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A splatter film or '''gore film''' is a type of Horror Film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and Graphic Violence . These films, through the use of Special Effect s and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation. Due to their willingness to portray images society might consider shocking, splatter films share some ideological grounds with the Transgressive Art movement. The term "splatter cinema" was coined by George Romero to describe his film '' Dawn Of The Dead '', though it should be noted that Dawn of the Dead is generally considered by critics to have higher aspirations, such as social commentarty, than to be simply exploitative for its own sake. Sometimes the gore is so excessive it becomes a comedic device. These types of comedic gore films have been dubbed splatstick (a , 2007 . CHARACTERISTICS Splatter films, according to film critic Michael Arnzen , "self-consciously revel in the special effects of gore as an artform." Arnzen, Michael A. (1994). " Who's Laughing Now?...The Postmodern Splatter Film ". ''Journal of Popular Film and Television''. Where typical horror films deal with fear of the unknown, the supernatural, the dark, and so on, the impetus for fear in a splatter film comes from physical destruction of the body. There is also an emphasis on visuals, style and technique, including hyperactive camerawork. Where most horror films have a tendency to re-establish the social and moral order with good triumphing over evil, splatter films thrive on a lack of plot and order. Arnzen argues that "the spectacle of violence replaces any pretentions to narrative structure, because gore is the only part of the film that is reliably consistent." These films also feature fragmented narratives and direction, including "manic montages full of subject camera movement...cross-cuttings from hunted to hunter, and ominous juxtapositions and contrasts." As a result, not only are the characters fragmented, so is the audience. PREHISTORY OF SPLATTER The splatter film has its aesthetic roots in French Grand Guignol theatre, which endeavored to stage realistic scenes of blood and carnage for its patrons. In 1908, ''Grand Guignol'' made its first appearance in England, although the gore was downplayed in favor of a more Gothic tone, owing to the greater censorship of the arts in Britain. McCarty, John. (1984). ''Splatter Movies: Breaking the Last Taboo of the Screen''. St. Martin's Press. New York, NY. The first appearance of gore--the realistic mutilation of the human body--in cinema can be traced back to D. W. Griffith's '' Intolerance '' (1916), which features numerous Guignol-esque touches, including two onscreen decapitations, and a scene in which a spear is slowly driven through a soldier's naked abdomen as blood wells from the wound. Several of Griffith's subsequent films, and those of his contemporary Cecil B. DeMille , featured similarly realistic carnage. In the early 1920s, a number of high-profile scandals, including the Fatty Arbuckle Scandal , rocked Hollywood, leading to calls for reform of the "indecency" being "promoted" by motion pictures. These resulted in the Production Code , which set standards for behavior depicted in Hollywood films and effectively censored gore out of mainstream cinema for almost fifty years. THE MODERN ERA In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the public was reintroduced to splatter themes and motifs by groundbreaking films such as Alfred Hitchcock's '' Psycho '' (1960), and the output of Hammer Film Productions (an artistic outgrowth of the English ''Grand Guignol'' style) such as '' The Curse Of Frankenstein '' (1957) and '' The Horror Of Dracula '' (1958). Splatter came into its own as a distinct genre of cinema in the early 1960s with the films of '' (2002). Lewis' next film, '' Two Thousand Maniacs! '' (1964), was remade as '' 2001 Maniacs '' in 2005. Both updated versions stuck true to their predecessors in terms of theme and content. As influential and profitable as it was, for many years '' Blood Feast '' remained little seen outside Drive-in Theater s in the Southern United States . Graphically violent imagery was starting to experience some mainstream acceptance in films such as '' Bonnie And Clyde '' (1967), '' The Wild Bunch '' (1969), and '' Taxi Driver '' but largely remained taboo in Hollywood. The first splatter film to truly popularize the genre was George A. Romero's '' Night Of The Living Dead '' (1968), the director's attempt to replicate