Reality Sucks? "Run of the Country" and Fem Victim

[Duncan Edwards]

Question came into my mind after reading comments in another forum about a clip at Quicksandmovies.net . "The Run of the Country" involves a particularly harrowing fatal scene that I don't think anyone would want to experience. It's one of those rare occasions where something to do with our interest is actually portrayed in an entirely plausible and unpolished manner. Does the "unreality" of nearly all the producer scenes and Hollywood kind of shield us from the horror of what we like? Would any of us feel different if the scene involved three Playmate types in Daisy Dukes and gingham tops? Would you like to see things this "real"?

I'll begin by saying I believe it's easier to be dismissive of he horror in what we like here because most of the scenes we enjoy are more or less cartoons. They're caricatures of reality most of the time and bad imitations for the rest. There are occasions where I would like to see things with that level of reality but the circumstances would have to be just right. I think it would make it easier if the victim were some kind of especially cruel and heinous individual who I had little sympathy for. While I'll be honest and admit that I wouldn't enjoy it much at all if she were unattractive I'm not sure I'm sadistic enough to enjoy it if that was some innocent young lady under that tractor. Then again I might depending on the mood. That's a tough one for me.

Anybody else?

[Parzival2600]

I like this thread. What your touching on is a question that has been asked for eon's with no real satisfactory answer. Does our form's of entertainment define us? Is there such a thing as too far? Take horror movies for example. We watch people get hunted down and butchered as a form of entertainment. Does that mean we are all sociopaths at heart? Maybe, but that's another discussion. In this instance, I must say no. I have a friend who is one of the biggest gorehounds I have ever seen. The more blood the better. Loves horror. But show him real life violence and he flinches and look's away. Why? Because he know's the difference between real and make believe. Watching a horror or enjoying a sink scene is a way of enjoying the more primative side of our being's in a safe and non-harmful way. We know it's not real so we can let go and just enjoy it. Could I watch a woman really sinking to her doom? No, that would disturb me.

I watched a horror movie called "Martyrs" recently. Let me say this about that film. There is violence, there is extreme violence, and then there is Martyrs. Never has a film made me feel so uncomfortable or sad, and I'm a horror fanatic. Honestly, I have no plans to watch it again, that's how brutel it was. Does that mean it's a bad film? Nope, I feel it's brilliant actually. It's a horror film that actually horrify's you. Others don't feel this way. They feel it goes too far, that it's too realistic. So Jason butchering people with a machete is ok because it look's fake, but Martyrs is bad business because it seem's so real? Isn't that hypocritical? It's all make believe and it's all violent, one just comes off so real that it triggers something in us. Repulsion. That's what it's supposed to do! You asked to be horrified and the film makers did it. If film's like Martyrs is not your flavor of horror, stick with Chucky and the gang. No big deal. Some people like it more realistic as it brings them closer to the darkness without actually becoming part of it. It's a thrill. Same thing with our fetish. Some prefer goofy, others a more serious yet obviously make believe approach, and still others like a very realistic approach. Whatever floats your boat. It comes down to preference. This defines you about as much as liking stawberry ice cream over chocolate or vanilla.

This is just my opinion. Either way this is a great thread!

[nachtjaeger]

For me, a seriously horrible ending (in quicksand or otherwise) only works when the victim "has it coming."

I wrote a story once where the "bad guy" (serial rapist and killer) ends up in the quicksand. Being very realistic quicksand, he's not going under. He threatens his intended victim, explaining how because "I got friends in high places- and plenty of money" he'll be out of jail quickly and will hunt her down and kill her. So the heroine goes and gets his SUV, puts in low gear, climbs out, releases the brake, and lets it sloooowly roll forward into the bog on top of the bad guy.

But an "innocent" victim suffering the same fate? Not for me. Even though it's cliche', I love the last-minute rescue in "realistic" drama scenes.

My taste in horror movies is similar. I dislike "splatter" or "torture porn" but love psychological horror- like the old "Twilight Zone." Or one of those scenes where somebody is walking slowly towards a closed door, reaching their hand out for the doorknob, and you're thinking "NO! Don't open the door! Don't open the DOOR!!!!"

