My Top 10 All Time Extreme Movie List

(In no particular order)

(1) The Evil Dead (1983)

This Sam Raim cult horror film was the first to labelled as a "video nasty", by the British Board of Film Classification, here in the UK. The overly graphic "tree rape" scene has the film recognised as being the yardstick against which, all
Low-budget-gore-horror films are measured.

(2) A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick withdrew his film after condemnation from the Catholic Church in the UK, because of it’s portrayal of wanton sex and violence.

(3) The Devils (1971)

The Devils had the censors jumping up and down with Ken Russell’s view of 17th century France. It is a film about religious hysteria and demonic possession and [it] was banned by 17 local authorities in the UK.

(4) The Exorcist (1973)

A young, innocent, virginal Linda Blair becomes a levitating, head-spinning demon who demonstrates a pretty awesome talent for vomiting pea-soup. It was banned by the British Board of Film Classification for many years. It has recently been re-released on DVD here in the UK and time, has not lessened its impact or its genuine ability to frighten the viewer.

(5) Straw Dogs (1971)

Released the same year as A Clockwork Orange and The Devils, Sam Peckinpah's revenge thriller was the film where Mr Nice Guy [Dustin Hoffman] finally flipped, wreaking vengence on some country yokels who raped his wife. It was banned from the video shelves between 1984 and 2002, but is now being remade.

(6) Natural Born Killers (1994)

Quentin Tarantino wrote the original screen play. Oliver Stone directed Woody Harelson [Mickey] and Juliette Lewis [Mallory] as they ride across America on a brutal but [sometimes] funny killing spree. It is a study of urban folk heroes gone bad – a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, but without bank robberies and G-Men.

(7) Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

A remake of the George A Romero masterpiece, in which we see a few survivors hide from zombies in a shopping mall. Lots flesh eating corpses outside, a group of desperate ‘normal’ humans hatch a plot to escape. The tension and paranoia mounts as the humans shot their way clear in a gory, streamlined horror flick.

(8) The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Mother Nature v Humans. Roland Emmerich's brilliant yet cautionary film in which we see nature striking back against we humans, as only she can. Three massive tornados cause the earth’s temperatures to drop rapidly, bringing on another Ice Age through which Dennis Quaid [the eco-friendly climatologist] fights to save his stranded son. The inevitable special effects make this film a classic. The developing environmental catastrophe, with tidal waves swamping New York and tornados causing havoc in L.A, God! There’s just got to be a sequel.

(9) Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Omaha Beach ’44 and Steven Spielberg's WWII epic sees actor Tom Hanks [Captain Miller] leading a pathetic group of squaddies on a pointless mission to search for and rescue [Matt Damon] the last of a trio of sons of a greiving mother.
Played the game before I watch the film – kinda like putting the cart before the horse. Really spoilt it for me.

(10) Killing Zoe (1994)

Quite simply, one of my all time favourites! A group of drug crazed criminals try to hold up a bank in Paris, on Bastille Day. Unsurprisingly, it does not go to plan and a hostage situation developes. As the gang pop more drugs, a crazy shoot out envelopes us in rich technicolour gore, as we the viewer is shown another orgy of blood and bullets. This outstanding film was directed by Roger Avary, of Pulp Fiction fame.