Top 10 Most BRUTAL Deaths in B Movies
#10: Dicky & Emily
“The Beyond” (1981) “The Beyond” serves as our first visit to the world of Italian horror cinema, but - spoiler alert - it won’t be the last. That’s because the director of this 1981 film, Lucio Fulci, is affectionately known by horror fans as the “Godfather of Gore.” It’s easy to see why, too, since “The Beyond” is one of the most uniquely brutal films from Fulci’s diverse filmography. Specifically, there’s a scene where a mysterious blind woman named Emily is accosted by demons attempting to bring her back to the titular “Beyond.” Her guide dog Dicky does an admirable job at first in fighting them off, but he’s soon possessed by the evil, and tears Emily apart in quick and bloody fashion.
#9: Jaw Damage
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“Deep Red” (1975) Dario Argento is another master of Italian horror, although his 1975 film “Deep Red” is actually better described as a textbook example of a giallo. These were Italy’s own, homegrown thrillers, pulpy and often violent mysteries that could contain everything from science-fiction to the supernatural. “Deep Red” contains some of Argento’s most stylish visuals, including this scene where a profoundly creepy doll appears out of nowhere to frighten its victim (and us) out of our boots. It gets worse, though, as a second assailant then shows up to toss said victim around like a ragdoll, spearing the man’s jaw onto every pointed surface in the room. It’s honestly hard to watch.
#8: Head-splosion
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“Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” (1991) The world of martial arts cinema is chock-full of some of the craziest and most visceral deaths around, thanks to a myriad of kung fu styles. Don’t look for any sort of classical subtlety here with “Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky,” however, not by a long shot. Instead, this manga adaptation feels more like a live-action cartoon, with physics losing all meaning and arterial spray practically reaching our living rooms. Specifically, there’s one infamous scene that was so popular that it served as a bumper clip for “The Daily Show’s” “Five Questions” segment for years. It’s a graphic head-splosion that occurs when a character named Tarzan the Brute smashes the skull of one unfortunate extra. We can’t show it here, but it’s very messy.
#7: Self-Devouring
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“Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper” (1980) We’re heading back to Italy, this time with two of the most notorious examples of “video nasties,” films that were edited, banned and even prosecuted within the United Kingdom back in the 1980s. “Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper” features some of the most shocking violence of the day, including a finale wherein the villain actually devours his insides after being attacked by one of the protagonists. “Anthropophagus” didn’t stop there, either, including a scene we can’t even discuss involving a pregnant woman in a cave. Additionally, the film’s spiritual sequel, “Absurd,” also features a disgustingly protracted sequence wherein a young woman is stuffed into an oven. Gross.
#6: Weight Bench Demise
“The Toxic Avenger” (1984) Troma Entertainment is known for its outrageous library of films, but if there were a Mount Rushmore for iconic characters from its universe, then Toxie has to be their George Washington. 1984’s “The Toxic Avenger” was where it all came together for the Troma brand, a hyper-violent exploitation film with plenty of messy practical effects and a complete absence of good taste. One particularly infamous scene occurs in the Tromaville gym, and involves a drug dealer with no on-screen name… but don’t worry: we’re not going to have any time to get acquainted. That’s because Toxie brutally smashes the man’s head in on a weight bench, before taking the time to mop up his mess. Considerate, right?
#5: Punch Press
“The Wizard of Gore” (1970) We mentioned Lucio Fulci as Italy’s “Godfather of Gore,” but the maestro actually shared that title with another director, Herschell Gordon Lewis. This American filmmaker was a pioneer of the splatter subgenre, particularly with his shocking 1963 effort, “Blood Feast.” Lewis was already a pro by the time 1970’s “The Wizard of Gore” hit screens, but he still proved able to shock, such as this scene wherein a hypnotized young woman is perforated by a punch press. The movie’s villain, Montag the Magnificent, may be a master of illusion, but it isn’t long before real-life deaths mimicking his stage shows begin to pile up. The punch press sequence in particular offers up all of the messy, practical effects that helped make Lewis a horror icon.
#4: Back Birth
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“Demons” (1985) The 1980s were a glorious time for practical effects in horror movies. Examples of excellence in this field weren’t limited to A-list films, either, as evidenced by the first two films in Italy’s “Demons” franchise. The first sequel is notable for its Demon Dog and Demon Baby, sure, but the OG “Demons” boasts an even more impressive birth. “How impressive,” you may ask? Well, how about fully formed from a woman’s back? How does that grab you? The possessed victim writhes in pain as this new demon bursts forth and howls at the camera. It’s all teeth, scowl and glaring eyes as it connects with the camera and turns our blood to ice.
#3: Brains
“Cannibal Ferox” (1981) [a.k.a. “Make Them Die Slowly”] Writer-director Eli Roth’s “The Green Inferno” from 2013 is a knowing homage to one of Italy’s most infamous horror subgenres, the cannibal film. 1980’s “Cannibal Holocaust” is probably the most well-known of these efforts, but director Umberto Lenzi managed to carve his own name into the history books only a year later with “Cannibal Ferox,” also known in America as “Make Them Die Slowly.” Mike is a reprehensible character that gets his comeuppance in a truly brutal way. Not only is he… err, “relieved” of his manhood, but the top of his head also gets opened up… y’know, so the cannibals can get at his brains. “Make Them Die Slowly,” indeed.
#2: Guts
“City of the Living Dead” (1980) It’s Fulci, Fulci and more Fulci for our final two B movies, this time with the first entry of his unofficial “Gates of Hell” trilogy. “City of the Living Dead” contains a couple of the most infamous deaths from the world of ‘80s horror, full stop. One of them involves a young woman who, because of reasons, is possessed into vomiting up… well, herself. What’s even crazier are the allegations that actor Daniela Doria actually did the dirty deed for real. However, some others claim that Fulci used a false head for at least some shots of the sequence.
#1: Splinter in the Eye
“Zombie” (1979) [a.k.a. “Zombie Flesh Eaters”] “We are going to eat you!” This was one of the taglines associated with one of Italian horror’s most celebrated cult films. Some know it as “Zombie,” or “Zombie Flesh Eaters,” while others might call it “Zombi 2,” or “that one film where a zombie fought a shark.” Whatever the title, Lucio Fulci’s B movie classic features one of horror’s most shockingly brutal deaths. We’re talking about the long, slow and drawn-up “splinter in the eye” scene. Olga Karlatos’s Paola tries in vain to stop an assaulting zombie horde, but one of the undead breaks the wooden door, grabs her head, and pulls it into a very sharp shard of wood. Absolutely no mercy.
