Extreme Movie Directors

Gasper Noe
This French director is in a class all his own. Carne (1991) is a very extreme film. It is only 40 minutes, so its a short film, but those 40 minutes stay with you. It features a butcher and his life. This film is definitely for a person with a strong stomach. He is most known for I Stand Alone (1998), and Irreversible (2002). In I Stand Alone, the use of title cards is used frequently to make words in the movie stand out more. This is a sequel to Carne. There are several scenes that make you squeamish when you watch them, and very disturbing. With Irreversible, you see a dark side of humanity. A man goes all over town to find the person who put his girlfriend in the hospital. The thing is, all the scenes happen in reverse. There is unique camera work in this movie. This film is emotionally scarring, so it is probably better to watch it with someone rather than yourself. This is one unforgettable, extreme film. The music even adds to the atmosphere very well.

Takashi Miike
A director from Japan, he doesn't follow anyone's style but his own. He is known for Audition (1999), a story of single father who is always working, and decides to set up auditions to find a new mate. The first hour hour might seen pretty boring and normal, but it is all part of the story. Just be ready to cringe when the horror begins, for it really is frightening. This film is very graphic, and disturbing things take place. When characters feel pain, you really feel it too, trust me. When I watch this extreme film, I still can't watch the last scene because it is just too painful to watch. I am an avid horror fan, but the last scene in this extreme movie is too much for me to watch. Dead or Alive (1999), another film Takashi directed, is a story of a cop trying to bring down a gangster. It looks like he can never get the upper hand, until his partner gets killed. Now the cop goes all out to get the gangster, and they clash at the end of the film. This may seem like a typical story of bad guys versus good guys. It is, but in a fantastical setting. When it comes to extreme movies, this one is on the top of the list. Ichi the Killer (2001), features a sadomasochist gangster who tries to find a young assassin: who is controlled by a man in a jump suit. The assassin is followed by a clean-up crew who clean the murder scenes because he always leaves a big mess. As the sadomasochist gangster learns more about the assassin, he starts to admire him. Just when you think a film can't be anymore sick, twisted, or bloody; along come this extreme film. Every time I watch it, I still get shocked. I turn the sound down low because there is all types of sounds that come from this movie. And in the first scene there is something on the leaves.....well that's real.

Pedro Almodovar
A director from Spain, Pedro makes mainly film about family, friendships, life, black comedies, and graphic sexual content. When he made, Kika (1993), it was controversial in the Unites States. Some of his films have an unexpected ending, but one thing is for sure: you never know what to expect from this director. His scripts are original and all the dialog seems natural in all of his films. I watched his Volver (2006), and I thought I knew what was going on, but was surprised by the middle of it. It's a touching story that teaches you about life.

John Woo
He is most known for Hard Boiled (1992), A Better Tomorrow (1986), and Face/Off (1997). If there ever was a director for extreme gunfights, over the top action, and multiple dead bodies: this is the one. In Hardboiled, I have never seen more bullets fly around than in this movie. A gunfight? This film feature gun battles. His cinematography is second to none, and the sound effects in his films are amazing. Property gets badly damaged in his extreme movies, and numerous magazines for guns are used. John Woo made a whole new action genre that many try to imitate.

Gecko Joe, Extreme Movie Directors Associated Content