In this series, I will take you through some of the controversial & disturbing films that you can find on the free streaming service, Tubi TV.
1) Tokyo Gore Police (2008) – Japan
GEYSERS OF BLOOD. I forgot just how much blood, guts and gore was in this one - it’s a real delight! There are elements of fetish and BDSM, along with the feeling like you’re watching a live action manga/anime. The aesthetics are eye-catching (eye gouging?) and the score is fantastic. There’s mutilation, eyes that are literal guns, entrails, chainsaw hands, flayed skin, boobs with teeth, a chair girl that urinates, decapitations and more! This is a new favorite of mine and I am so glad that Tubi had it. AND, the actress Eihi Shiina who plays the protagonist, Roka, is Asami from the Takashi Miike classic, Audition! No one loses when you watch Tokyo Gore Police.
2) Moebius (2013) - South Korea
Moebius was created without dialogue, but actions speak louder than words in this disturbing and bizarre film. It will make you feel both empathy and discomfort. I wasn’t sure what to think of it due to the lack of dialogue but it was so compelling. It touches on Oedipal complexes, straight up incest, and sexual assault. Moebius is also a coming of age story of a young man coming into his own sexuality after his mother cuts off his penis! It’s an odd, but entertaining film. Side note, the poster for this movie is highly inappropriate because of the film's themes....
3) The Untold Story (1993) - Hong Kong
Falling into the Hong Kong rating of a CAT III film (forbidden to any viewer under the age of 18, which would be NC-17 in North American standards), The Untold Story is based on a true crime that occurred at the Eight Immortals restaurant in Macau, China in 1985. A man named Huang Zhiheng murdered a family of 10 inside the building, with some body parts missing. The movie alludes to cannibalism as a reason for these missing body parts. Written by Law Kam-fai and Sammy Lau, and directed by Herman Yau, The Untold Story stars Anthony Wong as our protagonist, Wong Chi Hang. Wong Chi Hang is an iconic character with a shaved head and big eye glasses and he is blissfully unhinged! It’s gore heavy with lots of blood spurting, limb severing, and (human) meat processing. There’s also child killing, sexual assault, urine drinking, and much more. It’s delivered in a very entertaining, well paced, comedic package, making it even more uncomfortable to witness. Watch out for the chopsticks!
4) Dead Sushi (2012) - Japan
The most comedic, light hearted film on the list, Dead Sushi follows the story of a young girl who desires to become a sushi chef in the steps of her renowned sushi chef father. When she fails, she runs away and starts working in a hotel and then CHAOS ENSUES! There is decapitation by squid, killer sushi, sympathetic egg sushi that sings, and sushi sex! Who knew? I gagged at the egg yoke erotica. There is unfortunately a lot of CGI blood, but the absurdity of it all makes it forgivable. Watch this one with friends!
5) Dumplings (2004) - Hong Kong
I wrote about Dumplings early in my Taboo Terrors journey, but this definitely makes the cut for Asian Extreme if you think eating aborted fetuses is disturbing. An aging actress named Mrs. Li has a cheating husband (with younger women, of course) and is looking for a miracle anti-aging product, and finds Aunt Mei (played by the ever lovely Bai Ling), a local abortionist who creates delicious dumplings out of the by-products of these procedures. As Mrs. Li starts seeing results, she becomes more and more involved with Aunt Mei. There is an unnerving and upsetting abortion scene, as well as the ingestion of the baby dumplings, that might not be recommended for those sensitive to such topics. This one was also recommended by Alison Lang in my Intro to Extreme Horror list! So, give it a watch, if you dare.