The one thing that really gets me about ANTI-VIOLENT MOVIE campaigns is how much publicity they really give the movie by trying to have it banned. I think if Manhunt 2 is ever released I won’t play it simply because it’s been hyped WAY too much and I’m sick of hearing about it already. I get that these people want to make a stand about VIOLENCE IN MOVIES AND VIDEOGAME but when will they understand that all they are doing is creating a big fucking advert for it saying “Hey if you want to see something cool, check out this movie. Sure it’s gross but it’s gonna be badass right?”



So you watch it, and it’s never as bad as they make it out to be. Nobody ever banned Salo and that film is really fucking traumatic. When these nutjobs do jump out of their holes and start trying to slap films and games with the ban stick, all it does is bring up 10,000 internet forum posts where everybody complains about freedom of creativity and how it’s not real and arguments like “I’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto since I was 9 and I’ve never killed anybody!”

I like to avoid these arguments because although I do disagree with the censorship, I also think that these people do bring up a valid point. I think that if you portray violence in a lot of movies and games, it becomes a more casual thing. I also think films like Saw and Hostel are big fucking catalogue ideas for psychopaths out there. I’m not saying it’s the game makers or movie makers fault that certain individuals are psychopaths but I didn’t really see a purpose to those films other than to dish out some ideas and see who can push the limits of gross on screen violence.

There are obviously a lot of other factors that come into play but the normalisation of violence in the media is probably a pretty big player in teaching kids what is acceptable and not acceptable in the world.

Again, not the film or the film makers fault. This time it lies in the fault of the parents. Firstly in the parents who allow their kids to watch films that are clearly not suitable for them, and secondly in the parents who don’t realize their kid is harbouring an arsenal of weapons in his bedroom, has posted suicidal messages across the netwebs and is outside right now shooting up his local college.

These are not really my opinions but seeing as I’m investigating the subject for you, it would only be fair that I show the argument from both sides. After all, every time a so called “Expert” jumps on TV to talk about the links between violence in media and violence in real life, another expert will jump on the opposing TV channels to explain about how the links are all null and void.

It’s not like violence never existed before movies and videogames put the ideas in people’s heads. ALL the famous rapists and murderers are from back before these entertainment mediums even existed. I bet Jack the Ripper never played videogames. Maybe the problem is the media coverage that these events seem to get these days. Killing people is the fast track to becoming a celebrity. If all you want to do is get on TV, Just shoot up a school. (Maybe some guy will make an Rm2k game about it for you.)

There is always going to be that handful of people who will misuse what they see on screen. But perhaps for the rest of us, these short trips into the unacceptable are a healthy retreat? Like a rollercoaster, they allow us to experience and live out the dangers and the unacceptable in a safe and controlled environment. We’re not being brainwashed by the games and movies to go out and stab women and children and we are given a controlled medium to live out and experience these things that are so abhorrent in today’s culture. From there on out we are left to our own free will.

I’m not saying however, that it is acceptable for anyone to watch Child Pornography or Snuff film. Public opinion has always been that adults of consenting age can choose to watch whatever the fuck they like, as long it’s not illegal or harmful.

There are so many different arguments and debates that are still running right now, there is no way for me to possibly draw up my own conclusion so I’ll let you all draw up your own, and to help you out with that I’ll finish this article off with my choice of 10 distressingly violent films that you should probably check out if you really want to have a say in the matter.

10 Saw
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9 The Hills have Eyes Remake
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8 Switchblade Romance
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7 Man Bites Dog
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6 Audition
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5 Salo
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4 A Clockwork Orange
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3 Suicide Club
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2 Ichi the Killer
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1 Irreversible
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And just to clear up any confusion that any of you might have got. This is not the TOP 10 MOST VIOLENT FILMS EVER. There may be worse. This is not THE BEST VIOLENT FILMS EVER. These are 10 violent and distressing films that cover all aspects of the debate and I can’t possibly recommend you watch them because some of them are shit and some of them are sick. (Cannibal Holocaust didn't make the cut.)