[Duncan Edwards]

But is it different if it's a female victim? I'll have to be honest and part of me wonders. I look at that clip and think golly that's horrible. If it was a pretty girl would I feel the same way or would it be "That's sick but pretty damn cool" at the same time?

[Parzival2600]

You probably would Duncan, as would many who frequent this community. Does that make you a bad person? Nope. It being a female pushes your buttons because...well...your straight and this is your fetish. If you were gay it might be in reverse.

Let me ask you this. Have you ever read a true news story where a female had been stuck in quicksand and before you find out if she was rescued, does part of you, maybe just a tiny part, hope it'll end with her sinking from sight?

[PM2K]

I'm with nachtjaeger on this one for sure. I do like my peril and grim endings, but only in a "natural justice" context. Bad people getting really bad endings.

Good example of that is in that old James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, when Blofeld feeds his henchwoman to the piranha fish. Bearing in mind the fish really don't act that way in most circumstances, but if they did, it would be a horrible way to go. I get real shivers when she gets torn to pieces by the unseen fish... it must be the way she screams or something, but I'm hypnotized by the scene and make a point of watching it every time it is on. Yet when a bad guy gets it the same way, I kind of shrug.

For the same visceral reasons, I think I would really like that scene with the tractor if a bad girl was involved... say, throughout the story she had done a lot of bad things, maybe as a spy, a terrorist, a crook... then in the process of trying to escape ends up in this predicament. The hero tries to save her - as heroes tend to do that - but can only watch helplessly as the vehicle pushes her under. Now, if I was doing that scene, she's flip the vehicle, but end up in the muck and sink without help, as I prefer the bog to swallow her unaided. If it is a particularly gruesome sinking - lots of coughing, spitting, screaming and gurgling - so much the better.

As for good or innocent people, I'd find scenes like that too hard to watch, unless I knew they were going to be rescued.

[Duncan Edwards]

Good example of that is in that old James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, when Blofeld feeds his henchwoman to the piranha fish. Bearing in mind the fish really don't act that way in most circumstances, but if they did, it would be a horrible way to go. I get real shivers when she gets torn to pieces by the unseen fish... it must be the way she screams or something, but I'm hypnotized by the scene and make a point of watching it every time it is on. Yet when a bad guy gets it the same way, I kind of shrug.

I feel the exact same way about that scene. Got it on DVD and have watched it over and over. That's the actual actress too. Not some stunt chick and for that reason it's even better. Hadn't thought about it as a parallel to this. Good point to bring up.

[nachtjaeger]

Yeah, it would definitely be hotter with a female victim. Grim endings aren't my "thing" but I can't honestly say they don't feed the fetish.

One scene idea I had is where the female victim wakes up to find herself lying on the ground, with her ankles tied, and a rope/cable leading from her ankles down into a mud pit. Suddenly the rope starts to be pulled, and she finds herself drawn sloooowly across the ground towards the mud pit. Cue lots of screaming, struggling, and clawing at the ground. Only one way this can end. Sick? Yeah, a bit. But it is fantasy, after all.

But is it different if it's a female victim? I'll have to be honest and part of me wonders. I look at that clip and think golly that's horrible. If it was a pretty girl would I feel the same way or would it be "That's sick but pretty damn cool" at the same time?

[MadMax359]

Yeah, it would definitely be hotter with a female victim. Grim endings aren't my "thing" but I can't honestly say they don't feed the fetish.

One scene idea I had is where the female victim wakes up to find herself lying on the ground, with her ankles tied, and a rope/cable leading from her ankles down into a mud pit. Suddenly the rope starts to be pulled, and she finds herself drawn sloooowly across the ground towards the mud pit. Cue lots of screaming, struggling, and cla]

ahhhh but there are always two ways this can end---grim is one
OR the pretty victim is pulled into the pit... even more struggling and clawing at the ground... but in the nick of time, I come upon the scene

[Mynock]

Knowing that it's fantasy definitely changes things. There's no way I could watch someone drown for real and enjoy it. Watching someone who didn't understand the concept of buyoncy thrash around and think they were drowning would be amusing in a practical joke kind of way but that's about the limit of my sadism.