The Controversy Over 'Chaos' (2005)

[Ash]

I don't know if any of you have even heard of this new film titled, "Chaos".
Heck, I only just recently heard about it from reading Ebert's review, which he gave zero stars.



Apparently, it's supposed to be the most brutally violent and horrifying movie ever made but has been called a rip off of "Last House on the Left" by almost every critic that has seen it.
Still, it has captured my interest and I will probably see it because I'm a sucker for grindhouse & exploitation flicks like this.
I want to see it for the same macabre reason that I watched the beheading videos from Iraq or downloaded and watched "Cannibal Holocaust." on my computer years ago.  
Call it morbid fascination.  
The same reason why most people slow way down and look when they drive by a bad car accident.  You know that what you might see may repulse you, yet you can't look away.

I recommend checking out the website:   ONLYAMOVIE.COM
Read about the filmmakers...they're freakin' weirdos!  
I'm not sure if it's all an act or they really are that disturbed.
Watch the trailer on there too.  The film is rated NC-17.

And then read Ebert's review HERE

Director David DeFalco and producer Steven Jay Bernheim wrote to Ebert after they saw what he'd written about their film.  
DEFINITELY CHECK OUT THEIR LETTER AND HIS RESPONSE TO THEM HERE!

Even the people over at the IMDB found it thoroughly disgusting and sadistic.
CHAOS AT IMDB
Check out the "External Reviews" for it there on the left-hand side of the page.  Quite amusing.

Still, I have to see it and want to see it purely for shock value.
It's in limited release right now and it's doubtful that it'll ever see a wide showing.

Have any of you ever heard of it?
Would you see it?
What do you think of movies like this?



Post Edited (09-07-05 08:39)

[Chopper]

i read about it on Ebert's website and i'm avoiding it like a case of ghonorrhea. there's enough evil already going on in the world i don't see the point in going to see a movie that's going to make me feel like s**t u know what i mean?

besides there's a difference between tastefully done horror and b-movies as opposed to pure sleaze and trash.

[Mr_Vindictive]

I read about this flick a while back after someone reviewed it for Aint It Cool News.  

I do love explotation cinema for the exact reasons that Chopper listed: Trash & Sleaze.  Last House On The Left is an entertaining flick and so is I Spit On Your Grave, but only because the good guys get their revenge by the end of the flick.

I have a feeling that Chaos might not be anything of the sort.  Probably just a wanna be snuff film where young innocent girls are murdered without any repercussion.  That being said though, I will probably see it just to see Sage Stallone (Selvester's son) make an ass out of himself and kill his budding career.

[Ash]

Skaboi wrote:

  That being said though,
> I will probably see it just to see Sage Stallone (Selvester's
> son) make an ass out of himself and kill his budding career.

He had a career?  When were any of you gonna tell me about this!?

LOL!!

[Neville]

Don't make too much expectations out of Ebert's outrage, he's known to strongly criticise some movies because he finds them offensive rather than because of their artistic value. I'll always remember how he panned the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw masacre", and i later though it was very good.

[Ash]

Neville wrote:

> Don't make too much expectations out of Ebert's outrage, he's
> known to strongly criticise some movies because he finds them
> offensive rather than because of their artistic value. I'll
> always remember how he panned the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw
> masacre", and i later though it was very good.

Neville, You're one of the brave few like me who actually thought that the more recent version of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was good and are vocal about it.
If Brother R. were here, he'd rip into us both!

I commend you!

99% of the time, I agree with Ebert, but not when it comes to what he calls "The Geek Show."
A Geek Show is like a carnival freakshow.  To show you something bad/gruesome and see how much you can take.

Truth be told, I like Geek Shows.
I sometimes DO like to be grossed out and see how much I can take.

As for Chaos, I'm not defending it or criticizing it.  
I'm neutral in this one until I see it.



Post Edited (09-07-05 08:41)

[Mr_Vindictive]

I'm with you two about the Texas remake.  I loathe the original, but the remake was decent.

[BeyondTheGrave]

After seeing Cannbial Holocaust and knowing that this is in the same type of flim I really want to avoid it. That movie bought me down hard. On the other hand I am curious because I could careless what movie crtics think. Its is prbably just a snuff flim like Skaboi pointed out and they made a film like this to get attention.

-------------------------------------------------
Most of all I hate dancing then work, exercise, people,stupid people

[Jim H]

Well, I'd just like to mention this is not a snuff film.  A snuff film is a movie where people murder someone on camera (for real, not with actors like in Chaos), with the intention of selling it for profit.

That said, it is very clear that Chaos is at the very least a homage to Last House on the Left.  Look at the URL of their website, the very strong plot similarities, etc.  Last House on the Left, of course, is in itself loosely based on Bergman's The Virgin Spring.

[Chopper]

yeah the poster itself even rips off the Last House on the Left tagline on their 70's poster.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Jim H,

Never said it was a snuff film, said it was probably a "wanna be" snuff film.  Just murder for the sake of murder.

[LH-C]

I like weird/brutal movies a lot, but this just looks dumb with a capital D.

[Jim H]

I was really replying to rich, but I think I misinterpreted what he said anyway.  Just a pet peeve of mine when people call films snuff that aren't (I've seen people on other forums call Chaos snuff).  I feel watering down the definition of snuff is a bad idea, and a lot of people on the internet are doing just that (for instance, labelling any video showing actual death as snuff).

[Just Plain Horse]

LH-C wrote:

> I like weird/brutal movies a lot...

So you're an Adam Sandler fan?

[Mr. Hockstatter]

If Ebert gave it 0 stars, it must be worth a look!