sounds like one of those terms evangelical Christians come up with when protesting something - I’m shocked, Sam.) pops up. Suddenly, people aren’t mature enough to consume media that crosses a line that you personally find offensive.
I’m not buying.
P.S - Elisha Cuthbert stars in Captivity, not Hostel 2.
JohnIan, Bandersnatch - The two sides of the debate in perfect congruence. Excellent.
Bandersnatch, I borrowed the term ‘Torture Porn’ and I don’t think it’s any less appropriate than porn is. The movies depict torture and are designed to thrill their audience via fear and are thus entertainment. The only negative ‘porn’ brings to the table is implied artlessness. I think that’s impossible to judge so I let it slide across the board. Calling porn ‘erotica’ is a little puffed-up in my view.
I’m not calling for any restrictions in my post, just questioning the interplay between a growth in violent entertainment. As always the reality is we do censor and we demand censorship. Any discussion of content has to accept that or risk irrelevance. I’m just curious about how the effects in ‘Captivity’ or ‘Hostel’ will play with the sex of your average porn film. We’re on the edge of what used to be called ’snuff movies’ and I wonder if there’s an audience for them.
JohnIan - You think I’m sick? As for yelling ‘Fire’ in theatres, I think that should be legal actually. I’m happier to let the courts decide what’s dangerous depending on context than set an arbitrary rule. Then again, I’m a crazy person.
Sick as in yelling “Fire” in a theater or asphyxiation porn?
Surely this is a case of what can be considered ’suspension of belief’? Part of the joy of cinema is the way in which a film may hint at something and your imagination fills in the rest. Actually seeing someone get hurt, would therefore have the same effect as seeing someone act as if they are hurt, providing the actor is good enough.
In relation to sex; the problem with simulated sex, is that it never gave the same ’suspension of belief’. It is harder (sic) to simulate real sex, particularly fellatio in any real way without the camera just missing the act out altogether.
To conclude, you can easily simulate rape and torture without actually doing the illegal deed. Sex is harder to simulate properly, and lets be honest here is what we all want to see anyway.
Alsnail - Great points but I don’t think sex is hard to simulate at all. Penetration perhaps but most sexy images aren’t just close-ups of that anyway. It’s telling that many of the tease videos on YouTube are as sexy as much porn.
I was surprised to see the term “torture porn” on the front page of CNN today: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/16/film.horror.reut/index.html
With horror movies (mainstream and even most indies) you can assume that reasonable and safe working conditions exist for the actors. Yes, there have been accidents and recklessness on movie sets (and poor consideration of the well being of child actors in horror films), but for the most part there are safety measures in place and unions looking out for the interests of the actors. The same cannot be said of porn, especially when real physical violence is part of the content.
Furry - Everyone reads this blog. What can I say?
Seska - Agreed. It shouldn’t be that way though. Porn can be produced safely.