Torture Porn: That's My Line and I'm Stickin' To It

My husband and I went and saw "The Final Destination" when it came out. It was hokey and silly and unrealistic and entertaining, though I am slightly surprised that it didn't go straight to DVD honestly. If not for the ability to show the movie at so many theaters in 3-D, I wondered if it would have gone to theaters at all.

When the movie was over, my husband reopened this can-of-worms discussion we've had going on for a while. You see, I refuse to see movies like the Saw movies and Hostel, movies that some critics refer to as "torture porn." I've had an objection to these movies for a long time, and I don't feel the need to sit through them. Not only do I not want to watch them, but I think it's a little weird that ANYONE does.

The problem is, up until this point I've been unable to explain why to my husband in a way that he can understand. What is the difference between "Saw" and "Inglourious Basterds," between "Hostel" and "Final Destination," between "The Collector" and "Doomsday?" Unable to articulate, it often came down to me saying "they're just different" and that it didn't really matter why because I still wasn't going to see them with him.

First, if you haven't heard the term "torture porn" before, here's a small explanation courtesy of Wikipedia:

In the 2000s, there has been a resurgence of films influenced by the splatter genre that depict nudity, torture, mutilation and sadism, sometimes disparagingly labeled "torture porn" by critics and detractors.^[11] The Eli Roth film, Hostel (2005), was the first to be called "torture porn" by critic David Edelstein in January 2006, but the classification has since been applied to Saw (2004) and its sequels (though its creators disagree with the classification),^[12] The Devil's Rejects (2005), Wolf Creek (2005), and the earlier films Baise-moi (2000) and Ichi the Killer (2001).^[11][13][14] Edelstein also included Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004) in the genre, due to its explicit scenes.^[11] A difference between this group of films and earlier splatter films is that they are often mainstream Hollywood films that receive a wide release and have comparatively high production values.^[13]

I admit that I used to be a bigger horror movie fan. The thrill of being scared was something I enjoyed. Something changed after seeing "The Ring" which I found highly disturbing. I couldn't get some of it out of my head, and ever since I've been a little more touchy about these horror movies. But to me, there's a difference between the bloody gore of a movie like "House of Wax" and the psychological horror of "The Ring" or "The Grudge."

Why? Maybe it has something to do with getting older, or with having a child. I'm not sure. I'm much more likely to agree to see a movie with my husband that I feel has some sort of originality and an actual plot. When exposed to previews like the ones for "Saw," I have no desire whatsoever to see the movie. I don't understand what redeeming qualities can possibly come from watching. Generally, nothing good happens at the end of the movie, and even when it does it's rarely enough to redeem the violence, gore, and sadism I've already been exposed to by that point.

When I think of older slasher movies like the original "Halloween" movies, there is often something campy, over-the-top or unrealistic about the violence. Additionally, the violence tends to be someone getting killed. In the past, it seemed that in the horror movies I'd watched the scare was that the bad guy jumped out from hiding, and the extent of the violence was ending the other character's life. I'm not saying that is not violent, don't get me wrong. But to me there is a big difference between that and extended scenes of torture and mutilation.

I think that another part of the equation has to do with the fact that in these 'torture' type movies, you've got a person committing cruel, torturous acts of violence against other people for no reason other than their whims. If there is such a thing as evil in human form, I'd say that would pretty much cover it. There is not supernatural element, and no redemption to come at the end. In general, the movie may end with one or no survivors, other than the perpetrator of the violence, who will go on to the sequel to continue the disgusting trail of blood. At what point does violence for the sake of violence become too much? Mhairi Shaw says it well in his article, "Torture Porn is a Controversial Horror Sub-Genre", when he says:

"Vast amounts of screen time are dedicated to gratuitous scenes of torture – every cut, twist and breakage is amplified, the camera rarely shying away. The idea of the ordeal playing out as a game/test is heavily featured. As a result, the more crucial elements of storytelling are forgotten – or sacrificed for long scenes of torment."

I also agree with Shaw's assessment that perhaps "torture horror" would be a more accurate description here since sexuality is generally not a big part of the picture.

More recently, I found myself at the new "Halloween" with my husband. The movie did have a little backstory and some interesting scenes and imagery. However, I still found myself afterward wondering why it had to be QUITE so violent? While some filmmakers say that the term "torture porn" is derogatory and means that critics can't understand this "art form," I wonder what exactly is artistic about such violence and imagery. Is finding new ways to torture people an art? Is watching someone be eviscerated really artistic? What would it really take away from the movie to remove a little of the blood and guts and make it actually scary instead?

To me, there is a line. There are certain things - rape, torture, sadism for the sake of horror and nothing else, stories with no redeeming values - that I don't want to watch. In the end, it doesn't really matter if I can explain where I draw my line or why I draw it there. It's is what it is. Obviously, my husband draws his line somewhere else.

What about you? Where do you draw your line? Do you watch those uber-violent movies? Do you enjoy them?