the atmosphere and gore of EC Horror Comics on film. Initially derided by the American press as "appalling", it quickly became a national sensation, playing not just in drive-ins but at midnight showings in indoor theaters across the country. Foreign critics were more kind to the film; venerable British film magazine '' Sight & Sound '' put it on its list of "Ten Best Films of 1968". Its sequel, ''. (1990). ''Nightmare Movies''. Bloomsbury Publishing. London. The 1980s saw the rise of the MPAA ratings board which curtailed most splatter films with the notable exception of '' Friday The 13th '' and its very graphic depictions of violence. However, '' Part 2 '' was not so lucky. Roger Ebert in America and Member of Parliament Graham Bright in the U.K. led the charge to censor splatter films with the film critic going after '' I Spit On Your Grave '' while the politician sponsered the Video Recordings Act which is a system of censorship and certification for home video. This resulted in the outright banning of many splatter films in the U.K. Some splatter directors have gone on to produce blockbusters. , who is now best known for '' The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy '', started off his career in New Zealand by directing splatter movies like '' Bad Taste '' (1987) and '' Braindead '' (1992). These films featured so much gore that it became a Comedic Device . These comedic gore films have been dubbed "splatstick", defined as physical comedy that involves evisceration. '' (1980)]] Splatter films have proved influential in cinema in many ways. '' Cannibal Holocaust '' (1980), for example, is similar to '' The Blair Witch Project '' (1999) Deodato, Ruggero. Interview with Sage Stallone; Bob Murawski. "Cult-Con 2000." ''Cannibal Holocaust'' DVD Commentary., Tarrytown, New York. 2000-11-12. ''Cannibal Holocaust'' is told through footage from a group of people making a documentary about a portion of the Amazon which is said to be populated by cannibals. This " Mockumentary " format was later used in ''Blair Witch''. '' Strangeland '' (1998), written and directed by Dee Snider , focused on the art of Body Modification and it's underground culture's rituals. The story involves a Detective who's daughter is kidnapped by a deeply disturbed Torturer nicknamed Captain Howdy , an Internet-based stalker obsessed with Body Art who captures his victims, sews their mouths shut, and then performs sadistic tribal rituals and barbaric Rites Of Passage . '', is set for a 2008 release. "TORTURE PORN" 's 2007 film ''''.]] In the 2000s, there has been a resurgence of films influenced by the splatter genre that depict , 2007 . 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 high Production Values . The so-called "torture porn" sub-genre has proven to be very profitable: ''Saw'', made for $1.2 million, grossed over $100 million worldwide, while ''Hostel'', which cost less than $5 million to produce, grossed over $80 million.Murray, Steve ('', '' Captivity '' starring Elisha Cuthbert , '' Borderland '', '' Delirium '', '' Funny Games '' starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth , a Remake of the 1997 Austrian Film , and a remake of '' The Last House On The Left '' (1972) are all set to continue the trend in 2007 and 2008. The Double Feature '' Grindhouse '' (2007), produced and directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez , has also been considered part of the trend. The genre has received significant criticism. , 2007 . SPLATTER AND OTHER GENRES The term “splatter film” is often confused with “ Slasher Film .” While there is often overlap, many slasher movies, like '' Halloween '' (1978), are not considered splatter films because they don’t have enough on-screen gore. Other films, like '' Maniac '' (1980), '' The Prowler '' '' Castle Freak '' (1995), & '' Haute Tension '' (2003/4) can fall into the splatter subgenre (Which may also include, '' My Bloody Valentine '', '' Madman '', '' Neon Maniacs '', '' Visiting Hours '' & '' The Burning '' (that defiantly have strong elements in them...as does the most recent slasher picture; '' See No Evil '') Scenes of splatter also appear in other genres. Some examples are '' Lady Snowblood '' (1973), a Chambara film, '' El Topo '' (1970), a Western , and '' Kill Bill '' (2003), a revenge-thriller. SELECTED SPLATTER FILM DIRECTORS Herschell Gordon Lewis :
George Romero :
Lucio Fulci :
Sam Raimi :
Frank Henenlotter :
Peter Jackson : SEE ALSO NOTES OTHER REFERENCES
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